The Corvinus Tacitus

Found In:

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library > The Corvinus Tacitus


2014790

Description

Title
The Corvinus Tacitus
Creator
Tacitus, Cornelius
Published / Created
[ca. 1475]
Publication Place
Italy
Abstract

Manuscript on parchment (thin, good quality) of 1) Tacitus, Annales XI-XVI. 2) Tacitus, Historiae I-V. Written for King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (1458-90), perhaps by Italians at his palace of Buda

Description
In Latin.
Script: Written by a single scribe in a well formed humanistic script.
Twelve initials, 7- to 2-line, at beginning of each book (2 at the beginning of the Annales), gold edged in black, with white vine ornament, against a panelled ground of blue, green and mauve, with white dots, outlined with one or two thin white and one black line; ivy, drawn or pen, with triangular gold leaves or dots, projecting from corners into margins. On f. 1r, the initial includes a putto in the vinework; in the lower margin, coat of arms of Corvinus, type A (quarterly, first and fourth barry of 8 gules and argent [Hungary]; second and third gules, a lion rampant and queue-fourche argent [Bohemia]; an inescutcheon azur with raven sable holding an annulet or, with bordure or [Hunyadi family]. Workmanship of fair quality; style Northern Italian (?).
Binding: Fifteenth century. Sewn on three tawed, slit straps laid in channels in beech boards. The straps are pegged and the channels filled in with plaster as are the endband grooves and the edge channels cut out for the clasps. The primary endband is plain, wound, and sewn on a tawed core and the secondary is beaded and colored. The core is laid in a groove and pegged. The square spine is given a slightly round shape by the bevelling of the boards and is lined with a tawed skin. Covered in dark, brick-red goatskin with a cusped shield azur, charged with a crow sable (Hunyadi family), in the center of each board; blind-tooled rope work, punch dots and other ornamentation gilt, gold-tooled or painted. "Cornelius Tacitus" is tooled along the head of the lower cover and is also written down the fore-edge with black ink. There are four fastenings, the brass catches on the lower board, with three of them covered over with added leather. The clasps are the same color as the cover and are reinforced with parchment. They are pegged in channels at the edges of the board, underneath the cover. The clasps and a little leather of the spine and the upper board are wanting.
Provenance
Obtained in 1934 by Gabriel Wells of New York. Bought from him with funds collected by Mrs. Edward S. Harkness and a group of alumni, and presented to Yale in 1935.
Extent
ff. ii + 191 + i : 261 x 192 (180 x 113) mm.
Extent of Digitization
This object has been completely digitized.
Language
Latin

Collection Information

Repository
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Related Resource Online
View a detailed description.

Subjects, Formats, And Genres

Genre
Manuscripts, Medieval Italy 15th century
Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library
Material
parchment ;
Resource Type
unspecified
Subject (Geographic)
Connecticut
New Haven.
Rome
Subject (Name)
Matthias I, King of Hungary, 1443-1490.
Tacitus, Cornelius.
Subject (Topic)
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval
Latin prose literature
Manuscripts, Medieval
History
Subjects
Matthias I, King of Hungary, 1443-1490
Tacitus, Cornelius
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval
Latin prose literature
Manuscripts, Medieval > Connecticut > New Haven
Rome > History > Caligula, 37-41.
Rome > History > Civil War, 68-69.
Rome > History > Claudius, 41-54.
Rome > History > Flavians, 69-96.
Italy > 15th century
Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in Beinecke Library

Access And Usage Rights

Access
Public
Rights
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.
Citation
The Corvinus Tacitus. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Identifiers

Orbis Record
9798870
Object ID (OID)
2014790

Tools