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Egerton MS 2020
- Record Id:
- 032-001982947
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-001982947
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000053.0x000150
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100165162636.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Egerton MS 2020
- Title:
- Illustrated Herbal ('The Carrara Herbal')
- Scope & Content:
-
This manuscript contains a fourteenth-century Italian translation made by Jacopo Filippo, possibly from a Latin translation, of a treatise orginally written in Arabic by Serapion the Younger (Ibn Sarabi, probably in the 12th century). This Italian translation of the 'Carrara Herbal', known as the Serapione Herbario Volgare, includes the Liber agrega, Herbolario volgare; De medicamentis, with index (ff. 263r-265r).
Contents:
ff. 1r-289v: Italian translation of a herbal (The 'Carrara Herbal'), including the Liber agrega, Herbolario volgare; De medicamentis, with index (ff. 263r-265r).
[ff. 3r, 3v, and 266v are blank].
Decoration:
Two full border in colours and gold, with the heraldic decoration (ff. 4r, 267r) Carraresi family of Padua. One large historiated initial with an author portrait in colours on a gold ground (f. 4r). Numerous miniatures of plants in colours. Six large initials on gold grounds, with foliage extending into the margins with gold balls (ff. 1v, 99v, 146r, 161r, 244r, 267r). One small initial in gold on coloured ground (f. 267r). Large initials in red with brown penwork decoration, or in blue with red penwork decoration (from f. 267r, in red with blue penwork decoration). Paraphs in red or blue. Initials in brown highlighted in yellow. Decorated catchwords. Numerous spaces left for miniatures.
The plants depicted are:
f. 4v: “Del citron”; citron tree; Citrus medica;
f. 4v: “Macis”; nutmeg and/or mace; Myristica fragrans Houtt;
f. 5r: “Capilli veneris”; maidenhair fern; Adiantum capillus-veneris L.
f. 5v: “Sparagus”; asparagus; Asparagus officinalis L.
f. 6r: “Oliva”; olive tree; Olea europaea L.
f. 7v: “Del trifolio” (3 varieties); red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) sweet clover? (Melilotus officinalis L.), yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea L.)
f. 8r: “Del liço”; common privet; Ligustrum vulgare L.
f. 11r: “De la chassia fistula”; golden shower tree; Cassia fistula L.
f. 11v: “Del rixo”; rice (?); Oryza sativa L.f. 12v: “De lo abscenço”; 3 varieties of artemisia, likely: wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica L.), and sea wormwood (Artemisia maritima L.)
f. 14r: “De la sponga marina”; bath sponge; Spongia officinalis L.
f. 14v: “Del stichados”; French lavender; Lavandula stoechas L.
f. 15r: “Del meliloto”; bird’s foot trefoil; Lotus corniculatus L.
f. 17r: “De la somença del lino”; flax (linseed); Linum usitatissimum L.
f. 17v: “De la camomilla”; chamomile; Matricaria Chamomilla L.
f. 18v: “De la mellissa”; lemon balm; Melissa officinalis L.
f. 19r: “De la avena”; common oat; Avena sativa L.
f. 20r: “De la piperela”; peppermint; Mentha piperita L.
f. 21r: “Del formento”; six row barley; Hordeum hexastichum L.
f. 23v: “Del povolaro arbore”, black poplar tree; Populus nigra L.
f. 24r: “Del tamarischo”; species of tamarisk, perhaps Tamarix Gallica L. or Myricaria Germanica L. (false tamarisk)
f. 26r: “De lo orobo”; pea; Pisum sativum L.
f. 26v: “Del curiandolo”; coriander; Coriandrum sativum L.
f. 27v: “De la vide salvegra”; variety of grape vine; Vitis vinifera L.
f. 28r: “De la vigna desmestega”; variety of grape vine; Vitis vinifera L.
f. 29r: “De la agresta”; unripe grapes and their juice
f. 31r: “De la vigna bianca”; white bryony; Bryonia dioeca Jacq.
f. 31v: “De la vigna negra”; black bryony; Dioscorea communis L.
f. 32r: “De cuscute”; flax dodder; Cuscuta Epilinum L.
f. 33r: “De la volubelle”; hedge bindweed; Calystegia sepium L.
f. 33v: “Del cussus”; common ivy; Hedera helix L.
f. 45r: “De la valariana”; valerian; Valeriana officinalis L.
f. 46r: “Del pino arbore”; Italian stone pine tree; Pinus pinea L.
f. 48r: “Del milio solis”; gromwell or European stoneseed, Lithospermum officinale L.
f. 50v: “Del basilica”; sweet basil; Ocimum basilicum L.
f. 52v: “Del malbavisco”; genera of marshmallow plant; Althaea officinalis L. and Lavatera thuringiaca L.
f. 53v: “De l’eupatorio”; hemp agrimony; Eupatorium cannabinum L.
f. 56v: “Dei faxuoli”; cowpea; Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (also known as Dolichos sinensis L.)
f. 59r: “De l’atriplice marino”; sea orache or Mediterranean saltbrush; Atriplex halimus L.
f. 60r: “De le çiçole”; jujube or red date; Ziziphus jujuba Mill.
f. 61r: “De secacul”; Solomon’s seal; Polygonatum odoratum, (Mill.) Drucef. 94r: “De la viola”; sweet violet; Viola odorata L.
f. 94r: “De la viola”; sweet violet; Viola odorata L.
f. 161r: “Del bióm”; Mediterranean amaranth and purple amaranth (pigweed); Amaranthus graecizans L. and Amaranthus blitum L.
f. 161v: “Del molóm”; muskmelon (Persian melon?); Cucumis melo L.
f. 162r: “Del cogombaro”; Armenian cucumber or snake cucumber; Cucumis melo var. flexuosus (L.) Naudin.
f. 162v: “Del citrollo”; cucumber; Cucumis sativus L.
f. 163r: “De la anguria”; watermelon; Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.
f. 164v: “De li armelij”; apricot; Prunus armeniaca
f. 165r: “De la çucha”; bottle gourd; Cucurbita lagenaria L.
f. 166r: “De la latuga”; lettuce; Lactuca sativa L.f. 166v: “Del persego”; peach; Prunus Persica L.
f. 169r: “Matricaria”; feverfew; Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch. Bip.
f. 169v: “De la bachara”; wild ginger; Asarum europaeum L.
Plant names are listed according to Serapion (in quotations), the common English name(s), and the Linnaean binominal identification, as compiled by Sarah R. Kyle. See also Serapion, El libro agregà de Serapiom, volgarizzamento di frater Jacobus Philippus de Padua, ed. by G. Ineichen, 2 vols. (Venice and Rome: Istituto per la collaborazione culturale, 1962–1966).
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Egerton Manuscripts
- Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "032-001982947", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Egerton MS 2020: Illustrated Herbal ('The Carrara Herbal')" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-001982947
- Is part of:
- not applicable
- Hierarchy:
- 032-001982947
- Container:
- not applicable
- Record Type (Level):
- Fonds
- Extent:
-
Parchment codex
- Digitised Content:
- https://iiif.bl.uk/uv/#?manifest=https://bl.digirati.io/iiif/ark:/81055/vdc_100165162636.0x000001
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- English
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1385
- End Date:
- 1404
- Date Range:
- c 1390-1404
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
- Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff
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- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to consult this manuscript.
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: parchment.
Dimensions: 350 x 240 mm
Foliation: ff. 289 ( + 4 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 1 at the end); f. 1 and f. 2 are modern paper leaves with a description of the manuscript in Italian; the quires have been mounted on guards.
Collation: i-xii10 (ff. 4-123); xiii8 (ff. 124-131); xiv-xv10 (ff. 132-151); xvi9 (10-1, the ninth folio excised) (ff. 152-160); xvii-xxvi10 (ff. 161-260); xxvii2 (ff. 261-262); xxviii4 (ff. 263-266); xxix10 (ff. 267-276); xxx8 (ff. 277-284); xxxi5 (6-1, the last leaf excised) (ff. 285-289).
Script: Gothic.
Binding: British Museum/British Library in-house. Rebound in 1965; gilt edges.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: Italy, N. (Padua)
Written by Jacopo Filippo (Jacob Phillip) of Padua: with his colophon 'Frater Jacobus phyllipus de padua ordinis heremitarum scripsit' (f. 289v) for Francesco da Carrara, the last lord of Padua (d. 1404): his arms, emblems, and initial 'F' (ff. 4, 267).
Ulisse Aldrovandi of Bologna (b. 1522, d. 1605), naturalist: inscription (paper strip pasted onto f. 3v).ff. 1-2v are 19th-century (?) notes in Italian on blue paper.
Purchased on 13 October 1866 from J. T. Payne by the British Museum in 1866, using the Bridgewater fund (£12,000 bequeathed in 1829 by Francis Henry Egerton, 8th Earl of Bridgewater (b. 1756, d. 1829).
- Publications:
-
Catalogue of Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Museum in the Years 1853-1875 (London: British Museum, 1877), no. Eg. 2020.
Walter de Gray Birch and Henry Jenner, Early Drawings and Illuminations: An Introduction to the Study of Illustrated Manuscripts (London: Bagster and Sons, 1879), p. 10.
A Guide to the Exhibition of Some Part of the Egerton Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1929), no. 127.
Otto Pächt, 'Early Italian Nature Studies and the Early Calendar Landscape', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 13 (1950), 13-47 (pp. 30-31).
El libro agregà de Serapiom, volgarizzamento di Frater Jacobus Philippus de Padua, ed. by Gustav Ineichen, 2 vols (Venice: Istituto per la collaborazione culturale, [1962-1966]).
Loren MacKinney, Medical Illustrations in Medieval Manuscripts, Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 5, 2 parts bound together (London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1965), with Thomas Herndon, Part II, Medical Miniatures in Extant Manuscripts: A Checklist, no. 37.
Felix Andreas Baumann, Das Erbario Carrarese und die Bildtradition des Tractatus de herbis, Berner Schriften zur Kunst, 12 (Bern: Benteli, 1974) passim, esp. plates 1-52.
Millard Meiss, with Sharon Off Dunlap Smith and Elizabeth Home Beaton, French Painting in the Time of Jean de Berry: The Limbourgs and Their Contemporaries, 2 vols (London: Thames and Hudson, 1974), p. 183, fig. 679.
Wilfred Blunt and Sandra Raphael, The Illustrated Herbal (London: Frances Lincoln, 1979), pp. 11, 66-71, 73
Peter Murray Jones, Medieval Medical Miniatures (London: British Library, 1984), pp. 89-90, pl. VI.
Peter Jones, 'Secreta Salernitana', Kos (1984), 33-50 (esp. p. 34).
John E. Murdoch, Album of Science: Antiquity and the Middle Ages, ed. by I. B. Cohen (New York: Scribner's Sons, 1984), no. 197.
Wolf-Dieter Müller-Jahncke, ‘Die botanische Illustratione des 14. und 15. Jahrhunderts in Italien’, in Die Kunst und das Studium der Natur vom 14. zum 16. Jahrhundert, ed. by Wolfram Prinz and Andreas Beyer (Cologne: Acta humaniora, 1987), pp. 75-81 (p. 78, pl. 3).
Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi, ‘Toward the Scientific Naturalism: Aspects of Botanical and Zoological Iconography in Manuscripts and Printed Books in the Second half of XV [sic] century’, in Die Kunst und das Studium der Natur vom 14. zum 16. Jahrhundert, ed. by Wolfram Prinz and Andreas Beyer (Cologne: Acta humaniora, 1987), pp. 91-101 (p. 96).
Two East Anglian Picture Books : A Facsimile of the Helmingham Herbal and Bestiary and Bodleian Ms. Ashmole 1504, ed. by Nicholas Barker (London: The Roxburghe Club, 1988), p. 16 n. 2.
Wilifred Blunt and Sandra Raphael, The Illustrated Herbal, 2nd edn (London: Lincoln, 1994), pp. 41, pls. 66-67.
Robert W. Scheller, Exemplum: Model-Book Drawings and the Practice of Artistic Transmission in the Middle Ages (ca. 900 - ca. 1450) (Amsterdam: University Press, 1995), pp. 64-65.
Dizionario biografico dei miniatori Italiani: Secoli IX-XVI, ed. by Milvia Bollati (Milan: Bonnard, 2004), p. 1040.
Celia Fisher, Flowers in Medieval Manuscripts (London: British Library, 2004), p. 9-10.
Alixe Bovey, Tacuinum Sanitatis: An Early Renaissance Guide to Health (London: Sam Fogg, 2005), p. 28, fig. 8, .
Peter Jones, 'The Medieval Encyclopedia: Science and Practice', in The Cambridge Illuminations: Ten Centuries of Book Production in the Medieval West, ed. by Paul Binski and Stella Panayotova (London: Harvey Miller, 2005), pp. 297-303 (p. 301).
Treasures of the British Library, ed. by Nicolas Barker and others (London: British Library, 2005), p. 127.
Sarah R. Kyle, The Carrara Herbal in Context: Imitation, Exemplarity, and Invention in Late Fourteenth-Century Padua (unpublished doctoral dissertation, Emory University, 2010).
Sarah R Kyle, Medicine & Humanism in Late Medieval Italy: the Carrara Herbal in Padua (New York: Routledge 2016).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)