Two treatises on Venetian families: MS 303

Titles

Two treatises on Venetian families

Entities

• Other

Categories

• Illuminated manuscript
• Manuscript

Description

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Paper (watermark, cf. Briquet no. 5908), i modern paper flyleaf + 61 fols. (fols. 4, 31 and 52-61 bound out of order) + i modern paper flyleaf, 275 x 210 mm (fols. 1 and 52-61 193 x 113 mm, fols. 2-51 235 x 133 mm), fols. 1 and 52-61 26 long lines, fols. 2-51 40 long lines, ruled in brown ink, leaves lost before fols. 2, 5, 11 and after fols. 53, 55

BINDING: Nineteenth century, brown paper over pasteboards, with leather corner-pieces and spine lettered Armi delle famiglie Venete M.S., re-backed by J.S. Wilson, Cambridge, 1938.

CONTENTS and DECORATION:
fols. 1 and 52-61 Fragmentary treatise on Venetian families, with Prologue (fol. 1r), containing brief entries on the history of each family (35 whose name begins with A and 53 whose name begins with B, the sequence below reconstructs the original order of the folios) and their coats of arms painted in the inner or outer borders: fol. 1r Anafesto, Albani, Andreardi, Amico; fol. 1v Adamo, Albizo, Amizo, Ardison; fol. 57r Aventurado, Artimondo, Alipato, Aggnusdio, Arduini; fol. 57v Alberegni, Agustini, Aldoin, Agadi, Anzo; fol. 54r End of Anzo, Apemo, Avanzago, Abrami; fol. 54v Anselmi, Aleardi, Adoaldi, Avonali; fol. 53r Amadio, Arbolini, Anastasi, Antolin, Agrinal; fol. 53v Ariani, Aicharolo, Avogari, Achotanto; fol. 52r End of Balistrazi, Barbamazor, Beloselo, Bondolo, Bonsizi, Bolpe; fol. 52v Barbolani, Barbazini, Barbeta, Barbato; fol. 59r Borseli, Berengi, Buora, Bentani, Briozi; fol. 59v Boccon, Belli, Belon, Boldo, Biancha; fol. 61r Baluchin, Bonaldi, Blonzena, Boninsegna, Bondomier; fol. 61v Bordenizi, Barisaneli, Buricaldo, Bedoloto; fol. 58r End of Bedoloto, Bonzil, Boriscaldo, Busnego, Bazenon; fol. 58v Bonbizo, Basadello, Baffo, Bianco, Borsolo; fol. 60r Barbi, Barbarigi, Belegni; fol. 60v Bochasi, Balastri, Basadona, Balbi; fol. 55r End of Balbi, Boni, Brixi; fol. 55v Benedetti, Balduini; fol. 56r Beado, Bentivogli, Badoeri; fol. 56v Bembi, Barozi, Basegi.

fols. 2r-51v Treatise on Venetian families, containing brief entries on the history of each family (646 families) and their coats of arms painted in the right border or within the text: fol. 2r-v (bound back to front) Agnustio-Anselmi; fol. 4r-v Alberto-Babilonio; fol. 3r-v Betami-Boninsegna; fols. 5r-9v Bardonzi-Bataia; fols. 9v-12r Contranigo-Cibo; fols. 12v-17r Dauli-Deandiris; fol. 18r-v Equando-Enzegner; fols. 19r-21r Fabricii-Farnesi; fols. 21v-23v Gauli-Galatazi; fol. 24r-v Hobelingerio-Istrigo; fols. 25r-26v Lodovici-Loze; fols. 27r-30v Moio-Molini, including on fol. 28v four drawings coloured in red, blue, yellow and mosaic gold and depicting the arms of Gattamelata (1370-1443), his equestrian statue and monument by Donatello in Padua, his tomb in the church of Il Santo in Padua, and the tomb of his son Giovanni in the same church; fols. 32r-33v Minii-Mongaro; fols. 34v-35r Nicola-Nano; fol. 36r-v Orsolo-Orio; fols. 37r-39v Pasquali-Quintavalle; fols. 40r-41r Romani-Renier; fols. 42r-45r Senadori-Salomini; fols. 45v-47r Tradonico-Trivisani; fols. 48r-50r Vivian-Ursini; fol. 51r-v Ziani-Zordani; fol. 31r-v Zanchani-Zusti.

ORNAMENTATION: Gold initial [P, 3 ll.] on framed blue ground with an olive branch, and a partial bar border in an architectural shape, forming a corner-piece and containing a mask and a scrolling stem with fruit, for Prologue to the first treatise (fol. 1r).

Notes

History note: Rev. Walter Sneyd (1809-1888), his armorial bookplate inside upper cover; his sale, Sotheby’s, London, 16-19 Dec. 1903, lot 831; T.W. Greene; purchased at Sotheby’s, London, 9-10 June 1920, lot 318, and presented by the Friends of the Fitzwilliam Museum.