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Royal MS 17 E III

Record Id:

040-002107403

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-002105724

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100000000338.0x000222

LARK:

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Royal MS 17 E III

Title:

Bartholomaeus Anglicus, translated by Jean Corbechon, Livre des proprietez des choses

Scope & Content:

Contents:

Bartholomaeus Anglicus, De proprietatibus rerum, translated in 1372 as the Livre des proprietez des choses by Jean Corbechon for Charles V of France.

Decoration:

1 large miniature in four compartments, in colours and gold, with a foliate initial in colours and gold, and a partial border with zoomorphic and foliate decoration, at the beginning of the prologue (f. 9r). 19 one-column miniatures in colours and gold, with puzzle initials in gold and blue with red and black pen-flourishing, at the beginning of each book (ff. 15r, 24v, 36r, 45r, 80r, 93v, 119r, 136v, 145r, 148r, 154r, 166r, 175r, 184r, 209r, 223r, 264r, 297r, 314v). 2 ornamental squares in red and blue (f. 214v). Initials in gold with black pen-flourishing, or in blue with red pen-flourishing. Paraphs in red or blue. Rubrics in red

f. 9r: God creating the world (3 miniatures); Jean Corbechon presents the work to Charles V;

f. 15r: The fall of the rebel angels;

f. 24v: The creation of Adam;

ff. 36r: A medical lecture;

ff. 45r, 93v, 209r, 297r: A master lectures to students;

f. 80r: The Ages of Man, four figures only;

ff. 119r, 136v: Teachers with globes;

f. 145r: A scribe writing;

f. 148r: A teacher and circular landscape with winds;

f. 154r: An eagle, swan, stork, and cock;

f. 166r: A lecture beside a stream;

f. 175r: Animals;

f. 184r: Cities and a river;

f. 209r: A scribe demonstrating to his pupils;

f. 223r: Trees and herbs;

f. 264r: A lion, bear, boar, stag, leopard, horse, unicorn, camel, and sheep;

f. 314v: David playing on bells: a man with scales.

The illuminations are attributed by Sandgren 'Johannete Ravenelle' (2002) to the Ravenelle Master, who also worked on Add MS 25884, Add MS 38120 and Harley MSS 4381 and 4382. The subjects are similar to those in Add MS 11612.

Collection Area:

Western Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

Royal Collection

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-002105724
040-002107403

Is part of:

Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X : Royal Manuscripts

Royal MS 17 E III : Bartholomaeus Anglicus, translated by Jean Corbechon, Livre des proprietez des choses

Hierarchy:

032-002105724[1562]/040-002107403

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X

Record Type (Level):

File

Extent:

Parchment codex

Digitised Content:

Languages:

French

Scripts:

Latin

Start Date:

1400

End Date:

1440

Date Range:

Early 15th century

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

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Physical Characteristics:

Materials: Parchment.

Dimensions: 375 x 285 mm (text space: 290 x 185mm).

Layout: Written in two columns.

Foliation: ff. 320 (+ 2 unfoliated modern paper flyleaves at the beginning and 1 at the end).

Collation: Gatherings of 8 leaves, with catchwords.

Script: Gothic cursive.

Binding: BM/BL in-house. Rebound in 1985.

Custodial History:

Origin: France (Paris).

Provenance:

The Old Royal Library (the English Royal library): probably included in the list of books at Richmond Palace, of 1535, no. 57; and in the catalogue of 1666, Royal Appendix 71, f. 13.

Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.

Information About Copies:

Select digital coverage available for this manuscript, see Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm.

Publications:

George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), II, pp. 258-59.

Patricia Basing, Trades and Crafts in Medieval Manuscripts (London: British Library, 1990), fig. 59.

The Libraries of King Henry VIII, ed. by J. P. Carley, Corpus of British Medieval Library Catalogues, 7 (London: The British Library, 2000), H1.55.

Sue Ellen Holbrook, 'The Properties of Things and Textual Power: Illustrating the French Translation of De Proprietatibus Rerum and a Latin Precursor', in Patrons, Authors and Workshops: Books and Book Production in Paris Around 1400, ed. by Godfried Croenen and Peter Ainsworth (Louvain: Peeters, 2006), pp. 367-403 (p. 393).

Peter Barber and Tom Harper, Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art (London: British Library, 2010), pl. on p. 146.

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)

Related Material:

From the printed Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections (1921):

'Livre des Proprietez des Choses', by Bartholomaeus Anglicus, translated by Jean Corbechon (cf. 15 E. II, 15 E. III). The present copy contains twenty books, the chapters on number and music being divided from the earlier chapters of book xix, as in the brief Latin epitome in Harley MS. 512 and in the French in Cotton MS. Augustus VI. The text is closer to that of the editions than in 15 E. II. Epilogue beg. 'Ce liure des proprietez des choses', &c., nearly as in 15 E. II; ends 'seigneur tresexcilant'. Sec. fol. in table 'Du foye'; in text 'et reuestu'.'