Medieval Illumination and Recreation of Manuscripts

A transcription of Leonin's "Viderunt Omnes" (c. mid to late 12th century), showing excerpts of the original two sources with comparative variations and a modern transcription.

For a recording and score-video see the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p9WQlyVPrA

"A Chantar m'er" is a beautiful lyrical poem written by a 12th century female trovere or trobairitz from Provence, France.  The translation is actually in the Old Occitan dialect of French spoken in Provence or Provençal.  The author is La Comtessa Biatriz de Dia or Countess Beatrice.

For this project, the extant musical manuscript of this composition has been reproduced with illuminated capital.  To enhance the experience, this entry into Ice Dragon Arts and Science Pent will be dually featured also as a vocal performance.  While performing, the garb worn will emulate the illumination below of Comtesse Beatriz.

For an audio-video animation of the manuscript with the modern transcription see the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO56v7qltNo

An edition of the anonymous labyrinthine ballade on three canons, "En la maison Dedalus" (In the House of Dedalus) from the Berkeley Manuscript.

This edition includes a modern transcription of the music, the original manuscript excerpted, poetic and literal translations of the text, reconstruction of the 11-tier labyrinth upon which the music is overlain, and pedagogical materials/explanations of the musical and poetic medieval Ballade forme-fixe.

Un'analisi che esamini la Miniatura Insulare a partire dal sostrato culturale e storico-artistico in cui si è sviluppata, tenendo in considerazione la cultura e l’arte dei popoli contemporanei ad essa ed i precedenti, che si insediarono nella medesima area geografica, creando civiltà altrettanto diverse tra loro.
Alle isole britanniche si riconducono le popolazioni celtiche, che ivi si sono stanziate, e quelle germaniche, che lo hanno fatto in seguito, dando vita quindi ad un miscuglio di popoli con caratteristiche del tutto uniche, che confluiscono nell'affascinante mondo dell’arte insulare.

The Index of Armenian Art is still a work in progress. The first fascicle or issue covered a specific period with limited and identifiable illustrated Armenian codices. It was to serve as a model for progression century by century in order to present a comprehensive view of Armenian manuscript art. The information is as complete as possible with the resources available forty years ago. The bibliography and iconography need updating, but the information preserved is still useful in understanding the beginnings of Armenian manuscript art. Links to the online version are available on this academia.edu site: https://www.academia.edu/9626300/Index_of_Armenian_Art_IAA_Miniature_Painting.

An illumination of red and blue pigments embellished with gold and outlined in black ink typically adorned the parchment comprising the pages of many 14th century books of the hours.  Where did the pigments and materials for these expensive and captivating pieces of art come from?  Why were these materials used and prepared as they were?  What can be learned about preparing illuminations with these materials in current times? The chemistry underlying the typical 14th century Book of Hours illumination sheds light on many of these questions.

This is an SCA largesse scroll blank that has been prepared for TRH Maynard von dem Steine (whose mundane name is “Michael” and whose persona is German) and Liadain nì Dheidre Chaomhànaigh on the occasion of Their coronation A.S. XLIV to be used at Their discretion. It is based on a page by an unknown artist from The Stammheim Missal depicting St. Michael the Archangel battling a dragon.  It may have been produced during the reign of Bishop Herrmann of Wennerde, Lower Saxony, Germany as it has been dated to 1170 which is when his bishopric ended.

Recent analyses including scientific analysis such as hyperspectral, multispectral and flourescence analysis combined with paleology, codicology and cartography has revealed additional information about the Gough Map, the earliest surviving complete map of Great Britian.  A portion of the map surrounding London was reproduced using authentic materials, methods and tools using the results of the analyses.

I created this paper to teach modern Medieval re-creationists the basics for learning how to begin to recreate medieval manuscript processes, often using modern materials. Using period materials such as hand-made pigments and inks, vellum, etc. is an advanced form of the art.

This course is designed to instruct in how to layout your media for scroll preparation for SCA award.  Examples will be shown and compared. In addition (separate handout), an adaptation of public domain software will be demonstrated for quick layout customization where materials are preserved at the same time.

Part 3 of 3 - The process of recreating several pages of the Pierpont-Morgan "Black Hours" manuscript, adapted as an award for a member of our medieval recreation/living history group. The original manuscript is one of only seven surviving "black hours" style of illuminated manuscripts, and the only one remaining in codex form. My recreation was done on vellum I dyed using oak gall and copperas ink I made (see Part 2 of 3) and using some pigments I created using medieval methods (see Part 1 of 3). The entire project was presented at the Society for Creative Anachronism Known World Herald and Scribe Symposium 2017.

Descrizione di alcune miniature del codice Angelica 1102 della Commedia dantesca
I. Il concetto senza fondo di “abisso” e la voragine terrena dell’inferno
  • La profondità assente nelle miniature dell’Angelicano 1102
  • L’artificio dei fossi circolari
II. La complessa pena dei ladri e l’essenza del furto in 7th bolgia
    • Crimini e pene di Vanni Fucci bestia. L’enigmatico dettaglio nella miniatura di "Inferno" XXIV
    • L’ orribile unione di Agnello e Cianfa
    • La reciproca metamorfosi incrociata di Buoso e del serpentello nero

Description of some miniatures of  Dante's ‘Commedia’ Angelica 1102
I. The Bottomless Concept of "Abyss" and the Earthly Pit of the Hell
    • The Lacking Depth in the Illuminations of Angelica 1102
    • The Pictorial Expedient of Circular Holes
II. The Complex Punishment of the Thieves and the Essence of Theft in 7th bolgia
    • Crimes and Punishments of Vanni Fucci. An Enigmatic Detail in the Illumination of "Inferno" XXIV
    • The Horrible Merging of Agnello and Cianfa
    • The Mutual Cross-Metamorphosis of Buoso and the Black Snake

This paper is part of a three-part process I completed for a medieval living history and educational group. Part One involved creating three basic black pigments (vine, bone, and lamp black) from one burn rather than three separate fires. Part two - this paper - documents my creation of medievally correct oak gall and copperas black ink and dyeing vellum for a scroll reproduction. Part three documents my final project, the recreation of several pages of the Pierpont-Morgan "Black Hours" text, as an award for a member of our group. The final Black Hours project used the pigments from Part I and the dyed vellum from Part II.

El Ms. 2703 de la Biblioteca General Histórica de la Universidad de Salamanca revela una distribución particular de los trabajos implicados en el proceso de creación del códice italiano. A la vez se recupera un manuscrito desconocido del corpus del iluminador y calígrafo Stephanus Masi de Aquila, lo que ayuda a completar el conocimiento de su producción artística.

The analysis of Ms. 2703 of the “Biblioteca General Histórica” of the University of Salamanca reveals a distribution of the works in the process of creation of this Italian manuscript. This example brings to light an unknown manuscript of the illuminator and calligrapher Stephanus Masi of Aquila, which helps to trace out his artistic production.