[Folding medical and astrological almanac]

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Contributor:

Kuhn, Gerald Edwin, 1926-2010, former owner.

Kuhn, Michael K., former owner.

Language:

English, Middle (1100-1500)

Subjects (All):

Medicine--Early works to 1800.

Medicine.

Astrology--Early works to 1800.

Astrology.

Great Britain--History--Early works to 1800.

Great Britain.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

Almanacs.

Manuscripts, Middle English -- 14th century.

Manuscripts, Medieval.

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Gerald Edwin Kuhn (Falls Church, Virginia).

Given to Michael Kenneth Kuhn (Houston, Texas; 1954-2025) by his father, Gerald Edwin Kuhn, 1973.

Gift in memory of Michael Kenneth Kuhn and Gerald Edwin Kuhn by Kathleen Nicholas Kuhn and Kathryn Lauren Kuhn, 2025.

Physical Description:

23 leaves : parchment ; 235 x 155 (unfolded; 116 x 60 folded) mm bound to 129 x 75 mm.

Place of Publication:

[England], [after 1415]

Language Note:

Middle English.

Summary:

English medical and astrological almanac with leaves folded into 6 compartments and historical notes up to 1415 (not in J. P. Gumbert, Bat books: a catalogue of folded manuscripts containing almanacs or other texts, Bibiologia 41 (Brepols, 2016)). Includes a Zodiac Man diagram and calendar and astronomical tables. Two leaves have sections cut away (f. 13 (top half); f. 17 (top edge)) and one is misfolded with permanent creases (f. 20).

Contents:

1. f.1: Februarius

2. f.2: Marcius

3. f.3: Aprilis

4. f.4: Mayus

5. f.5: Iunius

6. f.6: Iulius

7. f.7: Augustus

8. f.8: Septembur

9. f.9: Octobur

10. f.10: Nouembur

11. f.11: Decembur

12. f.12: The tabul of the sines

13. f.13: Tabul of meweabyl festes

14. f.14: Ianuarius Februarius

15 f.15: Marcius Aprilis

16. f.16: Mayus Iunius

17. f.17: Iulius Augustus

18. f.18: Septembur Octobur

19. f.19: Nouembur Decembur

20. f.20: The howse of the planettes

21. f.21: The howse of the planettes

22. f.22v: [Book curse].

Notes:

Ms. codex.

Title devised by cataloger.

Collation: Parchment, 23; 21 folded single leaves followed by 1 bifolium; early foliation in ink, lower right recto of correctly folded leaf, starting on extant f. 2, 3-12, 15-24 (original f. 1, 13, 14 now missing).

Layout: H6L format (following Gumbert, p. 20), with each leaf unfolded leaf divided into 3 x 2 compartments.

Script: Written in Gothic Anglicana script.

Decoration: Illuminated Zodiac Man diagram (f. 5); 18 4-line illuminations of urine flasks (f. 7-8); 11 illuminated KL initials with foliate sprays in pink and blue (f. 1-11); month names with illuminated initials and foliate sprays (f. 14-19); folded leaf headings in red and blue with red penwork and blue frames (f. 1-21); rubrication and paraphs in red and blue throughout.

Binding: Limp vellum binding, unlined, with 5 split leather sewing supports; remnants of two pairs of woven fabric ties on fore edge.

Origin: Written in England after 1415 (reference to Battle of Agincourt, f. 6).

Publications about:

Transcribed and published with three engravings as Almanac for the year 1386: transcribed, verbatim, from the original antique illuminated manuscript in the black letter, omitting only the monthly calendars and some of the tables: containing many curious particulars, illustrative of the astronomy, astrology, chronology, history, religious tenets, and theory and practice of medicine of that age. [London] : Printed for the Proprietor by C. Stower, Hackney, 1812.

Cited as:

Folding Medical and Astrological Almanac (Ms. Codex 2368). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1590797413

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is restricted.