Solidarity, Betrayal, and Opportunism in the Commissioning of Two Florentine Renaissance Manuscripts

Although there is no documentation of the commissions for two Florentine Renaissance illuminated manuscripts in Australian collections, internal evidence provides a basis for investigation. In particular, heraldry and emblems are revealing of the importance of deluxe manuscript production as a symbolic commemoration of marriage alliances in Renaissance Florence. Much more significant than objects for the pleasurable instruction of an individual or couple, these deluxe manuscripts embodied the aspirations held for married couples and their families in society.