Aryanhwy's Calligraphy and Illumination

Sunday, December 7, 2008

AoA for Chiara de'Danielli

The hand is my attempt at the gothic littera bastarda in Drogin, Medieval calligraphy: its history and technique. I keep thinking I must not have the right nib, because I've tried this hand many times and it never turns out how I want to to. This is probably the best I've done so far, but it's still a pretty poor imitation.

The design is modified from a manuscript which was pictured on the front cover of an advertisement for a conference on Johannes Duns Scotus:

I don't have any further information about the manuscripts, except that it is probably a MS of one of Scotus's works, since he's pictured, and therefore it's also probably mid-14th C or later.

Unfortunately, when I was given the assignment, I was given the wrong spelling of the recipient's name.

AoA for Mickel Biornsson till Wargegarden

This is a backlog AoA scroll:

The text was translated into Swedish for me by Countess Elsa:

Låt varje ädel dam och here veta att vi, Marcus och Anna, kung och drottning av Drachenwald, med detta brev erkänner vår undersåte Mickel Biörnsson till Wargegården, då hans goda gärningar kommit till vår kännedom inte bara ryktesvägen utan också via vittnesbörd från mången god man och kvinna, till vilka vi sätta stor tro. Härmed upphöjer vi honom till adlig rang och ger honom rätten att föra vapnet azure, two arrows inverted in saltire or barbed and on a chief argent three wolf's pawprints azure. Till detta sätter vi nedan våra namn denna åttonde dag i november, anno societatis 38.

The text reads in translation:

Let every noble lady and lord know that we, Marcus and Anna, King and Queen of Drachenwald, with this letter recognize our subject Mickel Biörnsson till Wargegården, as his good deeds have come to our knowledge not only by rumour but also by the testimony of many good man and woman, in whom we put great trust. We hereby elevate him to noble rank and give him the right to carry the arms azure, two arrows inverted in saltire Or barbed and on a chief embattled argent three wolf's paw prints azure. To this we put our names this eighth day of November, a.s. 38.

The initial was taken from Codex Claustroneoburgensis 136, f.30r, an early 15th C manuscript:

This was definitely at the very edge of my ability in terms of copying the design, modifying it to fit my space and layout, and to get the (very minor!) shading. The scroll was done over the course of Nov. 20, 22, 23, and Dec. 7.

Paints: Talens gouache, vermillion, green, ultramarine light, gold, white, and black intenso.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

AoA for Eleanor of Pont Alarch

This is a backlog AoA scroll:

The initials and the hand are adapted from Codex Gottwicensis 556 (447) (go to http://www.hmml.org/Vivarium/hmml_collections.htm and do a keyword search for this). The illuminated capitals fascinated me both since they are sans serif and because the strokes are almost all the same width (and I'd been told that mono-stroke-width, sans serif fonts were not period!). The Codex is from the 15th century. The scroll was done Nov. 15 and 16.

Here are some of the initials that I copied from:

Paints: Talens gouache, carmine, ultramarine light, gold, white, and black intenso.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

AoA for Nicholas de Estleche dictus le Tardif

The text reads: To alle trewe people these present tres reding or hering Thorvaldr and Fiona King and Queen of this realme of Drachenwald send due greting. Equite and reason ordeyneth that men vertuouse and of noble courage be rewarded, and not only in theire persones in this mortall liffe so breef but also in theire good name to be of noble memory after theire departing out of liffe to be in euery place of honour before other persones reuerenced for shewing of certaine signes of honour that by theire ensample other persones may the sonner applye theyme theymeself to dispend theire lyves in honourable worke and vertuous dede for to gete therby the renome of gentilnesse in theire ligne for euermore. And therfore We the said King and Queen not only by comon Renome but also by our owne knowlache and the report of manny other credeble and noble persones are vervily ascertayned that Nicholas de Estleche dit le Tardif of the shire of Flintheath hath long contynued in vertu and in alle his Actes hath weel honourably gouerned hymself so that it is right worthy he and his posterite to be in alle places admitted nombred and receyued in the company of other auncion gentill and noble men perpetually frome hensforth. And for remembrannce of the same our auctorite and power We the said King and Queen have ordeigned unto and for the same Nicholas de Estleche for hym and his posterite the armys herafter folowying. That is to say he bereth per chevron sable and vrgent below a tower silver a garb or, as more playnly it appeareth in the mergen depicte. In wittenesse wherof We the said King and Queen haue signed these with our owne handes and sealed the same with our seall of auctorite at Hoxley by Thamesreach the xxviii Day of June being the i day of the i yere of Our Regne. It is based on the 1482 grant of arms to thomas Northland, number 13 at http://verysleepy.itgo.com/grants.htm.

The tree is based loosely on one in the London Guildhall Library MS 1756, dating from 1510(?). I say loosely because the picture I took zoomed in on the arms hanging from the branch, and omited most of the tree, so I don't know how the crown of the tree actually worked.

It was very frustrating to discover after having done all of the calligraphy, all of the tree, and half of the shield that I had miswritten the blazon. Since I've never tried scraping ink of perg and rewriting over it (and I'm very leery of doing so), I figured this correction was the path of least resistance, and hence the one where I was most likely to come up with a correction that itself didn't involve further grief and frustration.

Paints: Talens gouache, gold, green, yellow, carmine, black intenso, white. Done Oct. 16 and 18, 2008.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Lindquistringes for Caitriona of the Ravens

(The reason it looks skewed is that it wasn't square in the scanner; it really is square in real life!)

The text reads in translation Thorvald and Fiona, King and Queen of Drachenwald, to Caitriona of the Ravens, salutations. In recognition of the works that you have rendered to us, we hereby offer to you admission in our order of the ring of Lindquist, which confers the right to display the insignia of the order, a ring made of a golden dragon without wings having a red jewel. Dated by West Dragoningshire, 8th of the calendar of November, a.s. 43.

This is roughly the same translation used for the Lindquistringes for Maredudd ap Gwilym I did a month earlier. The recipient's name, Caitriona of the Ravens, naturally translates to Caterina Corvorum in Latin, though grammatically, Caterina should have bee in the dative case, which it was not (my requisite one mistake per scroll, *sigh*).

The hand is my attempt at the artificial uncial in Drogin, Medieval calligraphy: its history and technique. The design is, I have to admit, completely made up. (I'm just happy I was able to get ravens that look (sort of) like ravens!).

The scroll was done Sept. 27, 28, and Oct. 11, 12.

Panache for Thomas Flamance of Kelsale

The text reads To all those who shall see or hear these present letters Thorvaldr and Fiona King and Queen of Drachenwald greeting and recommendation. Equity requires and reason ordains that men virtuous and of good skill and knowledge be rewarded for their merits by renown and recognition. And therefore We who not only by common renown but also by the report and testimony of other noble men worthy of credence are truly advertised and informed that Thomas Flamanc de Kelsale has long persued feats of food and as well in this as in other of his affairs has borne himself valiantly and conducted himself honourably so that he deserved well and is well worth that henceforth he may be in all places honourably admitted renowned counted number and received among the number and in the company of Our Order of the Panache. And for the remembrance of this we assign to the said Thomas the right to bear the blazon in the manner which follows. That is to say a torteau charged with a bezant pierced sable issuant from the chief three feathers gules, Or, and sable. In witness whereof We King and Queen of Drachenwald above named have signed our hands and sealed with our seal and given the eighth day of November in the year of the society fourty-three.. It is based on the 1459/60 grant of arms to John Alfrey, number 4 at http://verysleepy.itgo.com/grants.htm.

The illumination is based on two manuscripts in the London Guildhall library. The T is based on the one in the grant of arms to the Worshipful Company of Coopers of London, granted 1509, Guildhall Library MS 5806. The yellow border with vegetation is from the Skinners' Fraternity of Assumption, begun in the 1440s and finished in the 17th C, Guildhall Library MS 31692. The scroll was completed on 27, 28 Sept. and 11, 12 Oct.

Paints: Talens gouache, gold, yellow, green, ultramarine light, vermillion, white, and black intenso.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Thank you cards for the College of Arms

On Friday, September 5, 2008, I got to visit the College of Arms, in London, quite possibly one of the best experiences of my life. Our group of around 40 people was taken care of by Somerset Herald and Bluemantle Pursuivant, who were wonderful hosts. So I made a thank-you card for each of them:

For Bluemantle	For Somerset

Based on MS5086, Guildhall Library, London	Loosely based on Codex Admontensis 2, St John's University & College of St Benedict