University of Pennsylvania, LJS 225

Images provided by hosting institution via

Mirador viewer

About this item

Left

Inside front cover

Right

[i recto]

Resource

Litterarum simulationis liber

Available Online: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3q643
Title: Litterarum simulationis liber
Alt Title: Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris
Name: Zopello, Michele, Callistus III, Pope, 1378-1458 (dedicatee), Gioacchino, di Giovanni (illuminator)
Date: 1455
Collection: Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)
Item Type: Text
Physical Format: Codices (bound manuscripts), illuminations (visual works), Manuals (instructional materials), Treatises, Manuscripts, Latin, Manuscripts, Italian, Manuscripts, Renaissance, manuscripts (documents)
Description: Presentation copy for Pope Callistus III of a work on cryptography that describes two systems: in the first, Italian words beginning with one letter are all represented by Italian words beginning with another letter; in the second, signs or symbols represent letters or entire Italian words (titles, city names, and numbers).
Extent: 20 leaves : parchment, color illustrations ; 223 x 150 (127 x 85) mm bound to 228 x 155 mm
Language: Latin
Coverage: Early works to 1800
Note: Ms. codex., Humanist from Sacile (Sacilensis, f. 1r), north of Venice; secretary to Duke Louis of Savoy from 1450; released in 1452 from imprisonment by Francesco Sforza., Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover., Collation: Parchment, i + 20 + i; 1⁵ 2⁵; catchword with simple ornamentation on last verso of first gathering (f. 10v)., Layout: Written in 24 long lines; ruled in lead, vertical bounding lines occasionally visible., Script: Written in humanistic script., Decoration: 1 full-page white vine-stem (bianchi girari) border with 3 birds in the outer border and 2 putti with necklaces holding the arms of Pope Callistus III in the lower border (f. 1r) and 1 7-line initial in gold on a white vine-stem ground (f. 1r), illuminated by Gioacchino di Giovanni di Gigantibus of Rothenberg, Germany, a professional illuminator for the papal court from 1448 onward; 2-line initials in gold filled with green and/or pink throughout; rubrics in faint red ink., Binding: Contemporary calf blind-stamped in the Florentine style (modo fiorentino), with an ornamental pattern based on Islamic ropework, over wooden boards, with remnants of 4 pairs of ties., Origin: Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III)., Lawrence J. Schoenberg & Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative., Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r).
Relation: Video orientation: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/1338705, The Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle Manuscript Initiative Fund Home Page: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366278, Digital facsimile for browsing (Colenda): https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p3q643, Digital facsimile for download (OPenn): https://openn.library.upenn.edu/Data/0001/html/ljs225.html
Subject: Cryptography -- Early works to 1800, Cryptography, Ciphers -- Early works to 1800, Ciphers
Physical Location: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, LJS 225
Provenance: Illuminated for Pope Callistus III, between 1455 and 1458., Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 20 June 1989, lot 49., Sold by Martin Breslauer, 1989., Sold at auction at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 19, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg., Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle in honor of Tina Skov Cowan, Director, Development & External Affairs, Penn Libraries, 2013.
Rights: https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Bibnumber: 9948179063503681

IIIF manifest: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3q643/manifest

3 of 49 • [i recto]

Metadata

DS ID:: DS116
Shelfmark:: LJS 225
Title:: Litterarum simulationis liber

Litterarum simulationis liber
Author:: Zopello, Michele

Michele Zopello WIKIDATA
Artist:: Gioacchino, di Giovanni

Gioacchino di Giovanni WIKIDATA
Place:: Rome?, Italy

Rome TGN

Italy TGN
Date:: between 1455 and 1458

fifteenth century (dates CE) AAT
Language:: Latin (f. 1r-5r) and Italian with rubrics in Latin (f. 5v-20r)

Latin WIKIDATA

Italian WIKIDATA
Material:: parchment, color illustrations

Parchment AAT
Physical Description:: Extent: 20 leaves : parchment, color illustrations ; 223 x 150 (127 x 85) mm bound to 228 x 155 mm
Note:: Ms. codex.
Title from opening rubric (f. 1r); alternate title, Liber litterarum simulationis et de zifris, from early note inside front cover.
Collation: Parchment, i + 20 + i; 15 25; catchword with simple ornamentation on last verso of first gathering (f. 10v).
Layout: Written in 24 long lines; ruled in lead, vertical bounding lines occasionally visible.
Script: Written in humanistic script.
Decoration: 1 full-page white vine-stem (bianchi girari) border with 3 birds in the outer border and 2 putti with necklaces holding the arms of Pope Callistus III in the lower border (f. 1r) and 1 7-line initial in gold on a white vine-stem ground (f. 1r), illuminated by Gioacchino di Giovanni di Gigantibus of Rothenberg, Germany, a professional illuminator for the papal court from 1448...
Binding: Contemporary calf blind-stamped in the Florentine style (modo fiorentino), with an ornamental pattern based on Islamic ropework, over wooden boards, with remnants of 4 pairs of ties.
Origin: Probably written in Rome, between 1455 and 1458 (during the papacy of Callistus III).
Illuminated for Pope Callistus III, between 1455 and 1458.
Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 20 June 1989, lot 49.
Sold by Martin Breslauer, 1989.
Sold at auction at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 19, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.
Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle in honor of Tina Skov Cowan, Director, Development & External Affairs, Penn Libraries, 2013.
Keyword:: Manuscripts, Italian

Fifteenth century

Manuscripts, Renaissance

codices (bound manuscripts)

illuminations (paintings)

Manuscripts, Latin

treatises

manuals (instructional materials)

Ciphers

Early works

Cryptography
Institutional Record:: https://find.library.upenn.edu/catalog/9948179063503681
IIIF Manifest:: https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p3q643/manifest
Holding Institution:: University of Pennsylvania

Links

For the complete catalog description, follow this link to the institutional record To view our Linked Data record, follow this link to the DS Wikibase record

Tools

Bookmark
Cite

Contact Institution

Do you have more information to share with the Holding Institution about this manuscript or would you like to suggest a correction? Contact information is available for member institutions via our member directory.