The Voynich Ninja

(I post this thread here, so it can be easily located in the same subforum as the other thread).

I've been doing some digging on the origin of the monogram on the mystery parchment, and after some dead ends, I now believe we should be able to find a printed source. I need a new thread though, since this is a lot to explain and it may require its own investigation.

Tavi found a UK company "Custom Wax N Seals", which offers this design in one of their monogram stamps. I decided to email them, although apparently Fabrizio has been in contact with them before. I received a very polite and helpful response:

• This design has not been ordered from the company in or before 2013, so the stamp on the parchment definitely did not come from them.
  
• They got the design from a book: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., published by Dover in 2004. I see that there is also You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
  
• I was unable to look inside this book, but one of the angry commenters mentioned that is is basically the same as You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., also published by Dover in 1970.
  
• This 1970 publication includes the "Unabridged republication of Monograms and Ciphers by H. Renoir, published by A. Fullarton and Company, London and Edinburgh, 1870-74."
  
• It is in this Renoir book that the more angular version of the monogram is found (Style 1 of the UK store). Our exact style (5) is not there.
  

[attachment=14609]

Some interesting things to note:

• All are clearly related.
  
• The Salani seal is closer overall to the UK "style 5".
  
• However, the Renoir monogram letters overlap in the same order as those of the seal.
  

Therefore, it seems likely that the design of the seal originated after Renoir's publication, but independently from its adoption by the UK company.

It is very likely that the exact seal we're looking for is featured in one of these Dover publications. Since the UK company referred me to the 2004 edition, this or the 2012 edition may be worth tracking down.

Actually, it looks like the 2004 edition is simply a selection from Renoir (as the angry commenter mentioned), so it likely does not contain our "Design 5", only the similar "Design 1".

(The page layout I can glance in this image is exactly that of Renoir).

[attachment=14612]

Fantastic research, Koen!

(13-03-2026, 03:59 PM)Koen G Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Therefore, it seems likely that the design of the seal originated after Renoir's publication, but independently from its adoption by the UK company.

It is very likely that the exact seal we're looking for is featured in one of these Dover publications. Since the UK company referred me to the 2004 edition, this or the 2012 edition may be worth tracking down.

For whatever it's worth, the seal for "AD" from renoir features the rounded loop seen in the UK "AG" version. Maybe at some point they expanded or blended the designs. 

[attachment=14613]

(13-03-2026, 06:35 PM)eggyk Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.[quote='Koen G' pid='81322' dateline='1773413944']
Therefore, it seems likely that the design of the seal originated after Renoir's publication, but independently from its adoption by the UK company.

It is very likely that the exact seal we're looking for is featured in one of these Dover publications. Since the UK company referred me to the 2004 edition, this or the 2012 edition may be worth tracking down.

For whatever it's worth, the seal for "AD" from renoir features the rounded loop seen in the UK "AG" version. Maybe at some point they expanded or blended the designs. 

In 2016/2017 I don't remember exactly, a sphragistics expert from the State Archives in Rome told me that the monogram could recall the monograms used in the Victorian era, but these were more elaborate in the "serifs" of the character because in 1800 there was an attempt to embellish the initials in a Baroque style, but the origin of the Victorian monograms was from the 18th - 17th century (the latter less likely) and the one on the parchment seems much more similar to a simple, basic, "ad personam" monogram made for a ring or a chain pendant being only 1.5 cm in diameter.