Search Results: 16th Century Manuscript from Katz Fine Manuscripts Inc.

GENOA, ITALY. Good+ with no dust jacket. 1505. Original Vellum. One hundred and eighty four hand numbered pages in this remarkable, 500+ year old, handwritten manuscript ledger, journal and diary : " 1505 Gendenze di Saviz - gnano" as stated on the cover. The first page begins: "Libro de tuto _____ quale so tato asan__giano ala venuta mia. [T]o Alexandro salueto schrise e soto schrise de mia gnovia mar...." Not written by a scribe, this is a working journal and ledger containing hundreds of business entries, purchases, loans and repayments. There are long lists of foods and prices for what is assuredly shopping lists for parties and feasts. There are also what appears to be observations and business maxims and poetry in a number of entries. Certainly this fascinating book requires more research. The original vellum cover is in somewhat rough shape with tears, rubbing and bumping and is barely attached to the text block though still held by the rear binding cords.… Read More

Medieval Europe. Good with no dust jacket. 1508. Ephemera. On offer is a simply outstanding historical document dating back over 510 years and peering into the history of a storied military order of knights in the middle ages. Dated 1508, the manuscript belonged to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Order was one of the three great military orders of medieval Europe, along with the Knights Templar and the Teutonic Knights. This manuscript was found within a packet of old letters and documents and is a true treasure. The authenticity of this document is established by a clear reference to the Order and an imprint of the Order's coat of arms. The date is written in words in the first line: mille cinq cent huit [ (one) thousand five hundred (and) eight]. In one line (17) , it appears that the word contrat [contract] is used. Subsequently, on line 22, the word payable [payable] can be read. This leads to a possible assumption that this document refers to a contract or commercial… Read More

France, 1524. On offer is a remarkable ancient document, 32 pp, handwritten in French gothic calligraphy, relating to the family of Martel de Chabans, as noted by later handwritten notes on later paper rag cover, who makes the inquiry of the 16th century genealogists. The document features three bold signatures of the authors but they are illegible. This cover also features the handstamp of Cabinet D'Hozier, one of the most famous genealogists of the 19th century. This medieval document is fragile and the first two pages feature a number of faults, some loss but overall this superb document is legible and has later day research notes. Fair.. Good+. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Manuscript.

LOMBARDY ITALY. Good+. 1525. Original Vellum. On offer is an ancient, very charming and even beautiful, manuscript relic of early civil law and legal procedure, bound in vellum, being the "Corpus Iuris Civilis of Justinian", the Digesta [Digests or Pandects] Books 1 through 38 in condensed form. [All titular headings from 1.1.0 through 38.17.0 with each followed by an abbreviated explanation of the premise. In some instances may also have portions of subsections such as 1.5.6. The text does not contain the elaborations of Ulpianus, Pomponius, Florentinus or their like.] Justinian the Great "Justice is the constant and perpetual wish to render to everyone his due" was the Roman Emperor of Byzantine Constantinople from 527 to 565. He was the last Roman Emperor to speak Latin as his first language. He tried to revive the greatness of the empire by reconquering the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire, achieving only partial success in this, although he did… Read More

Good+. 1544. Full-Leather. On offer is a superb ancient book VIA CRUCIS [Way of the Cross; Twelve Stations of the Cross]. "Domini Redemptoris ac Salvatoris Nostri Jesu Christim." Twenty-nine [29] printed pages detail the 12 stations of the Cross in the Cruxifiction of Jesus. Pagination begins at page 3 through page 32. Original binding, 4 bands, 5 compartments and while the original title page has been removed there are four [4] manuscript pages including a simple but beautifully handwritten new title page with the word Via rubricated leading to the Oratio. There are seven [7] pages in more lovely calligraphy at the end titled "Officium S. Spiitus". Followed by a number of blank pages. Seems like an ideal book for a pilgrim to record his own journey to the Holy Land. Handwritten is an 'ex libris' noting Ferdinandi de Graes [?] as the owner. The full leather binding is well attached, no cracks, but some small worm holes in the endpaper. Old pencil note dates… Read More

Dégagnac France [Lot]. Very Good+. 1555. On offer is a fascinating handwritten medieval French manuscript book, earliest date 1555 with entries through 1597, in original blindstamped calf with small Fleur-de-lis. This stunning book has approximately 300 pages of handwritten entries being a register of acts, properties, transactions, loans, personal notes and journal entries the majority concerning Marc-Antoine Hébrart, a noted merchant in the village of Dégagnac in Lot in south-western France. Most certainly Jewish, it is evident that the Hebrart family was one of the largest land-holding families in the area. "In 1504 and 1505 the two "headmen" of the village, Antoine Hebrart and Pierre Peysson, together accounted for 15 percent of the land of the village" [Ref: By Le Roy, Emmanuel and Ladurie, John Day, The Peasants of Languedoc ] . A pencil annotation indicates that Marc Hébrard was of Jewish origin. A fairly cursory examination of the… Read More

France. Fair with no dust jacket. 1500s. Ephemera. On offer is a fabulous document from the late 1500s in France. The document is titled Contract de Consultation or Annuity Agreement and is dated 1582. An excerpt from the document follows: ... Contract de Consutation de quinze livres de rente [] hypotheque a l'un reparthe Sieur [] sur Simon Morin. [Translation: …Contract of fifteen pounds annuity [] mortgage [between or on] the one hand Sieur [] [and] on [the other hand] Simon Morin]. The document is written in middle French and uses a script that appears very much as ‘Secretary’ script which had been in wide use in France at that time. For these reasons, we have not been able to translate the document. However, there are several tantalizing hints within it. The document was found with other documents from Normandy, including from around the area of the city of Caen. And, in the last sentence, the name of Jacques Bellot is mentioned. This is important because Jacques… Read More

SEGOVIA SALAMANCA SPAIN ESPANA. Very Good. 1599. On offer is a superb late 16th early 17th Century manuscript book in two volumes being the transcribed works of John of Segovia the influential Catholic Theologian who was a professor at the Spanish University of Salamanca, represented Castille at the Council of Basel, and represented the council in the 1439 Diet of Mainz. He played a large role in the removal of Pope Eugene IV and the placement of Antipope Felix V. Volume One: "Tractatus de Deo" a 333 page work in a fine hand though not necessarily the work of a scrivener, the endpapers featuring heraldic and maybe royal watermarks [each is topped with a crown very similar to a Spanish heraldic crown of higher nobility. There seems to be the use of quartering and a pallet like central division. Pictured within the escutcheon are castles, lions, fleur de lis like symbols, likely eagles, a cross, three horizontal circles, with the use of borders and orles, without the use of… Read More