Gennadios Scholarius — 15th century, after 1482, c.1490; Flemish

Title

Gennadios Scholarius — 15th century, after 1482, c.1490; Flemish

Shelfmark

MS. Bywater 16

Place of origin

Flemish

Date

15th century, after 1482, c.1490

Language

Latin

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Parchment.

Physical extent

i (original? parchment) + 34 (+ original pastedown)

Hands

Written in a gothic bookhand, of the type found in Ghent-Bruges manuscripts executed for Italian patrons (cf. Christopher R. F. de Hamel, 'Reflexions on the Trade in Books of Hours at Ghent and Bruges', in Manuscripts in the Fifty Years After the Invention of Printing, ed. J. B. Trapp (London, 1983), 29–33, pls. 9 & 10).

Decoration

Headings in red.

Full border with the coat of arms, motto, coronet and supporters of Philip the Handsome, Archduke of Austria, with the insignia of the Toison d'or (flint, cross of St. Andrew, golden fleece), and the initials 'P' and reversed 'P' joined by a tassled cord, in gold, red, black, and blue, on a purple ground within a gold border (fol. 4r).

A full-page image showing the insignia of the Order on a blue ground within a gold border, here with the intitials 'P P' joined by a multi-coloured cord (fol. 23v).

One four-line initial in gold on a green ground with the insignia only (fol. 1v).

Binding

Sewn on four(?) cords and bound in original(?) wood boards with rounded edges, and covered in purple velvet; the original endleaves and pastedowns show evidence of a single clasp at the centre of the fore-edge; the edges of the leaves gilt; the base of the spine with the trace of a paper label.

Acquisition

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1915, and originally accessioned as 'Byw.N.4.3' (inscribed in pencil on upper pastedown and fol. 1r), and given the Summary catalogue number 40048, both now obsolete.

Provenance

Philip the Handsome, Archduke of Austria, apparently the dedication copy to him (see under Decoration); fol. 34v with a scribal(?) note, 'est | Qui vouldra | pr [or pv] | & | Se [or Sc] mest Henr | W'.

Unidentifed French 19th-century owner/bookseller: the upper pastedown inscribed in pencil 'Charles VIII vivait(?) | 1483 | L'ordre de le Toison | d'or institité(?) | 1429'.

Traces of a bookplate on the lower pastedown.

Tregaskis, item 667 in an unidentified catalogue, with a cutting pasted to the upper pastedown, the pastedown also inscribed by them '5 guineas'.

Ingram Bywater ; inscribed in pencil in the upper left corner of the upper pastedown with the Bywater Elenchus number, 'By. | 1400'