These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Biblia figurata
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Parchment, iii modern paper flyleaves + 83 fols. + iii modern paper flyleaves, 158 x 109 (142 x 110) mm, ruled in black ink.
BINDING: 19th century, gold tooled stiff-board vellum, leather tabs at beginning of biblical books.
CONTENTS: fols. 1r-2r Three short passages from the works of Ovid (Ex Ponto, III, 1, 157-8; Tristia, II, 31-2; Ex Ponto, III-IV, 79-82) and extracts from a letter of St Jerome, Epistula Ieronymi ad Paulinum de omnibus divinae historiae libris;
fols. 2v - 82r Abridged text of each book of the Latin bible, excluding 2
Esdras.
DECORATION: 1343 pen and ink drawings coloured in green, red, blue and yellow, and summarizing in a mnemonic fashion the contents of biblical books from Gn to Apc, chapter by chapter. The opening words of each chapter are written in red above the corresponding image. The drawings, normally 10 per page, are arranged mostly in four rows forming an hour-glass or tower shape consisting of three rectangular compartments in the top row (a, b, c), two circular ones in the second row, two rectangular compartments in the third row, and three in the fourth. The drawings illustrate a key word or phrase in the chapter or a narrative detail. An almost contemporary hand has written explanations in Latin within the compartments from Gn 1 to Sam 17, and more sparsely after that.
History note: Eighteenth-century ownership inscription including the name Johan Henrics, possibly a pharmacist (fol. 1r); Peter, Count von Salis-Soglio, 1828 (ownership inscriptions, fols. 1v, 82v); F.S. Ellis; his sale at Sotheby’s, London, Nov. 1885, lot 554; purchased by Quaritch; Samuel Sandars (1837 – 1894); his gift to the Museum, 1892
Method of acquisition: Given (1892-10-18) by Sandars, Samuel
15th Century, Late
Circa
1490
CE
-
Circa
1500
CE
Support
composed of
parchment
Text
Height 142 mm
Width 110 mm
Page
Height 158 mm
Width 109 mm
Accession number: MS 11
Primary reference Number: 169658
Project ID: 45
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Manuscripts and Printed Books
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Biblia figurata" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/169658 Accessed: 2024-11-02 16:38:02
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/169658
|title=Biblia figurata
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-02 16:38:02|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-169658
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/portfolio/F25982D9_7CB9_CFFF_028E_8BBFC531887C/588/594/large_MS_11_f35r_mas.jpg"
alt="Biblia figurata"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Biblia figurata</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...
