Title: Codex Aubin

Date: 1775-1825

Language(s): Nahuatl and Spanish

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

Manuscript copy of the drawings and the Nahuatl text of the "Codex Aubin," a Mexican Indian pictorial chronicle of Aztec history from the Valley of Mexico of "Ca," composed at different dates and by different authors, with drawings and Nahuatl text. It begins with the migration from Aztlan in 1168 A.D. and continues with the dynastic history of Tenochtitlan and colonial events to 1608 A.D. The final pages list the pre-conquest and colonial rulers of Mexico-Tenochtitlan to about 1607. There is a 52-year calendar wheel in rectangular format on fol. 1 and the first page bears a title in Nahuatl and the date 1576.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Material and Layout: Paper; 80 leaves; 16 x 12 cm.

Binding: Paper wrappers, sewn

Decoration: watercolor illustrations throughout

PROVENANCE

The original codex is now in the British Museum and was formerly in the Boturini and Aubin collections. The Princeton copy may have been made from the original and contains a page-by-page copy of the drawings in color; the transcript of the Nahuatl text, however, is not exact in regard to the page layout. It may have been collated with the 158 pages of the 1893 edition. There are short later Italian glosses in pencil on fol. 23r and 32v that comment briefly on the content of the codex. This copy omits the Nahuatl gloss on p. 48 of the 1893 edition and the later Spanish gloss on p. 158; otherwise the copy seems to be complete. Rémi Siméon (b. 1827) described a copy of the "Codex Aubin" with 79 leaves or 158 pages owned by an Italian named Chialiva. He has also noted that it has an unnumbered leaf between fols. 32 and 33. This copy was probably owned by Chialiva, as it has Italian glosses and an unnumbered leaf following fol. 32. Sold in a Sotheby and Co. auction catalog of Nov. 9-10, 1936, as lot no. 240. It was purchased by Garrett through or from the London firm of Bernard Quaritch. Inside the outer wrapper is the inscription "R. G. Nov. 1936," which is Robert Garrett's ownership and accession mark. Garrett deposited this manuscript at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton in 1942 at which time he described them briefly in the "Garrett Collection List No. 3." Garrett donated the item along with several other manuscripts to the Princeton University Library in 1949.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Histoire de la nation mexicaine depuis le départ d'Aztlan jusqu'à l'arrivée des conquérants espagnols (et au dela 1607). Manuscrit figuratif accomagné de texte en langue nahuatl ou mexicaine suivi d'une traduction en français par feu J.-M.-A. Aubin. (Paris: E. Leroux, 1893).

Title: Catecismo pictórico Otomí

Date: 1775-1825

Language(s): Otomí and Spanish

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

A pictorial prayer book that contains the catechism of the Catholic Church in picture writing. In this manuscript, as in most surviving examples, the drawings have little relationship to the traditional forms of Mexican Indian manuscript painting. The document has 51 illustrated pages and one gloss. Also there is a curious legend written on a preliminary leaf "Alaja preciosal cogida al enemigo en Sn. Yago del Cerro."

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Material and Layout: Paper; 26 leaves; 8 x 6 cm.

Binding: Paper wrappers, sewn

Decoration: watercolor illustrations throughout

PROVENANCE

The manuscript is undoubtedly one of several manuscripts acquired by J.M.A. Aubin from Francisco Perez about 1830-1840 (see Aubin, quoted in Boban, 1891, 2: 178,181). It was listed, together with the other "Testerian" manuscript (no. 3b) in the Garrett collection, as lot 238 of a Sotheby's catalog of November, 1936, and four of its pages were reproduced in that catalog (Sotheby's, 1936: 35 and plate labeled "lot 238"). It was purchased by Garrett in November of that year through or from Bernard Quaritch. On the verso side of a preliminary leaf is Garrett's accession mark, "R.G., Nov. 1936." Garrett deposited this manuscript at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton in 1942 at which time he described them briefly in the "Garrett Collection List No. 3." Garrett donated the item along with several other manuscripts to the Princeton University Library in 1949.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carr, David Charles Wright. Manuscritos Otomíes de la Biblioteca Newberry y la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Princeton ( Mexico: Ediciones La Rana, 2006). Carr provides a detailed analysis of this manuscript.
An Otomí Catechism, with introduction by Gillett G. Griffin (Princeton: Printed by the Meriden Gravure Co., Meriden, Conn., 1968).

Author: Perez, Francisco

Title: Catecismos pictóricos otomíes

Date: 1837

Languages: Otomí and Spanish

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

Consists of a reading, transcription, and interpretation of Garrett 3a, plus hand copies of fragments of two other pictorial catechisms, with accompanying transcriptions. Signed and dated by Francisco P'erez in 1837. Pages 9-11 contain an original or copied set of Testerian drawings with an interlinear Spanish translation entitled, "La Confesión General." Pages 13-15 contain a second set of such drawings, also with an interlinear Spanish translation, beginning with the words, "Señor mío Jesucristo...." At the end of page 15 is the following inscription: "Catecísmo de geroglíficos Otomí, descifrado por el Presbítero D. Franco Pérez, Catedrático de esta Universidad, y examinador sinodal de dho. idioma Otomí. Mexico, Febrero 8, 1837 (signed) Franco Pérez [rubric]."

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Material and Layout: Paper; 8 leaves; 22 x 16 cm.

Binding: Paper wrappers, sewn

Decoration: includes watercolor drawings

PROVENANCE

Both Garrett Mesoamerican Manuscripts, 3a and b were probably purchased by J.-M.-A. Aubin in Mexico City ca. 1837-40. Aubin smuggled his collection of native manuscripts out of Mexico in 1840. Aubin worked with his collection in Paris 1840-1889; he owned 5 pictorial catechisms. Both Otomí pictorial catechism manuscripts were probably removed (one way or the other) from Aubin's collection during the latter period. Eug'ene Goupil bought the Aubin Collection in 1889; only 3 pictorial catechisms are registered in the Goupil Collection (thus two had been removed; Princeton MS 3a and b were probably counted as one, because another Aubin pictorial catechism found its way to the Cleveland Public Library). No data from 1889 to 1936. Garrett 3a and b were sold in London by Sotheby's in Nov. 1936 (lot 238) to book dealer Bernard Quaritch, who sold both to Robert Garrett. Garrett deposited this manuscript at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton in 1942 at which time he described them briefly in the "Garrett Collection List No. 3." Garrett donated the item along with several other manuscripts to the Princeton University Library in 1949.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Carr, David Charles Wright. Manuscritos Otomíes de la Biblioteca Newberry y la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Princeton ( Mexico: Ediciones La Rana, 2006). Carr provides a detailed analysis of this manuscript.
An Otomí Catechism, with introduction by Gillett G. Griffin (Princeton: Printed by the Meriden Gravure Co., Meriden, Conn., 1968).

Author: Hoyo, Juan José del

Title: Estado actual del catholicismo politicas, y economias delos Indios ô Natura del Peru, y medios de reformarlo / escrito por Dn. Juan del Hoyo: examinador sinodal del arzobispado de Lima, vicario ecleciastico dela provincia de Tarma, comisario del S'to Oficio dela Inquisicion, y Cura proprio de Chacayan en este Arzp. Año de 1772: añadidas algunas breves notas

Date: 1772

Language(s): Spanish

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

An apparently unpublished manuscript account of the Indians of Peru, their conditions, religion, habits, and other interesting details. The author is outspoken against certain conditions that prevailed, both in civil and religious life, and for this reason was probably refused a license to print.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Material and Layout: Paper; 78 leaves; 21 x 14 cm.

Binding: Half-red morocco, original marbled wrappers, bound in

PROVENANCE

This manuscript is noted in Medina's La imprenta en Lima as being in the Catalogue de Chaumette des Fossés, Medina inferring that it was by José del Hoyo, author of the late 17th century; but the manuscript alludes to contemporary authors such as Don Jorge Juan, a writer on navigation and voyages, and is therefore of the date noted in the title. Bookplate of B. Stetson. Sale American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Apr. 17-18, 1935. Garrett deposited this manuscript at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton in 1942 at which time he described them briefly in the "Garrett Collection List No. 3." Garrett donated the item along with several other manuscripts to the Princeton University Library in 1949.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Medina, José Toribio, La imprenta en Lima (1584-1824) (Santiago de Chile: Impreso y grabado en casa del autor, 1904-07).