AoA for Balduin Valke

This is based on British Library MS Burney 275 f.336, French, between 1309 and 1316. The penwork P was done Feb. 28, the border was drawn, inked, and painted Mar. 16, the white work and the painting of the arms on the Mar. 17, and finally, the calligraphy on Mar. 20.

Here is the text:

Pay heed to the words of Gerhardt and Judith, King and Queen of Drachenwald. We, not only through common report and the testimony of many worthy and credible gentles, but also by our own witness are well acquainted with and informed of the deeds and doings of our subject Balduin Valke, and it is our solemn and joyful duty to recognize the worth and nobility of the said Balduin by raising him to the rank of lord with all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges appertaining thereto including the sole and unique right to bear the arms blazoned as follows and depicted more plainly below, that is to say: Or, a pair of wings sable. So that none may give the said Balduin any let or hindrance or other impediment in the displaying of the said arms and in testimony of our action we have set our hands below on the 12th day of December, a.s. xliv, being the feast of Saint Lucia.

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© 2010, Sara L. Uckelman.

Lindquistringes for Katherine Percival

A back-log Lindquistringes, based on British Library MS Arundel 134 f. 2, France, 2nd half of the 13th C. The hand is a (very sorry) attempt at Gothic. The filler in this initial makes me much happier than my previous attempt, though I still feel like I don't know how to finish off the ends -- my flourishes at the end of the vertical block aren't right.

The text reads:

Greetings from Gerhardt and Judith, king and queen of Drachenwald, to all who read these present letters. Much good have we seen and heard of the deeds and works of Katherine Percival. In recognition of all that she has rendered to us and ours we are minded to make her a companion of our Orden des Lindquistringes with all the rights and responsibilities appertaining thereto. This we do on the viith day of November, in the year of the society xliv, in our Shire of Adamestor, and in witness whereof we have signed our names below.

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© 2010, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Alyssoun of Adamestor

A back-log AoA, based on British Library MS Burney 212 f. 1, Italy or Spain, first half of the 15th C. Column 1 and the second column to the end of the sentence was done the first night, and the rest the second night. For the second third of the second column, I had a terrible time getting my ink to flow; I have no idea why, since nothing had changed from the night before.

I still have a lot of trouble getting all the white parts of the inner filler penwork right; mine always turned out to have a lot more oclor and a lot less white than my exemplars.

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© 2010, Sara L. Uckelman.

Pelican for Robert of Canterbury

The beautiful illumination was done by Lady Trinite Ducalon (April Koenig), based on a grant by Elizabeth I. The calligraphy was done the day of the event; it took me about 2.5 hours. I knew in advance roughly how much space I had, and had printed out a text to work from. About 1/3 of the way through, I could tell I had way more text than I had space, and so had to correspondingly reduce things. The text is based on grants of arms at http://verysleepy.itgo.com/grants.htm, those of John Aleyn 1454, John Alfrey 1459/60, and William Gough 1481.

The scan doesn't show completely the full scroll; there is another 5cm or so of blank space below the signature, for the addition of wax seals, which the recipient has said he intends to do.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Ulrich von Vielburgen

This is the first scroll to come out of my Visconti Hours project. I'd drawn out the bordure in advance, and then when I got the scroll assignment on a Tuesday for an event the following Saturday, I spent two nights painting in the border and doing the calligraphy (it would've taken just one night had I not gotten side-tracked adding the vermillion penwork to the border). I'm really happy with how this one turned out.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Menno Suhrbeyer zu Hamburg

The border is based on Paris Bibliotheque Nationale, Ms. lat. 10525, fol. 9v, a Parisian psalter dating to around 1270, reproduced as plate 26 of Pächt, Buchmalerei des Mittelalters. I'd picked the border thinking it was going to be relatively easy and straightforward, and then spent two and a half months pulling it out of the box, looking at it, going "augh! I don't know where to start", and putting it back. The calligraphy was done August 10; the initial drawn and painted, and the border drawn and inked on Oct. 29th, the background of the border painted on the 30th, and the vines, leaves, and whitework painted on the 31st. In the end it turned out nicely (until I dropped a splash of water on the calligraphy and it bled! Ugh!), though it only looks nice when it's not next to my exemplar, which looks much better.

I was originally going to use this initial, but when I actually sat down to do the initial, I'd forgotten that I'd picked this one out, and so did a different one, oh well.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Aldred of Alcazar

I finally had success with penwork!! I figured out the trick: I need to have a design I can copy almost completely, with very little modification. This page is from British Library MS Burnery 320, f.2. The letter is actually a 'Q', but I moved the tail over a bit and called it a 'G'.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Alvar di Castilforte

A back-log AoA I calligraphed during a calligraphy workshop I was running; the initial was one of the ones that I did for a friend a few months previously. Nothing terribly flashing, but not too bad either.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman

AoA for Dominyk Reinhardt von Hamburg (Dominicus Reinhardi)

Grants of arms (or diplomas of nobility) in German contexts date from the mid 14th-century. According to John M. Jeep, Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia, the earliest German grant of arms was given by Ludwig of Bavaria in 1338. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any further information about this grant.

The design is based on this image:

which according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Heraldry_and_vexillology/Tasks is a grant of nobility to Seyfrieda von Rotha in 1464, from the chancellery/chancery of czar/emperor(?) Frederick III (possibly the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III). Though from a Polish context, the text appears to be written in German. Unfortunately, again I couldn't find any further info on the contents of the text.

I tried to find any source that gave a text, either in the original Latin or German or in translation into English, of a medieval German grant of arms or diploma of nobility, and failed. The text I used is based on a translation of the charter establishing the Duchy of Austria, Sept. 17, 1156, modified to be appropriate to granting arms to an individual, rather than the creation of a duchy. The text reads:

Gerhardt, by favor of right of arms King of Drachenwald, Prince of Insulae Draconis, and Lord of the Southern Reaches, and Judith, fair queen and consort: Although the right to arms may remain valid from the actual act of performing such awarding, and those things which are lawfully possessed cannot be wrested away by any act of force: it is, however, the duty of our regnal authority to provide witness to the transaction lest there be any doubt. Be it known therefore, to the present age and to future generations of our subjects, that we have, in the general court of Adamestor which was held on the Saturday after All Saints Day, in the year of the Society four-four, in the presence of members of our noble orders and by the counsel and judgment of all our subjects, made clear our intention to award unto Dominyk Reinhardt von Hamburg arms. Moroever, since by this act we wish that the honour and glory of our most beloved subject may seem in all ways to be increased, we charge the said Dominyk with designing suitable and unique arms that he shall register with the College of Arms. We decree, further, that no person, small or great, may presume upon the said Dominyk's right to bear these arms without the consent or permission of the said Dominyk. For the rest, in order that this, our imperial decree, may, for all ages, remain valid and unshaken, we have ordered the present charter to be written and to be signed with our own hands.

The silhouette for the coat of arms is based on the achievements found in the Bruderschaftsbuch des jülich-bergischen Hubertusordens, BSB Cod.icon. 318, dating to around 1500 (though the cute little hat comes from Anton Tirol's Wappenbuch, BSB-Hss Cod.icon. 310, dating to the end of the 15th C--1540.):

The scroll took two days to complete, Oct. 20, and 21.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Mael Duin mac Rogellaig

The image is based on Mark 15:20-24, Book of Kells (Codex Cennannensis) fol. 183, late 8th or early 9th C, reproduced in James Johnson Sweeney, Vroeg-christelijke miniaturen in ierland, Amsterdam: J.M. Meulenhoff.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Silver Guard for Paul son of Brian

Silver Guard for Pol son of Brian

This was a last-minute assignment (a week before the event), and so I whipped it out of one of the initials I already had. But I got to put in a nice Latin text, so I think it came out OK. However, I'm not sure if it got to their majesties before they left for the event, since the first notice I got that the award was granted was in January coronation, and I'm not entirely sure whether this scroll was given out for it or not (since I wasn't at the event). In any case, it's no surprise if I post it now.

Here's the text:

Paulo filio Briani, salutatem, gratiam, et benedictionem, Gerhardus et Judita rex et regina Drachenwaldenses. Agnitionis tui virtutis militiaeque, offerimus ideo tibi admissionem in nostris ordonis argenti vigilis, qui confert jus ostendere insigne ordonis, armilla argentum facta draconis cum gladio. Datum apud Eplaheimr, xvii Octobris, xliv anno societatis.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Bjorn fari Kvedulfson

The illumination was done by Amal binti Hamid. The text reads:

Now hear the will of Gerhardt and Judith, king and queen of Drachenwald. Many are the reports that we have heard of the good conduct and loyal service of our subject Biorn fari Kveldulfson. We therefore create the said Biorn a lord and award him such arms as he shall register with the College of Arms. Done the 22nd of August, a.s. 44, at Raglan Castle in Mynydd Gwyn.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Silver Guard for Alaric of Bangor

The illumination was done by Ylandra. The text reads:

Gerhardt et Judith, King et Queen of Drachenwald by these words we create Alaric of Bangor a member of the Order of the Silver Guard. Done the xxiith day of August anno societatis xliv in Mynydd Gwyn.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Lindquistringes for Chiara de'Danielli

The illumination was done by Amal binti Hamid. The text reads:

All shall know who read or hear these words of the deeds of Chiara de'Danielli, loyal subject of the crown of Drachenwald. Long has the said Chiara served us, and so it is the will of Gerhardt and Judith, king and queen of Drachenwald that she be made a member of the Orden des Lindquistringes, with all the rights and responsibilities attendant thereto, including the right to bear the badge of the order, a ring formed of a wingless dragon or maintaining a gem gules. Done on August xxi, in the year of the society xliv.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Silver Guard for Dafydd Gwynfardd

The illumination was done by Amal binti Hamid. The text reads:

By these letters let all know that We, Gerhardt and Judith, king and queen of the glorious kingdom of Drachenwald had heard the testimony of many reliable men and women and have witnessed for ourselves the skill and prowess at arms and also the honour and chivalry of our loyal subject Dafydd Gwynfardd. Our kingdom is made strong and kept safe by these deeds ofthose like the said Dafydd and it is the pleasure and the privilege of the crown to reocgnize those who have served the kingdom in this fashion. And so we make Dafydd a member of our Order of the Silver Guard, with all the rights and responsibilities appertaining thereto, including the right to bear the badge of the order. Done the 21st day of August, anno societatis 44.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Lindquistringes for Ursula Sturludottir

Lindquistringes for Ursula Sturludóttir

The text, done in artificial uncial, translates as:

By reason of her service to the lands of Insula Draconis we Gerhardt and Judith king and queen of Drachenwald invite Ursula Sturludottir into our Orden des Lindquistringes. Done August 22, a.s. xliv.

The calligraphy was done on Juuly 24, before I went to Pennsic, and then the border was drawn and inked on August 12 and 16. The border was way more headache than I expected. I'd picked what I thought was a relatively easy exemplar (fol. 191v of The Book of Durrow, which is reproduced in various places; I was working from plate 7 of Nordenfalk, Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting), but spent a number of evenings trying to copy the bottom border, both by sight, with a grid, and then with a different grid method, and failing each time. I finally gave up and went with a simple dot + grid knotwork border, which I knew I could do but which I also knew didn't look as nice as the original I was trying to copy. I'd gotten the outlines of the bottom border all inked out one evening...and then it smudged. That was just the final straw, I had to put the entire thing away for a few days before I could even stomach to look at it to see if it could be fixed.

It could be, and was, fixed, but this is still nowhere near as good as I'd hoped, and definitely not one of my favorites. But I think the calligraphy turned out beautifully.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoA for Nadiana Stjarnulf

This was just the calligraphy for an an AoA that was gorgeously illuminated by Racaire.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

AoAs for Walter von Are and Elysant Walters

When I got the assignment to do the AoAs for my friends Walter and Elisande, I was so excited that I sat down and started working immediately. From start to finish, this took me about 8 or 9 hours. Walter's is on the left, Elisande's on the right. I left the two together, rather than separating them into two individual pieces, because I figured it might be helpful to have them as one for framing purposes, and if not, then they can cut them.

Since they're a couple, I wanted to do two that looked like an obvious pair. They are modelled on fols. 74v and 75 of a Book of Hours from Thérouanne, ca. 1300, reproduced on p. 133 of Smeyers, Flemish Miniatures:

The original is 9x13cm; I tried to keep similar measurements. I had to omit some of the neater bits (like the jousting monkeys and the man with the sword) in order to have space for the signatures and seals, and since I still haven't found exactly the right nib for doing gothic hands at this scale, I had to substitute a different hand. But I really like the way the birds turned out! My first time doing animate creatures in the borders.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

PCSs for Tonis vom Ahrgebirge and Isabeau de Brionne

This is a pair of PCS scrolls for a couple who are leaving Drachenwald for the second time. I wanted to make a set that looked like they were part of a pair, but still made sense individually.

for Tönis vom Ahrgebirge	for Isabeau de Brionne

This was my first attempt at any sort of realistic artwork (e.g., landscapes, people). The couple is moving to Meridies, so I have them each in their own boat sailing from Drachenwald on the right to Meridies on the left. Each boat has two flags, the badge of the Popular Company of Sojourners, and the individual's personal arms. On the right is the Drachenwald ensign and on the left is Meridies's flag. The people ended up being too small to do any details other than eyes on their faces. I hope they don't look too weird.

The design/composition is a mish-mash of various elements. The hand is based on a 15th C copy of Margery Kempe's autobiography, plate 7 of Kelliher & Brown, English Literary Manuscripts (the autobiography itself dates from the 14th C, and I didn't realize until after I'd done the wording that the specific copy I was looking at wasn't. Otherwise, at least all the elements would've been from the same century). The ships are based on ships found on f7r of the Le roman de Joseph d'Arimathie ou le Roman de l'Estoire du Graal, early 14th C, plate 52 of Western European Illuminated Manuscripts. The border is based on ff68v of the Taymouth Hours (c.1325-40), plate 47 of Harthan, Books of Hours.

There's always a point in working on a scroll where I look at it and think "there is no way this is going to turn out". For these, it was after I'd done the wording, the water, grass, ships, and the red and blue in the borders and the capitals. Luckily, even when I look at something half-way finished in horror, I have enough perspective to realize that once the gold, whitework, and black border lines are added, it will suddenly look much, much better. Knowing that, I took a break after reaching that stage, leaving the finishing details for another day, and then, while cleaning everything up, promptly dropped a bottle of ink whose cap was not screwed on tight and spilled about half of it. Amazingly, the mess didn't damage anything, but even so, I took it as a sign that I'd reached a good stopping point and shouldn't attempt to push my luck until another day! The scroll was done Jun. 27, 28, and Jul. 4.

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.

Queen's Tea invitations

The Queen of Drachenwald is hosting a Queen's Tea at Pennsic 2009, for which she needed invitations to all the queens in the Known World that would be in attendance. I did 10, and Lady Genevieve did 7. When I met up with Trinite en route from the International Medieval Congress in Leeds to Störtebeker's Sons in Two Seas, she introduced me to pen work and we added flourishes to the invitations I'd done.

Queen of the Outlands
Queen of Calontir
Queen of Gleann Abhann
Queen of the Middle
Queen of the West
Queen of Northshield
Queen of the East
Queen of Lochac
Queen of Trimaris
Queen of Meridies

Since the text was the same, once I did one copy and got settled into the hand, the rest went really quickly -- by the time I reached the end, it took more time to tick and rule the guidelines than it did to do the lettering itself!

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© 2009, Sara L. Uckelman.