Literary

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Accession number:

MS M.222

Title:

Literary

Created:

Paris, ca. 1465.

Binding:

French 20th-century red morocco by Gruel with red damask doublatures, lettered: Bocce - De consolation - ms. XVeme siècle.

Credit:

Purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1905.

Description:

103 leaves (variable columns and lines), bound : vellum, ill. ; 380 x 270 mm

Provenance:

Executed for a member of the Bissari Family of Vicenza, whose arms (argent 2 fess gules two orvets affronted in pale verd) appear on fol. 1, 4, 39, 66, and 87; inscription on last leaf "ex bibliotheca Tristaniana" (? Jean Tristan de Saint-Amant, ca. 1650); comte de Pontchartrain Collection (not in 1747 sale); S.W. Singer Collection (ca. 1820?); Cochran, catalogue, 1829, no. 324, facs.; J. Barrois Collection (no. 113), sold in 1849 to the Earl of Ashburnham; his sale (London, 1901, no. 68) to Théophile Belin (catalogue, 1902, no. 4); purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) from Théophile Belin in 1905; J.P. Morgan (1867-1943).

Notes:

Ms. written and illuminated in Paris, France, ca. 1465. Place of execution formerly localized in the Loire River Valley or Bourges.
The glossed French translation faces the Latin text and Latin commentary compiled by William of Conches. The text and commentaries are written in varying layouts: 1 or two columns of text in Latin or French, flanked or partially surrounded by glosses in Latin or French. The text is preceded by three folios containing the dedication of the translator, Jean de Meun, to Philip IV of France.
The translation of Boethius is in the Pseudo-Jean de Meun version--Cf. Dwyer.
Artist: Coëtivy Master.
The Coëtivy Master has been tentatively identified with Henri de Vulcop and most recently with Colin d'Amiens.
Decoration: 6 large miniatures, including an 18th century replacement (fol. 21).
As described by De Ricci, the ams are: argent two bars gules, over all two vipers affronted paleways vert (the arms of the Italian Bissari family). If the vipers were azure, they would be those of the du or de Refuge family as has been suggested by Nicole Reynaud (1993). Pierre de Refuge was governor of finances to the duke of Orléans from 1464-1469.
Revised: 2015

Script:

bastarda

Language:

Latin and French parallel text

Resources:

Description/Bibliography

Century:

15th century

Genres:

Illuminated manuscripts

Miniatures (Illuminations)

Coats of arms