Silver Martlet for Alexandre d'Avignon

The text is adapted from the Letters Patent to Sir Humfrey Gylberte June 11, 1578 and reads:

Iannick and Alana by right of arms prince and princess of Insulae Draconis to all people to whom these presents shall come, greetings. Know ye that of oure especial grace and certayn science and mere motion, we have given and granted and by these presents for us and our heires do give and grant to oure trusty and well-beloved cousin Alexandre d'Avignon, viscount and thrice master, free liberty and full license to style himself henceforth and in all places and for all purposes as a member of the most honourable Order of the Silver Martlet. And the same master to have and to hold and to occupy for his enjoyment all rights, privileges, and responsibilities appertaining thereto, including the right to bear the badge of the Order without let or hindrance from anyone in accordance with both law and ancient custom.

And so that none shall contest this our solemn will we the above-named princes have signed and dated these presents below.

(It's a terrible quality image because I scanned it rather than photographed it.)

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Ursula of Guildford

This is the source.

The text reads:

Ursula of Guildford has not only through common report and the testimony of many true and worthy nobles but also through the witness of our own eyes long distinguished herself and elevated herself above the ordinary rank so that it is fit that we recognize her as a lady of our court. Super Michaelmas lii.

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Alexa Pologrinus

This is my source image.

The text reads:

Yannick and Alana prince and princess of Insulae Draconis by this our present charter do award unto Alexa Pologrinus the right to bear arms and be known to all as Lady Alexa. Dat. ix.ix.lii.

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

Ffraid for Cecily Arderne

Cecily is also an ice skater, so I solicited the help of #medievaltwitter to find images of skaters in MSs. Oxford Bodley MS Douce 5 was offered up, and I integrated bits from fol. 001v, fol. 199v-200r, fol. 218v-219r, and fol. 221v-222r.

The text reads:

Praesentibus verbi iannici et alane. Cecilia de arderne socia ordonis brigide amodo propter omnia facta. Datum apud thamesreach super festo Michaelmas anno societatis lii.

The translation:

To [all] present, [these are] the words of Yannick and Alana. Henceforth Cecily Arderne is a companion of the Order of Ffraid because of all [she] has done. Date at Thamesreach during the feast of Michaelmas, in the year of the society 52.

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

Silver Martlet for Aodh O Siadhail

On the first night I chose the exemplar (BL MS Additional 40618 f. 23, drew out all the lines, and put down the gold size. The second night, I gilded. The third night was for composing the text and doing the rubrication. line height: 1/16"; line spacing: 1/8".

The text reads:

Quoniam Hugo Osheall coquit, legit, et conspicit ad celum, nos, Iannicus et Alana, principes insulenses, ordinant quod hinc dictum Hugonem esse socium ordinis avis argentee. Datum apud Glen Rathlin ii septembri lii, fit manum scriptricis Arie dicte bone. Because Aodh O Siadhail cooks, reads, and stares at the sky, we, Yannick and Alana, prince and princess of Insulae Draconis, ordain that the said Aodh be henceforth a ompanion of the Order of the Silver Martlet. This we do on the 2nd day of the 7th month of our reign, while in our shire of Glen Rathlin, and in perpetual witness hereof we have caused the present document to be drawn up by the hand of our scribe called Bona.

And here's a close-up of the initial.

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

Ffraid for Amphelise de Wodeham

Since Amphelise is both a writer and Insulae Draconis's chronicler, I really wanted to have a woman writing. I also wanted to push the limits of my skills by doing another human figure, which I am generally very scared of.

I spent an evening searching through digitised MS sites trying to find depictions of women writing -- and I collected them on twitter; the thread starts here:

Starting off with MSs from @MorganLibrary. For every five images of Troilus writing Cressida, you get one vice versa (MS M.0371 fol. 017v): pic.twitter.com/L11WJCMzy0

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 25, 2017

Amusingly, the image I ended up settling on to copy did not actually have a woman in it. The exemplar image is from a Paris MS of the Roman de la Rose from c1340, and depicts Jean de Meun writing. The image was simple enough, and I could already see how to turn him from a man into a woman, that I figured I'd give it a go.

The entire scroll took 6.5 hours, and again I documented it in half-hour stages on twitter, up until the point where there would be spoilers:

Moving WAAAAAY outside my comfort zone with this new project. This is 30 minutes in. pic.twitter.com/xq59L4MrU8

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 27, 2017

1 hour in. Yes, it took me a full half an hour to ink this, and erase part of what I'd drawn before... pic.twitter.com/Jek911ggji

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 27, 2017

1.5 hours total. Time to stop for the night. pic.twitter.com/GugvAYBfmf

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 27, 2017

It's not often I decide I really don't like something I've done. But this warranted a bit of "erasing". (2 hours total). pic.twitter.com/kAXUvbsi3N

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 31, 2017

These half-hour episodes of the BBC Chronicles of Narnia make timekeeping easy. Time for a cuppa. (2.5 hours total.) pic.twitter.com/WbjzGIBc5o

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 31, 2017

I keep telling myself, "it will get better when the whitework is done. It will get better when the whitework is done". (3 hrs.) pic.twitter.com/c3MxtHoVry

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 31, 2017

The borders worked much better the 2nd time around. Time to put down the gold size, I think. (3.5 hrs.) pic.twitter.com/L17Ry1m4Wd

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 31, 2017

Tomorrow, all that yellow will become gold. (Ignore the white square; I screwed up, but took photo before fixing it.) (4 hours total) pic.twitter.com/9vjovBWeSj

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) July 31, 2017

Nothing makes you feel rich like all the excess gold you get when gilding. (4.5 hours total.) pic.twitter.com/5YQqxkawEy

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) August 1, 2017

So, I've reached the bit way outside my comfort zone: draping.

It's....okay so far. (5 hours total) pic.twitter.com/nNRDXSlsbn

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) August 1, 2017

And this is the last photo before it is given to its recipient, so as to not spoil the surprise. (5.5 hours total.) pic.twitter.com/f0Xfi4o4KY

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) August 1, 2017

The text reads:

Haec verba Ianici et Alane principes Insulenses sunt:

Cause it to be known to all that Amphelise de Wodeham is made a member of the Order of Ffraid.

I was SO SO pleased when people other than me were able to identify the lady as Amphelise! Here's a few close-ups

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Myfanwy Bullen

The exemplar is HMML Cod. S 1399, f.110r. The text reads:

To Myfanwy Bullen, right worthy and well-beloved, from Iannick and Alana, greetings. Know that many are the reports we have received of your gentility, your diligence in the arts, your skills with a bow, and your service to our subjects, our shires, and hence to ourselves your rightful princes: We in return reward you creating you a lady of our court: Datum i juli lij.

I again marked my progress in half hour increments on twitter:

Half hour update. Sketching always takes the longest. pic.twitter.com/WdxfeJm01F

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 20, 2017

1 hour in. It's always fun once the colors start coming. pic.twitter.com/P3UXddGQdn

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 20, 2017

1.5 hours, and all the base coats are done! Too tired to start with the gold size tonight, so: Gold size tomorrow, gilding Thursday. pic.twitter.com/mCcpNWSahz

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 20, 2017

1.5 hours, and all the base coats are done! Too tired to start with the gold size tonight, so: Gold size tomorrow, gilding Thursday. pic.twitter.com/mCcpNWSahz

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 20, 2017

3 hours -- 45 minutes to do most of the outlining. The rest will have to wait until after the gilding. pic.twitter.com/zACVQBIEDF

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 21, 2017

3.5 hours (total). Whitework is my FAVORITE stage. It's when everything pops and escapes the OMG THIS LOOKS AWFUL WILL NEVER WORK stage. pic.twitter.com/tmaOL9Y9nH

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 21, 2017

No, wait, I was wrong. Putting down the gold is my FAVORITE stage. (4 hours total). pic.twitter.com/FUT6GVzlJt

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 22, 2017

Another half an hour doing some touch-ups on the gilding and outlining. Last photo until the finish piece has been received. (4.5 hours) pic.twitter.com/I8y1Z3J13i

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 22, 2017

I then completely forgot to time how long the calligraphy took, but it was probably ~45 min.

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

Lindquistringes for Órlaith Chaomhánach

The exemplar is British Library MS Harley 4390, f. 18:

The entire scroll was a bit of a last minute commission, so I had one evening to do it. The illumination took 1.75 hours, and I took photos every half an hour (see below). The calligraphy took just over half an hour. The text reads:

Pay heed all those present and to come these letters seeing or hearing for they are the words of Siridean Shah and Jahanara Bambishn of Drachenwald. By not only the testimony of many good and true people but also by our own eyes are the deeds of Órlaith Chaomhánach witnessed to us. She teaches, she cleans, she cooks, she labors tirelessly on our behalves for the betterment of our people even when her works go unseen. For all this and so that by this act she may be set as an example to all who strive to emulate noble deeds, we make the said Órlaith a member of the ancient and honorable Orden des Lindquistringes. We charge her to go henceforth and ear the badge o the order so that all may know of the love we bear for her. This we do on the dawn of our glorious reign, on the 17th day of June, anno societatis lij.

Progress tweets:

Half an hour in. pic.twitter.com/mpFfw2kXIF

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 12, 2017

One hour in. I am not good at foliage. pic.twitter.com/3vDhHcfkHA

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 12, 2017

1.5 hours. Arg. Photo rotated irritatingly. pic.twitter.com/UCKCIAJEHh

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 12, 2017

1.75 hours, start to finish. I'm not v. good at tiny dragons either, but he was needed. For Reasons. On to the calligraphy! pic.twitter.com/lrJiKYQke4

— Sara L. Uckelman (@SaraLUckelman) June 12, 2017

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.

Fox for Alana Utterich

The exemplar is Codex Michaelburanus perg. 1, f.195r, my first time painting on gold. Whoo, is it fun! It took one day to sketch out the initial, paint the blue, and do the gilding. The next day I cleaned up the gilding, did the red, and the calligraphy.

The text reads:

Incipit verbis Pauli et Caterine. The fox is famed for his cunning and wit, and as such is an example for all those who defend our lands, and it is for this reason that in days past our honorable ancestors in recognition of this created the Order of the Fox to admit as companions all those whose skills with weapons are set apart from the rest so that they may be advertised and recognized throughout our lands. One such person is Lady Alana Utterich, who has won great renown with the bow, whereby we the abovenamed princes of Insulae Draconis do induct the said Alana in to the aforenamed Order. Datum apud Glen Rathlin xviii feb a.s. li.

Here's some progress pictures:

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© 2017, Sara L. Uckelman.