Regulations for a 1504 “Muda” from Venice to Alexandria and Beirut. A contemporary Manuscript on vellum documenting the Spice trade.

Regulations for a 1504 "Muda" from Venice to Alexandria and Beirut. A contemporary Manuscript on vellum documenting the Spice trade. -27 leaves on vellum. 25 x 17cm approx. Beautifully written in a humanist cursive hand. One to Two-line initials in blue and red. Later numbering of pages and regulations. Modern simple binding in quarter leather with marbled boards. - Written on vellum, this was a formal document that was written to attract potential investors. The first 21 folios are in Latin and are formal regulations written up by the Venetian State Council. Folios 21-27 are in Venetian and are likely instructions to the captain. -Missing initial leaf (likely embellished with decoration) and several leaves at the end Muda were formally organised commercial enterprises commissioned by the Venetian republic to trade luxury Spices in the near East (and throughout Europe). Muda were comprised of rowing galleys (often armed) and sailing ships which could be contracted to private entrepreneurs. Alexandria and Beirut were the principal cities for the spice trade, but voyages could also be commissioned to Cyprus (Cotton), Spain and North Africa, and to Northern Europe (Bruges and London). The system was tightly regulated, allowing state profits to be maximised and also to maintain diplomatic relations. The 15th Century was the height of this trade, but by the early 1500s competing trade routes (especially by Portugal) threatened this lucrative trade. This manuscript documents the 1504 Muda, which was commissioned soon after the Ottoman-Venetian war of 1499-1503. This was a turbulent time in the Mediterranean and it is reflected in the documents. The ships of this Muda were requested to stop at Zante and avoid Modon (which was now in Ottoman hands). The convoy was led by Captain Polo Calbo (to Alexandria) and Antonio Morosini (to Beirut). Each ship also had a Patron who was a merchant formally attached to the Venetian state. A minimum of 30 crewman per galley were required given concerns over piracy in the Mediterranean. Records show that the galleys carried 500 baskets of Copper to trade for spices and cotton. An interesting highlight in the text is a regulation stating that “Specie” (spices) could not be “Sotto Banchi” (smuggled) by the “Galotti” (Sailors). The 1504 voyage was documented as a commercial failure by contemporary writers including Girolamo Priuli. Mamluk Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri had raised prices at source in Alexandria, while the Portuguese had increased supply in Europe, reducing sale prices. Contemporary chroniclers including Sanudo and Priuli noted that this signalled the decline of Venice’s dominance in the Spice trade, and a shift to Portuguese dominance. Provenance: 1) Minerva Auctions, Rome, Italy, on 3rd February 2016 (Auction 122 Lot 209). The manuscript was received with Export Licence No. 10054 dated 11th. April 2016 issued by the Italian authorities. 2) Purchased from a private UK collector. A beautiful manuscript on vellum in a contemporary humanist hand, documenting a turning point in global trade. The voyage marks the end of the Venetian Spice trade dominance, which relied on Mediaeval trading routes and the Silk road, and the beginning of modern globalised trade by sea. Early 1500s Venetian State Decrees are uncommon in private hands. £15,000