How can we evaluate the time intervals between graphic events in the creation and production of the VMs, as we have it now? After the original creation, there are presumed to be Retracers #1 -> N. Is this a lengthy process of accumulation by various *owners* of the VMs over the centuries? Or is it all (for the most part) accomplished by five scribes within a month's production? Or is it the cumulative work of a single person's lifetime?
(21-10-2025, 06:45 PM)R. Sale Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.How can we evaluate the time intervals between graphic events in the creation and production of the VMs, as we have it now? After the original creation, there are presumed to be Retracers #1 -> N. Is this a lengthy process of accumulation by various *owners* of the VMs over the centuries? Or is it all (for the most part) accomplished by five scribes within a month's production? Or is it the cumulative work of a single person's lifetime?
As I see it, the motivation for the first round of retracing was that a substantial part of the original text and drawings had faded to near invisibility. Therefore, that must have been at least several decades after the book was written.
That first round of retracing(Rt1) was a "professional" restoration, presumably by a scribe who was used to do that kind of job. He seems to have tried his best to match the ink color and trace the text as accurately as a modern painting restorer would do. He was a bit less careful and less thorough on the drawings.
We can see those severely faded original traces here and there. Those are ink strokes that, at the time of the first retracing, were still legible enough so that retracing was not seen necessary. Now imagine what the strokes that
were retraced would look like now. In some places it is clear that there was some ink stroke that is now completely invisible.
I think that there were at least two subsequent rounds of retracing. Retracer Rt2 was a bit less careful than Rt1 (not "professional" but still seemed to care about preserving the appearance) and limited his work to parts that either had been skipped by Rt1 or had faded again after being retraced, from wear or spill damage. Thus it too was probably decades or centuries after Rt1. Retracer Rt3 was quite careless; fortunately he retouched only a few characters here and there. But he seems to have enjoyed "enhancing" the drawings, especially the nymphs.
The original Scribe apparently knew the alphabet but could not read the text. The Retracers did not know the alphabet, although Rt1 may have inferred it as he worked through the book. Thus they often "restored" a normal but faded glyph into a bizarre weirdo.
All the best, --stolfi
I've felt for a while that it may be a section regarding processes to make cures for ailments, though its just a guess. If that were the case the tubes could be body parts (aliments) in places and equipment (processes) in others. I think it showing both is not strange and each could explain images where the other fails.
I have no idea how correct, but someone a while ago thought the image on You are not allowed to view links.
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Login to view. was of a bird being held and the sides painted red. It's quite hard to explain why that would be in a collection of internal organs, but if it were part of a process it might make sense, examples below.
¶Duckys blode water. Ca. xv SAnguis anetis in latyn. And the blode of the wylde duckis is the best. The beste parte & tyme is the blode of the wylde duckys in the last moneth of the heruest / & dystylled in balneo marie A Water of blo¦de of duckys is good agaynst the sto∣ne / whā it is dronke .xxx. or .xl dayes cōtynuyng at eche tyme an oūce B The same water drōke .•. or .xii. da∣yes in the maner before sayd is good agaynst the stone in the lymmes and bladder for it purified the raynes the lymmes the bladder of all theyr vn∣clenes.
¶O• pyes water. Ca .xiiii. PIca in latyn. The best parte & tyme of theyr dystyllacions is / whan they be hatched or they can flye out of theyr neste / and •orowe them and choppe them with all theyr substaunce & dystylle them in clene glasses A Water of pyes is good for hym that is dysseased of saynte Anthony and receiue•h the bote and remedye / cloutes wet therin and .ii. or thre tymes layde theron in a day & at eche tyme let it drye by hym selfe