Fior di Battaglia (MS M.383)
From Wiktenauer
| Il Fior di Battaglia | |
|---|---|
| B1.370.A MS M.0383, Morgan Library & Museum New York City, New York | |
 Title page, fol. 1r | |
| Hils' catalog | — |
| Leng's catalog | — |
| Type | Fencing manual Wrestling manual |
| Date | ca. 1400s (prior to 1410) |
| Place of origin | Milan, Italy |
| Language(s) | Middle Italian |
| Scribe(s) | Unknown |
| Author(s) | Fiore de'i Liberi |
| Illustrated by | Unknown |
| Material | Vellum, in a modern binding |
| Size | 19 folia |
| Format | Double-sided; four illustrations per page, with text above each |
| Script | Bastarda |
| External link | Museum data sheet |
 | |
The MS M.383, titled Fior di Battaglia, is an Italian fencing manual authored by Fiore de'i Liberi, probably created between 1400 and 1410.[1] The original currently rests in the holdings of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, New York. Francesco Novati described it as a small, thin, vellum folio, pen and ink with gold highlights, and illustrations of sword and lance combat on foot and horseback.[2] This is the briefest version of Fiore's work currently known, with only 19 folios; it has a preface in Italian and four illustrated figures per page in the main body. The figures are accompanied by text that is often identical to that of the MS Ludwig XV 13 (excepting differences in spelling), but at times includes additional explanation. The MS M.383 was almost certainly longer when it was first written; its text makes reference to sections on poleaxe, dagger, and grappling which are not present in the book's current state. It also refers to a certain play of the sword in one hand which is likewise missing from that section. This manuscript is typically referred to as the Pierpont Morgan or simply the Morgan.
Contents |
Provenance
The known provenance of the MS M.383 is:[3]
- Written between 1400 and 1410. The Pisani-Dossi MS dates to 1410 and states that the master had fifty years of experience in the martial arts; the MS M.383 and the MS Ludwig XV 13 both state that he had been training for "forty years and more", which makes them slightly older.
- before 1780 – it occupied ff 241-259 of a larger collective binding titled, Arte di armeggiare a piedi ed acavallo (codex Soranzo MCCLXI) in the Biblioteca Soranzo in Venice (Library of Jacopo Soranzo, Venetian senator, 18th century). The other contents of this codex are unknown.
- 1780-1836 – the collection of the Venetian former Jesuit Matteo Luigi Canonici (1727-c.1806) (sold London, Sotheby's, June 15, 1836, no. 40).
- 1836-1903 – owned by Rev. Walter Sneyd of Bagington Rectory, Coventry (sold London, Sotheby's, Dec. 19, 1903, no. 720)
- 1903-1909 – owned by Tammaro de Marinis (catalog 8, 1908, plate 9).
- 1909 – the collection of John Pierpont Morgan (currently in the Morgan Library & Museum).
Contents
| Folio | Section |
|---|---|
| 1r - 2r | Preface by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 2v - 8r | Mounted fencing by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 8r - 8v | Spear vs. cavalry by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 9r - 9v | Spear by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 10r - 11v | Armored fencing by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 12r - 16v | Longsword in two hands by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 17r, 18r - 18v | Sword vs. dagger by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 17v, 19r | Longsword in one hand by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 18r | Longsword vs. spear by Fiore de'i Liberi |
| 18r | Spear and dagger vs. spear by Fiore de'i Liberi |
Gallery
Images hosted by the Princeton Index of Christian Art.
 Folio 1r |  Folio 1v |  Folio 2r |  Folio 2v |  Folio 3r | |
 Folio 3v |  Folio 4r |  Folio 4v |  Folio 5r |  Folio 5v |  Folio 6r |
 Folio 6v |  Folio 7r |  Folio 7v |  Folio 8r |  Folio 8v |  Folio 9r |
 Folio 9v |  Folio 10r |  Folio 10v |  Folio 11r |  Folio 11v |  Folio 12r |
 Folio 12v |  Folio 13r |  Folio 13v |  Folio 14r |  Folio 14v |  Folio 15r |
 Folio 15v |  Folio 16r |  Folio 16v |  Folio 17r |  Folio 17v |  Folio 18r |
 Folio 18v |  Folio 19r |
Additional Resources
- dei Liberi, Fiore; Rubboli, Marco; Cesari, Luca (in Italian). Flos Duellatorum. Manuale di Arte del Combattimento del XV secolo. Rome: Il Cerchio Iniziative Editoriali, 2002. ISBN 88-8474-023-1.
- Malipiero, Massimo (in Italian). Il Fior di battaglia di Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale: Il Codice Ludwing XV 13 del J. Paul Getty Museum. Udine: Ribis, 2006. ISBN 88-7445-035-4.
References
- ↑ This copy seems to be older than the Pisani-Dossi version, which is dated to 1410.
- ↑ Novati, Francesco. Flos Duellatorum, Il Fior di Battaglia di Maestro Fiore dei Liberi da Premariacco. Bergamo: 1902.
- ↑ Easton, Matt. Fiore dei Liberi - Fior di Battaglia - Flos Duellatorum. Schola Gladiatoria. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
