Item Summary

Boethius' arithmetical treatise with diagrams.

Descriptive Information

Title
Institutionum Arithmeticorum / Boethius.
Call Number
Kane MS. 50
Identifier
ark:/88435/dc9k41zr776
Publisher
[England], [between 1200 and 1400]
Language
Latin
Date Created
1200-1400
Extent
75 leaves : parchment, illustrations ; 155 x 103 (108 x 53) mm bound to 161 x 113 mm.
Provenance
Unknown early provenance. Owned by William Deys in the 15th century, and by David Swan in 1793. Intermediate provenance unknown. Later in the collection of "Miss Muir" until being sold on 12 April 1915 at a Christie's sale to benefit the British Red Cross where it was purchased by the bookseller Maggs Bros. Grenville Kane acquired the manuscript at an unknown date. The Kane Collection was acquired by the Princeton University Library from Kane's heirs in February 1946.
References
Medieval & Renaissance manuscripts in the Princeton University Library, volume 2, pages 114-115.
Rights Statement
Copyright Not Evaluated
Notes
Incipit: “Anicii Manlii Severini Boethii Exconsulis Ordinarii Patricii Liber Primus Incipit Institutionum Arithmeticorum dictus Domino Suo Patricio Simacho Boethius. In Dandis Accipiendisque Muneribus ita recte officia inter eos praecipue qui sese magni faciunt estimantur…”
Explicit: “…huius autem descripcionis subter exemplar subietimus.”
Ms. codex.
Collation: Parchment ; fol. i (paper) + ii (parchment) + p. 75 + fol. ii (parchment) + i (paper) ; paginated in ink.
Layout: 26 long lines per page ; ruled.
Decoration: Preface opens with a 16-line gold initial I, decorated, with green and red, on blue ground; followed by two lines written in gold capitals on green or red ground. Book II begins on p. 63 with a 6-line gold initial S, decorated, on blue ground, followed by two words written in gold capitals, on green or red ground. 2- or 3-line initials, primarily in blue or red, with flourishes. Includes numerous arithmetic and geometric diagrams drawn and captioned in green and red, less often in light blue and ochre.
Origin: English.
Binding Note
Modern binding. United States, 20th century. Rebound after 1936 by the James MacDonald Bindery, New York. Quarter brown goatskin and brown linen over pasteboard.

Discovery Information

Subject
Arithmetic—Early works to 1800
Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern)—England
Manuscripts, Latin (Medieval and modern)—New Jersey—Princeton
scientific illustrations (images)
illuminated manuscripts
decorated initials
tables (documents)
Parchment (Paper)

Physical Characteristics

File Count
166

Institutional Information

Collection
Medieval and Renaissance Mediterranean Manuscripts
IIIF Manifest URL

https://figgy.princeton.edu/concern/scanned_resources/7fdf02d4-5aab-40f0-ab50-4d3a523688e0/manifest