Guide To Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library

HM 1011

MENSULAE PLANETARUM
Germany, 1581

pp. 1-21: [Frontispiece] Mensulae planetarum quas vocant sacras Tabulas, cum suis requisitis das ist: Planeten Taffeln oder Tischell, mit Ihren Zugehorenn, wie sie von den Weisen, welche man Magos nennt, pflegen gebraucht werdenn in erfahrung der Philosophischen Kunst. Anno 1581 den 30 decembris dis abents zwischen 4 und 5 uren. [p. 2, blank; pp. 3-21, text; pp. 22-24, blank].
Seven astrological number tables (magic squares) for Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the sun, Venus, Mercury, and the moon, respectively, each with explanations and commentary regarding the numerical symbolism of Hebrew letters. Followed on pp. 18-19 by brief discussions of the names of the earth and of the crescent symbol, with frequent use of astrological symbols and Hebrew letters; on pp. 20-21 a brief astrological text. Paper (watermark somewhat similar to Briquet, Armoiries, Roue 2164, Lohr 1603), pp. 24; 205 × 170 mm. 1¹². Written in a widely varying number of long lines, unruled, by one person in a German cursive hand. Bound, s. XIX, in quarter leather over paper boards. Written in Germany in 1581. The tract bears contemporary number “14” on p. 1, suggesting, as does its brevity, that it was once part of a larger volume. Nineteenth century printed German book dealer’s notice on front pastedown. Bibliography: De Ricci, 80.

Abbreviations

Briquet: C. M. Briquet, Les Filigranes: dictionnaire historique des marques du papier…1282 jusqu’à 1600, facs. of the 1907 edition with supplementary material, ed. A. Stevenson (Amsterdam 1968)
De Ricci: S. De Ricci, with the assistance of W. H. Wilson, Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada (New York 1935-37; index 1940)

C. W. Dutschke with the assistance of R. H. Rouse et al., Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (San Marino, 1989). Copyright 1989.
Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.
Electronic version encoded by Sharon K, Goetz, 2003.
All rights to the cataloguing and images in Digital Scriptorium reside with the contributing institutions.