The Voynich Ninja

I decided to make a new thread for the actual comparisons, so I can keep the first post here updated based on new suggestions. The presentation of how I got to the nymph proportions can still be read in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. The full version of this study can be read in this blog post: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

What?
I determined the average proportions of the Voynich nymphs, as explained in the other thread. I found out that The length of the head, measured from the top of the skull to the chin, could be used reliably to measure the nymphs' proportions. I chose the arbitrary points of the belly button and the knee of the stretched leg as anchors. Determining the median values, I was able to compose a number of lines like this:



I added four nymphs to show that the lines are more or less consistent in marking the top of the skull, the chin, the navel, the knee and the bottom. Of course there are minor variations depending on the nymph - it's an average. By resizing Homer Simpson to make his head fit between the top two lines, we can see that his feet only reach the nymphs' bottom line. This means that Homer is significantly more compact than Voynich nymphs.

Some notes:

• Most importantly, proportion is just one aspect of art style. Matching proportions can enhance an analysis, but don't prove much all by themselves.
  
• I had collected a number of examples from older sources, and asked forum members for suggestions.
  
• There are millions of human figures drawn during and before the 15th century, so by definition I missed a lot.
  

Purpose of this thread:
I will present here the best matches from my blog post in chronological order. However, it should not be limited to that. If you find more likely candidates, just tell me and I will add them to this first post with your name for fame =)

Like this we can hopefully map the occurrence of nymph-like proportions throughout time and space.

So let's get to it, then. I will try to keep the commentary to a minimum - in the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. I elaborate a bit.

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1400 BCE, Egyptian: alabaster figure of a Nubian servant (Koen)


Note: this example is very early, and it portrays a dwarf. You may recognize a number of nymph properties in it, and proportions match rather well. I don't wish to argue a direct connection, yet still include this item because I like it
As a general note, the nymphs do have some aspects in common with dwarfism, and dwarfs had positive connotations in Egypt. They were associated with the Sun, rebirth, immortality, fertility, magic...

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Ptolemaic Period, Egypt: various objects (Koen)
From left to right: Dancing Dwarf, 3rd century BCE; Isis, Horus and Nephthys; Female figure, 1st century BCE.



Note how the navel-line and knee-line match rather well. Another point of similarity is that they are mostly nude, apart from headgear.

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48 – 25 BCE, Indo-Scythian: coin of Azes I (Diane)

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2nd century CE, Roman Egypt: the Tomb of Petosiris in the Dakhla Oasis (Koen)




Note: in this same Egyptian oasis tomb, there are also images of similar stars and blond people:

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813-820, Byzantine: Vat. Gr. 1291 (Sam G.)



Note: inconsistent proportions, significantly more elongated than VM nymphs.

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11th century, French : BNF MS Lat. 7028 (not sure who to credit here, don't remember how I found it


Note: from our initial batch, this is one of the best matches. Proportions match perfectly. The figures' lower bodies look a lot like those of the nymphs, while the upper bodies and heads look different.

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11th century, Coptic. Woven Tapestry (Koen)

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1184, Italy: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (Ellie)



Note:  inconsistent proportions but some figures match very well (example: priest above).


1361, Catalonia: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (Diane)


Note: figures are about a head taller than nymphs, though other stylistic similarities.


Mid 15th century, Germany (al-Sufi translation): You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (Darren Worley)




1457, Paris: The Hague MMW 10, A, 11 (Ellie)



1459, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., Biblioteka Jagiellonska (Picatrix) - (Searcher)
Note: two different art styles.





1949-present, Denmark: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (Sam G.)





Wow! perfect match!



So that's it so far. I probably missed some suggestions or attributions, please let me know in that case.

And let's start expanding this thing. All suggestions are welcome!

Wonderful work Koen!

Thanks

First addition to the first post is "Mid 15th century, Germany (al-Sufi translation): Pal. Lat. 1396".

The VM female is very similarly proportioned to the pal lat figures. Remarkably, the VM male is the odd one out. It does look like both manuscripts share a source.

Koen,

May I give you a hint - political events in Padua and the Veneto..

D