next »
Scribal Jobs in the Royal Household | MS 1985

SCRIBAL JOBS IN THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD

MS 1985
MS Short Title SCRIBAL JOBS IN THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD
Text
  1. ORDINANCES FOR THE REGULATION OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD AND OFFICES OF STATE (ARAGON AND CATALONIA) BY KING PETER IV OF ARAGON WITH ADDITIONS BY JOHN I, MARTIN AND FERDINAND I, INCLUDING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TASKS OF THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF SCRIBES EMPLOYED
  2. HISTORICAL CUSTOMS OF THE COURT, ENDING WITH STIL DE CORT ANTIQUAT FROM THE TIME OF ALFONSO IV OF ARAGON FOR THE MOVEMENT OF COURT OFFICIALS
  3. DETAILS OF THE PAYMENTS DUE TO OFFICIALS OF THE COURT DURING THE REIGN OF ALFONS IV, MENTIONING MUSICIANS, FALCONERS, MINSTRELS, SECRETARIES AND SCRIBES AMONGST OTHERS, ENDING WITH EXPENSES CONNECTED WITH THE CONQUEST OF SARDINIA IN 1326/7
Description MS in Catalan on paper and vellum, Aragon, Spain, 1412-1416, 169+5 ff. (text complete), 34x23 cm, 2 columns, (21x15 cm), 38 lines in a rotunda Gothic book script of medium quality, titles in Gothic book script of high grade and very good quality, by the scribe Salvius Calsada, rubrics in red, large, up to 16-line, initials alternately in red and blue with contrasting penwork in purple and red with full marginal flourishes.
Binding Spain, 18th c., gilt calf, sewn of 6 bands, gilt edges, red morocco spine label gilt.
Context The text is recorded in 7 MSS. 3 are in Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, 1 in Wien: Reichsarchiv.
Provenance 1. Gralta Family, Treasurers of Catalonia (ca. 1412-1416 -); 2. Marquess of Aitona, treasurer of Catalonia; 3. Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford (-1827); 4. R.H. Evans, London 8.12.1830; 5. Sir Thomas Phillipps, Cheltenham, Ph 6737, (1830-1872); 6. Katharine, John, Thomas & Alan Fenwick, Cheltenham, (1872-1946); 6. Robinson Bros., London (1946-1969); 8. Sotheby's 25.11.1969:464; 9. Joan Gili, Oxford (1969-1994); 10. Jeremy Griffiths, Oxford.
Commentary The present text describes in extraordinary detail the organisation of a medieval Court under the different departments of the household, ranging from butler, cooks, and provisioners to the falconers, doctors, mace-bearers and keepers of the horses, with full descriptions of their jobs and their responsibilities. A considerable part of the MS concerns the work of the scribes of the various departments, such as copying documents, taking letters, keeping accounts, copying instructions, sealing, preparing vellum, ink and pens, in all ca. 40 different scribal jobs. The present text is a major source to the knowledge of the medieval scribe.
Exhibited University of Oslo. Domus Bibliotheca, 6-15 May 1996: European medieval manuscripts from The Schøyen Collection.
See also MS 1793, Scribe at work, Russia, 1550-1560
Place of origin Spain
Dates 1412 - 1416 AD