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Add MS 5018

Record Id:

032-003856818

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-003856818

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100121330037.0x000001

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Add MS 5018

Title:

Watercolours of plants of Japan, with their name in Japanese and Dutch, followed by a description in Dutch

Scope & Content:

84 watercolours of plants from Japan with their name inscribed in Japanese and in Dutch, or Latin (ff. 1-82). The drawings are followed by a description of the plants handwritten in Dutch (ff. 83-157). Exceptions are the text on f. 148 and f. 155, where there are notes on the plants handwritten in German, and by a different hand.

The number at the top of each folio of handwritten text refers back to a drawing. The corresponding drawing has the same number written at the bottom (centre or right) of the folio. The Dutch description records information about nomenclature, dimensions of the plant, colour of leaves and flowers, use of the plant in Japan and / or medicinal properties.

On f. i is a handwritten description of the contents of the manuscript listing Nicolaes Witsen (1641-1717), mayor of Amsterdam, as former owner of the manuscript: 'Plants of Japan in their proper Colours with their Names & Descriptions in Low Dutch from Mr. Witzen's collection of Amsterdam'. Witsen possibly acquired this manuscript from the German botanist Andreas Cleyer (1634-1698), who was working in Japan for the Dutch East India Company in 1685-86. The Dutch text accompanying the watercolours in Witsen's album was likely written by Cleyer's assistant, a gardener in Jakarta called Georg[e] Meister (1653-1713).

The information provided in this catalogue record is partly based on research published in:

Wolfgang Muntschick, 'Ein Manuskript von Georg Meister, dem Kunst- und Lustgaertner, in der British Library' Medizinhistorisches Journal 19, no. 3 (1984): 225-232.

James A. Compton and H. Walter Lack, 'The discovery, naming and typification of Wisteria floribunda and W. brachybotrys (Fabaceae) with notes on associated names', Wildenowia 42, no. 2 (December 2012): 219-240.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Additional Manuscripts
Sloane Collection

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "032-003856818", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Add MS 5018: Watercolours of plants of Japan, with their name in Japanese and Dutch, followed by a description in Dutch" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-003856818

Is part of:

not applicable

Hierarchy:

032-003856818

Container:

not applicable

Record Type (Level):

Fonds

Extent:

1 volume (159 items)

Digitised Content:

Languages:

Dutch
German
Japanese
Latin

Scripts:

Japanese
Latin

Start Date:

1660

End Date:

1740

Date Range:

Late 17th century-Early 18th century

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Physical Characteristics:

Dimensions: 438 x 315 mm.

Material: paper.

Medium: pencil, ink, watercolour, red chalk.

Foliation: 157 numbered items, plus two unnumbered (45* and i), making a total of 159 items. 165 folios, of which 8 are blank and unnumbered.

Custodial History:

The manuscripts of Sir Hans Sloane were purchased at his death from his executors by the Act of Parliament which established the British Museum in 1753.

Source of Acquisition:

The Sloane Manuscripts were held by the British Museum Department of Manuscripts until 1973 after which they were transferred to the British Library.

Finding Aids:

Catalogue of Additional Manuscripts, vol. 20 (1831), available in the Manuscripts Reading Room, where the volume is described as: ‘A folio volume, H. 157 containing 81 colored drawings of Plants of Japan, with their Japanese names; accompanied by a description in Dutch. From the collection of Mr Witzen, of Amsterdam.'

'Min. 192 (crossed out), Min.84' in the Catalogue of Sir Hans Sloane's Library, Sloane MS 3972C.

Publications:

Wolfgang Muntschick, "Ein Manuskript von Georg Meister, dem Kunst- und Lustgaertner, in der British Library", Medizinhistorisches Journal 19, no. 3 (1984): 225-232.

James A. Compton and H. Walter Lack, "The discovery, naming and typification of Wisteria floribunda and W. brachybotrys (Fabaceae) with notes on associated names", Wildenowia 42, no. 2 (December 2012): 219-240.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Names:

Sloane, Hans, Baronet, physician and collector, 1660-1753,
see also http://isni.org/isni/0000000123196729,
see also http://viaf.org/viaf/77959
Witsen, Nicolaus, Burgomaster, of Amsterdam