Census of the Petrarch Manuscripts in the United States

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Ms. 48. 4 (1 folio)

Parch., 340 × 250 (210 × 107) mm., ruled in lead, written by one person, gothic script. Decoration: on recto side is an 8ߚline black and off-white initial in a gold frame with a black outline, inhabited by Scipio crowned in laurel and carrying a scepter, dressed in a white robe with gold trilobe flowers, Scipio is seated in a triumphal cart, on a green field with blue sky background; a multi-colored acanthus decoration extends well into the upper and side margins, ending in large gold rayed orbs. Petrarch, Africa , IX, 1-64, inc. "Scipio provectus pelago romanaque classis ...", expl. "... Calliope det fila lire vocemque sonoram//" (Petrarca, Rime, Trionfi e poesie latine , 690-94). ORIGIN
Written in Northeastern Italy, s. XIV^2-ex.. PROVENANCE
Stamp and signature of John Frederick Lewis on the verso with a note: "Leaf from a Petrarch initial Vinati illustration of the Triumphi. Italian. Early XV century. Baer & Co. 200 m."; on the original mat Lewis wrote: "Petrarch B. 1304. D. 1374, this ms. leaf c. 1425 almost contemporary". BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ullman, no. 98; De Ricci, Suppl., p. 467, XLVIII: 4; Jasenas, p. 34, no. 21, pl. 16 (of recto); V. Fera, Antichi editori e lettori dell’ Africa (Messina, 1984), 198-200, 206.

Abbreviations

De Ricci, Suppl.: Supplement of De Ricci, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada, originated by C.U. Faye and continued by W.H. Bond. New York, 1962.

Jasenas: Jasenas, M. Petrarch in America: A Survey of Petrarch Manuscripts. New York and Washington, D. C., 1974.

Ullman: Ullman, B. L. Petrarch Manuscripts in the United States (Censimento dei codici petrarcheschi, no. 1). Padova, 1964 (also in Italia medioevale e umanistica, v [1962], 443-475).

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