There is a person in folio 86v holding something that looks like a Globus cruciger (the orb and cross) in one hand.
In the other hand, said person holds something that looks like a flagellation birch rod (a bundle of leafless twigs bound together).
The person looks like a female with exposed breasts.
Since the Globus cruciger is a symbol of authority, perhaps it is worth investigating a possible link to 15th century royalty.
The thing on our left consists of two globes with a little one on top. A lidded container of some sort? Several things have been suggested for the branches on the right. Wheat, sticks, a torch...
The figure's dress is unisex. The head suggests male but the breasts (which are not exposed) suggest female.
This might be a good time to stress that they didn't just slap a globus cruciger anyone with authority. From the wiki:
Quote:The cross laid over the globus represents Christ's dominion over the world, literally held in the hand of a worthy earthly ruler. In the iconography of Western art, when Christ himself holds the globe, he is called Salvator Mundi (Latin for 'Saviour of the World').[...]The globus cruciger was associated with powerful rulers and angels; it adorned portrayals of both emperors and kings, and also archangels. It remained popular throughout the Middle Ages in coinage, iconography, and royal regalia. For example, it was often used by Byzantine emperors in order to symbolize their authority and sovereignty over the Christian world, usually being done via coinage. The symbol was meant to demonstrate that the emperor ruled both politically and divinely.[6][7] The papacy, which in the Middle Ages rivaled the Holy Roman Emperor in temporal power, also used the symbol on top of the Papal tiara, which consisted of a triple crown; the Pope did not use a separate orb as a symbol. [...]
In other words, when the Globus was held by a human, it meant that that person actively ruled over part of the world, by God's grace. In those cases, the person will be wearing a crown.
Here is an example of royal regalia in folio 72v (Libra), a naked nymph wearing a crown (added later ?) with a distinctive half-arch hoop crown and a small cross on top of it.
The crossbar looks too wide / thick for a globus cruciger also on a globus cruciger the cross is all one piece , this one looks as though it is in 2 pieces.
[
attachment=9782]
This looks like aspersion, in which case the vial could be with the holy water and an aspergillum in the other hand.
[
attachment=9784]
[
attachment=9785]
I couldn't find a good match for the whole image, but there are a lot of images of priests using all kinds of vessels and sprinklers.
It's something I hadn't thought about before, but it would explain a lot, including the figure's robes maybe?
Again we have a situation here where the head would be interpreted as male, but the figure has (VM-atypical) breasts.
(14-01-2025, 07:44 AM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Again we have a situation here where the head would be interpreted as male, but the figure has (VM-atypical) breasts.
Could it be possible this is mocking the papacy given we may know which side of the Guelphs and Ghibellines argument the artist favoured?
Some ChatGPT stuff;
Satirical Depictions of the Pope as a Woman
- The Legend of Pope Joan:
- One of the most prominent historical sources of satire against the papacy involves Pope Joan, a legendary figure purported to have been a woman disguised as a man who ascended to the papal throne. By the 15th century, the story was widely known and used in polemics against the church, particularly by critics who sought to highlight perceived weaknesses or corruptions of the papacy.
- Depictions of Pope Joan were used to mock the authority of the pope, though they were not explicitly tied to the Guelphs and Ghibellines conflict.
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view.
Top right is a 1474 image of "Pope Joan" depicted as a man giving birth.
"From the 13th century the story appears in literature, including the works of the Benedictine chronicler You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view. and the Italian humanists You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view. and You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view..
In the 15th century, Joan’s existence was regarded as fact, even by the You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view. in 1415."
Just had a very brief search about.. will have a proper look if it seems at all possible after work
(14-01-2025, 02:11 AM)Dobri Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Here is an example of royal regalia in folio 72v (Libra), a naked nymph wearing a crown (added later ?) with a distinctive half-arch hoop crown and a small cross on top of it.
Note that a crown of a queen must have the monde (orb) at the top of the crown below the cross.
Either the artist was unaware of this, or the crown was for the consort of a king, or there is some unknown symbolism in the drawing in folio 72v (Libra).
(14-01-2025, 03:42 AM)oshfdk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.This looks like aspersion, in which case the vial could be with the holy water and an aspergillum in the other hand.
For getting a quick idea of manuscript depictions of something, I like to use the Morgan iconographic search:
You are not allowed to view links.
Register or
Login to view.
I'll let you reach your own conclusion about Aspergils
