Details

Subjects:

Lapini, Fabiano.
Lapini, Stefano.
Cassi, Lodovico.
Accounting -- Italy -- 17th century.
Textile industry -- Italy -- Early works to 1800.
Textile industry.
Accounting.
Italy.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Accounts.
Credit records.
Ledgers (account books)
Manuscripts, Italian.
Manuscripts, European.

Language:

Italian.

Summary:

Ledger of accounts and correspondence of Fabiano and Stefano Lapini for the years 1625-1632. Two sections of accounts (the first covering the years 1625-1630 and the second covering the year 1631) contain very detailed receipts of the sale of various kinds of textile products (mostly wool and cotton, which came in many colors and prices) to a diverse range of customers. Sometimes includes the name of the customer, the kind of product sold and the amount received. The clientèle that bought cloth and wool from Lapini included members of some of the most important Florentine families, such as the Capponi, the Medici, the Acciauoli, the Piccolomini, the Altoviti, the Ridolfi; the marquis Coppola and the earl Mario Carpigna; members of religious orders, including various friars; a number of female customers, referred to as donne in the text; and numerous other customers simply identified as friends of the Lapini, or according to their professional roles (tailors, workmen, merchants, bakers and others). The copies of correspondence contained between the two sections of accounts include, according to the inscription at beginning of the section (f. 113r), all the letters received or written by Fabiano and Stefano between the years 1625-1632. Most of them are written from either Siena or Florence and concern the daily management of the textile business owned by the Lapini, and include receipts for the sale or purchase of textile products. In certain cases, the letters have a very informal and personal tone, indicating a close relationship between the various Tuscan merchants. It also appears that in 1625 the Lapini took over the business of another merchant, Lodovico Cassi, as in a letter dated 17 October 1625 (f. 113r), they declare they had to change the name on their receipts from Cassi to Lapini after the death of Lodovico.

Contents:

1. f.1v-112v: [Records of cloth sales]
2. f.113r-137v: [Copies of correspondence]
3. f.138r-149v: [Records of cloth sales]

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Likely to be the continuation of the accounts of the business of Lodovico Cassi, contained in Ms. Codex 1501, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania.
Foliation: Paper, i (paper) + 160 + i (paper); [1-160]; modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto (f. 150-160 are blank).
Layout: Written in 2 columns with vertical bounding lines in lead; the large central column with the a brief description of the transaction, sometimes including the name of the counterparts involved in the transaction, and the smaller one on the right with the amount received. Long lines are used for copies of correspondence (f. 113r-137v).
Script: Written in a cursive script by multiple hands.
Watermark: Unidentified watermark containing a circle, an oblong human head with a thick neck and pointy nose and a crown.
Binding: Contemporary vellum, no. 28(?) on spine; the heading Scartafoglio, no. 17 and letter A with decorative penwork on upper cover; lower cover wraps around upper cover with remnants of leather ties; decorative leatherwork on spine.
Origin: Written in Italy between 1625 (f. 1r) and 1632 (f. 135v).
Forms part of: Gondi-Medici Business Records.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Bernard M. Rosenthal, 1963.

Cited in:

Described in Zacour, Norman P. and Hirsch, Rudolf. Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Libraries of the University of Pennsylvania to 1800: Supplement A (4), Library Chronicle 37 (1971), no. 1, p. 18 (Ms. Lea 542).

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1505.

OCLC:

320261960

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.