Pina, Ruy de.

folio (284 x 200mm.), ff. 236, manuscript in ink on paper, the bulk of the text in a single humanist hand with a few leaves in two other hands, watermark similar to Briquet 10912 [Périgueux, mid-sixteenth century], later paper wrappers, f.73 torn at upper corner with loss of page numeral, some worming in lower margin (just touching text), some damp-staining in lower margin

José Maria Nepomuceno (1836-1895), printed book label, his sale, Lisbon, 1897, lot 1897; Joâo Maria, Condes do Ameal, his sale, Porto, 1924, lot 2557

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Ruy de Pina (1440-1521), a Portuguese diplomat in the service of John II (Afonso's son) and Manuel I, was appointed chronicler of the kingdom by Manuel. This annalistic work, based (as are his other chronicles) on the work of previous chroniclers such as Fernam Lopez and Gomez Eanez de Zurara, both of whom were respected historians, was completed in about 1504. It circulated in manuscript (the illuminated presentation copy survives in the Portuguese National Archives) and was not published until 1790 in Colecçâo de livros ineditos da historia portugueza, volume I.

King Afonso V (1432-1481), the nephew of Prince Henry the Navigator, was surnamed "the African" after his discoveries and conquests in North Africa. This chronicle of his reign describes all these as well as domestic and European politics; Afonso became involved in the War of Castillian Succession and after a defeat in 1476, he abdicated in 1477 in favour of his son, John II. "The Cronica de D. Afonso V effectively contrasts the characters of the weak and chivalrous Afonso, who is praised as man but not as king, and the vigorous practical Joâo II, and has an imitable scene of the meeting of the former and Louis XI at Tours in 1476. The glow of Fernam Lopez is absent, but Pina none the less deserves to be accounted an able and impartial historian" (A.F.G. Bell, Portuguese Literature (Oxford, 1970), p.89).