The Voynich Ninja

Bi, you are correct, Venus is frequently depicted with a mirror (or with grain, flowers, scepters...).

Indeed, whether she refers to the planet or the deity, the iconography will often overlap. The thing of the mirror's centre being left clear is also true. It's not immediately obvious since green from the verso side is shining through, but it is left completely blank.

Now that the connection with Aphrodite/Venus has been made, other elements can be explained as well. She is born from the sea, which is consistent with the hypothesis that the Voynich observes the convention of coloring salty water green, as was the custom on certain maps. 

A common theme in Venus birth scenes is that she is wringing her wet hair. Note that the nymph's hair has a twist in it, and that it is blue, perhaps indicating wetness? Below an example from Coptic Egypt, which happens to show certain stylistic resemblances to VM nymphs in general, especially in the proportions of the body.

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There is one final thing, a detail which might seem insignificant to some, but I'm pretty sure it isn't. Have a look at the following picture, with on the top row two classical Aphrodites, and on the bottom our nymph with another one for contrast. Who knows what I'm talking about? 

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Here's a continuation of the theme, Virgo with mirror and comb. It clearly goes back to the Aphrodite archetype, but has been completely absorbed by the medieval tradition. It's interesting to see how here, too, the mirror appears like an oversized ring.

Toulouse
1350 - 1370
Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France → fr. 9219, fol. 27r
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Also Aries eating a bush?
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Here's one from an iatromathematical housebook. The colors are somehow interesting.

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not always virgo with mirrors








sometimes the circles are crowns

Inset are two mosaics from Roman Tunis, both show Venus/Aphrodite with Cupids.

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Ladies and guys with rings. These seem to me marriage scenes.
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(09-07-2017, 04:52 PM)MarcoP Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Ladies and guys with rings. These seem to me marriage scenes.
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Another version of the work Landesbibliothek Oldenburg (here the illustrations are clearly unfinished).
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The German texts are about marriage and rules of inheritance

I posted the pic on the thread about the nymphs, but it applies here, as well... In the south, when a major nymph gives an enlarged ring to a king, it symbolizes the king's investiture.