Galenic & Classical Medicine

This gold-stamped coat of arms, known as a supralibros, identifies a former owner of this manuscript. The complex heraldic shield features various symbols including a lion, eagle, and crosses, reflecting the noble lineage and status of the collector who commissioned this binding.

This historiated woodcut initial 'D' marks the beginning of a chapter on dislocations in a medical treatise. It depicts a figure, likely a physician or a patient, illustrating the practical and human focus of early modern medical literature.

This historiated initial 'I' depicts two figures, likely scholars or physicians, engaged in a dialogue or lesson. Such decorative elements were used in early printed books to both organize text and visually represent the themes of the work, in this case, the transmission of medical authority.

This ornate woodcut is the printer's mark of the famous Giunti (Iunta) family of printers in Venice, dated 1546. It features their characteristic fleur-de-lis emblem, a symbol of Florence, their city of origin, surrounded by elaborate Renaissance scrollwork and small figures. The letters 'L' and 'A' likely refer to Lucantonio Giunta, the founder of the Venetian branch of the firm.

An illuminated initial 'Q' featuring a portrait of a learned figure, possibly Hippocrates or Galen, who are mentioned in the adjacent text. Such 'historiated' initials served both as decorative elements and as visual cues to the content of the medical treatise.