Aryanhwy's Calligraphy and Illumination: silver guard

Showing posts with label silver guard. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Silver Guard for Robert du Prey

This initial is taken from Codex Michaelburanus perg. 1. f. 195r.

I screwed up a bit on the spacing of the calligraphy -- did the top line on the gap between the lines rather than on the text line, and then started the second line of main calligraphy too low. Ah well. Overall, I think it's okay. The text reads (unabbreviated):

His presentibus audite (Pay attention to these presents!) The kingdom of Drachenwald is made strong by those who protect our borders and those who are renowned are numbered amongst the Order of the Silver Guard. Such a warrior is Robert du Prey who we, Vitus and Isabel, enroll today as a member of the said order. Dated xxxviii sept. a.s. liv, and witnessed below.

I love doing these zoomorphic gold dragon initials with the red decoration, but have always struggled with getting the wash background right. This actually worked pretty well.

Two more snaps:

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Silver Guard for Gilbert Blakthorn

My twin Mala had been doing a bunch of blanks from the Macclesfield alphabet and it made me want to revisit that source. I was super pleased to find -- when I couldn't find my facsimile edition in the post-move book mess -- that the entire MS is online! The Dragon T I picked is on folio 10r; it was a choice between that and the "I" two folios earlier, but G saw both and told me to do the dragon, so there it is.

The text reads:

To all seeing or these present letters hearing both now and to come greetings from Vitus and Isabel king and queen of Drachenwald. It is our will and command and solemn desire that from this day henceforth Gilbert Blakthorn be numbered and counted amongst the company of the Silver Guard.

The text should have read "To all seeing or hearing these present letters" BUT at least once I realised I'd skipped "hearing" I was able to reconstruct a grammatical sentence.

The scroll took me 1.5 episodes of Great British Bake-Off to complete, using vellum I'd already pre-cut.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Silver Guard for Rainer Wulfgar

The blank was done by Lady Kerttu. The text reads as follows:

Paul and Aryanhwy, servants to the subject of Drachenwald, to their venerable cousin, Rainer, baron of the court of Ulfr and Caoimhe, greetings. It has in times past been ordained that a company of soldiers skilled with sword, lance, and bow be formed so that every denison of this realm be prevented from and protected from ill and that suitable new members for the furtherance of the good of the realm be made by speciall commission signed by ourselves, and this certain company is known as the Order of the Silver Guard.

Item, membership in this Order is presented to those who have distinguished themselves by chivalry and prowess at arms.

Item, the badge of the Order is a silver wristguard engraved with a dragon passant coward, maintaining a sword erect.

Item, members of the Order shall rank equally with members of the Orden des Lindquistringes and the Order of the Panache.

And whereas we the king and queen abovenamed, being credibly informed by speeches and attestations that diverse and many are the skills at arms displayed by your noble self, confirm, ratify, and announce that from this day henceforth you are a member of the abovenamed Order.

Dated at Adamestor viii Decembris, a.s. xlvii.

It is sort of based on the text I wrote for Franck vom Berg's Silver Guard, along with the text from kingdom law about the order.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Silver Guard for Franck vom Berg

This was done on a blank by Lady Lovisa af Talkotten. The text was based loosely on the commission of Elizabeth I to Charles, Lord Howard:

By the Kyng and the Quene.

It has in times past been ordeyned that a company of fighters skilled with sword, lance, and bow be formed so that every subject of this realm be prevented from harm and protected from ill and that suitable new members for the further ance of the good of the realm be made of this company by speciall commission signed by their Majesties, and this certeyn company is known as the Order of the Silver Guard. And whereas the King and Quene's Majesties, being credibly enfourmed by speaches and attestations by owre counts and dukes that divers and many are the skills at arms shown by Lord Franck vom Berg, which we ourselves have this very day witnessed firsthand, do wish to make unto him our especial seal of approval by confirming, ratifying, and announcing that the Lord Frank abovenamed is from this day henceforth a member of the aforesaid Order.

Dated at Knights Crossing xi October, a.s. xlvii.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Silver Guard for Mikael Carhu

The illumination was done by Countess Honor of Restormel.

The text reads:

Proclaim to all the will of Ulfr and Caoimhe King and Queen of Drachenwald. Know that we have on many occasions received from faithful and true denizens of our realm reports of the valor, courtesy, and prowess of our brave and noble Mikael Carhu and are moved by his many virtues and the acclaim of our populace to make him a member of our Order of the Silver Guard that all may know of his courage and skill. In witness of this action we have caused this present charter to be drawn up which we have signed below on the ____ day of July, a.s. xlv, at Cudgel War in Humalasalo.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

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.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Silver Guard for Risteard Ruadh mac Leoid

The design is based on fol. 8v of Doui, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 340, dated to 1175, reproduced on p. 75 of Smeyers, Flemish Miniatures.

The grid and black lettering was done almost immediately after the design was drawn out (June 30), but then this sat in my box for a few months while I considered how to do the rest of it. Then I did the outline (Sept. 15), painted it (Sept. 17), and then did the painted text on Sept. 19 and 23. There's a couple of errors in the text, and the spacing didn't work out quite how I wanted, and my guy looks funny compared to the original guy, but it's still pretty good.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

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.

Friday, August 21, 2009

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.