Details

Subjects:

Astrolabes -- Early works to 1800.
Astrolabes.
Astrology -- Early works to 1800.
Astrology.
Astronomy -- Early works to 1800.
Astronomy.

Form/Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)
compilation manuscripts.
anthologies.
diagrams.
tables (documents)
treatises.
Manuscripts, Latin -- 15th century.
Manuscripts, German -- 15th century.
Manuscripts, Renaissance.

Language:

Latin, with some words in German (f. 54r, 55r, 89r).

Summary:

Collection of astronomical and astrological texts. Includes tables of solar declination (f. 13r), fixed stars (f. 22r), elevation of the pole star in various cities (f. 26r), new and full moons (f. 83r-84v), sightings and transits or eclipses of Venus and Mercury (f. 87r), and the position of the sun in the ecliptic (f. 87v); treatises on instruments, such as the astrolabe (f. 17r-22r, 25r-33v, 43r-45r, 50r-50v), the sundial (f. 23r-25v), the quadrant (f. 27r-28v, 78v), the Jacob's staff (baculus, f. 45r-49r, 79r, 91r), and the chilinder or traveler's dial (f. 77r-78v); treatises on other scientific subjects, such as practical geometry (f. 41r-42v), determination of the date of Easter (computus, f. 64v-67v, 70v-75r, 89r-90v), and analysis of urine (f. 68r-70r); digressions on the work of Johannes Sacrobosco (f. 35r-39r); and excerpts from the Compilatio de astrorum scientia of Leopold of Austria (f. 80r-81v). Cities in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany are mentioned frequently, along with major cities in Europe, especially Italy.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Collation: Paper, i (modern) + 91 + i (modern); 1¹⁶ 2-6¹² 7¹⁶(-1); [1-91], modern foliation in pencil, upper right recto. Earlier modern foliation in pencil suggests that gatherings are missing at the beginning (the manuscript's extant first folio is numbered 36); between the third and fourth gatherings (where the earlier modern foliation skips from 75 (f. 40) to 113 (f. 41)); and between the fourth and fifth gatherings (where the earlier modern foliation skips from 124 (f. 52) to 155 (f. 53). Link to collation model at end of record.
Layout: Written in 33-35 long lines.
Script: Written in cursive Gothic script by multiple hands.
Decoration: Numerous diagrams (astronomical, f. 3r, 3v, 9v; related to sundials, f. 24v-25v; of quadrants, f. 62v, 63v; geometric, f. 41r-42v, 48r-48v, 51r-52v; astrological, f. 58r, 64r, 70v), mostly in ink, a few with red ink as well; rubrication and underlining in red and initials slashed with red in much of the manuscript (but not f. 26r-27v, 42v-52v, 63v-79v, 80v-91v); manicule (f. 10v).
Watermarks: Similar to Briquet Raisin 12995 (Eberbach, 1443-1449; Eppelsheim, 1445) and Tête de boeuf 15106, 15109, and 15110 (various German cities, 1452-1469).
Binding: Modern quarter parchment with pasteboards.
Origin: Written in the Baden-Württemberg region of Germany, possibly Heidelberg, ca. 1450 (f. 4v).

Local notes:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative.

Penn Provenance:

Sold by Sam Fogg Ltd. (London) to Lawrence J. Schoenberg, Jan. 2008.
Deposit by Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2011.
Gift of Barbara Brizdle Schoenberg, 2021.

Cited as:

Astronomical Compilation (LJS 490). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

Contributor:

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

OCLC:

759612564

Web link:

The Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative Fund Home Page

Collation model