National Library of Sweden, A 223
Augustine, De civitate dei
Italy, Venice?, 1433
Parchment
v, 355, iv' leaves
375–380 × 270 mm
Latin
Support
Foliation
Collation
Condition
Textblock
After p. 224 an entire quire is missing. This has not been noted in the modern foliation. Leaves missing in the last quire.Additions
Binding/Endleaves
Decorations
Textblock
Main text in dark ink, rubrics in red.
(p. 29): gold initial ‘G’ over 7 lines. Letter outlined in dark ink, and surrounded with a white vinestem pattern in blue, red, green, and gold. Part of the vinestem extends into the margin and includes two putti outlined in ink with pink highlights. In the bottom margin a wreath of the same design, in which centre is drawn a coat of arms: shield with chevron and three crescents; above a mitre. This coat of arms looks like a sketch and is likely a later addition.
(pp. 56–657): gold chapter initials over 4 lines. Same style and colours as the opening initial (with the addition of a pinkish purple);
(pp. 1–706): plain initials over 2 lines in red at the begnning of ever paragraph. Guideletters in lead or ink written next to the initial.
Gilded edges.
Binding
Binding 1
Modern binding. Modern undecorated parchment over cardboard. Spine, stamped: ‘Cod. Holm. A 223’. Current binding from 1977.
Binding 2
Medieval binding. Brown leather over wooden boards. Upper part of Original_RCO, traces of title in dark ink: ‘de civitate d’.
Concentric sets of panels, some of which are filled with complex knotwork ornaments. These ornaments are decorated with rope patterns. The centre panel contains a geometrical star-like pattern. Many of the tooled elements were gilded. Traces of the gold remain. The bookbinder notes that if the preserved binding is contemporary with the text, then it is one of the oldest preserved examples of gold stamped decoration on leather binding. Hobson states that the star-pattern ‘is the only known western gilt binding derived from the Mamluk geometrical style’ (cf Hobson (1989), p. 26).
Origin
Italy, Venice?, 1433, see colophon on p. 710. According to Hobson (1989), p. 25, Albinia De la Mare suggests that the manuscript might be Venetian based on the decoration. De la Mare also later ascribed another manuscript, Cambridge University Library, MS Add. 3394, produced in Venice to the same scribe (Roserius de Brunchorst), see Binski and Zutschi (2011), no. 436.
On p. 710 there are some faint traces of text, now completely illegible. In 1935 these notes were photographed and deciphered by a ‘doc. Bäckström’. His reading was: ‘Hunc Augustinum De ciuitate dei donauit reverendissimus domnus (!) Baptista de Lignane patauiensis episcopus concordiensis congregationi regularium canonicorum lateranensium ut inprimis sit ad usum studiosorum anno ?Sancti Johannis pro eius anima deuote precare memineritis?.’ (The final part of the transcription is incomplete.)
Baptista de Legnano, also known as Joannes Baptista Legname, was bishop of Concordia Sagittaria (Veneto) 1443-55 and may have been the original owner. According to the inscription he donated the book to the Canons Regular of the Lateran.
Previously, in a letter to librarian Harry Järv de la Mare had suggested a Florentine provenance (letter from 3 May 1967).
Provenance
On p. 29 there is a coat of arms, which according to Hedlund (1980), p. 20 belongs to the Dusmet family. This coat of arms is likely a later addition and the Dusmet family does not seem to be established in Italy until the 18th century.
Acquisition
The manuscript has been at the Nationa lIbrary since at least the 17th century. It is first attested in Jaches's catalogue of 1695 and that of 1698: ‘nr 25’, U 118; ‘193’, U 122. The note on Original_LCI ‘K.B. 1734 n. 19 in folio Theol’ refers to the catalogue of 1734 (U 125e).
- Hedlund (1980), p. 20.
