Add MS 5027 C

Pen drawings of objects collected by Andrea Vendramin in his museum in Venice and whose provenance is described by Vendramin as 'from the Indies and various other parts of the world'. Objects include plants and animal specimens, weapons, playing cards, porcelain, coins and medals.

The drawings are executed in pen and brown ink and wash over a pencil underdrawing, directly on the folios of the manuscript. The only exception is f. 24, where the drawing has been pasted on the folio of the manuscript. A manuscript title page in brown ink, dated 1627, introduces the drawings with the following words: 'De Rebus Indicis et ex Alijs Mundi Regionibus tam Orientalibus, quam occidentalibus, in museo D.ni Andreae Vendrameno repositis, valde curiosis, et visu dignis. Anno D.ni MDCXXVII'. On ff. 3-4, there is a manuscript index, in Italian, listing the names of the objects in Vendramin’s museum and a reference to the page of the manuscript where a drawing of the object may be found. Each drawing is accompanied by an inscription in Italian indicating the name of the object and, sometimes, a brief explanation of how it was acquired by Vendramin.

Vendramin produced similar manuscript catalogues with pen drawings that document all of his collection. The British Library holds Vendramin's catalogues of paintings ('De Picturis', Sloane MS 4004); Egyptian seals and rings ('De Annulis et sigillis Aegyptiorum', Sloane MS 4005); Naturalia ('De Rebus Naturalis,' Sloane MS 4006); Minerals ('De Mineralibus', Sloane MS 4007).