18-10-2016, 09:47 PM
In the VMs Zodiac and various other places, the person who put down the VMs ink work makes use of a simple, but interesting artistic element. It consists of two relatively longer, closely placed, parallel lines that are crossed at regular intervals by a series of short lines. The use of this element is most obvious in some of the tub patterns at the start of the VMs Zodiac, but it also occurs in some of the patterned markers found in the circular bands of text from the Zodiac to the Nine Rosettes.
In the examples from the tub patterns, there seems to be an obvious intent to create a regular, alternating pattern of marked and unmarked bands. A variation of light and dark, in artistic terms, if you will, rather than all the same. This is the artistic technique of hatching, lines drawn to create shades of light and dark.
The hatching conundrum has long been a topic of discussion: the who, where and when particularly. I recently found a Wikipedia article on an artist known only as Master E. S., from monogrammed playing cards, etc. However the historical record of this artistic technique is problematic for VMs investigations that want to hold the VMs parchment dates and the VMs creation dates close together.
Either the VMs contains a very early use of hatching technique or, perhaps, it is something else. One suggestion in that regard was that the patterns were borrowed from pottery produced in Islamic Spain, that the pattern on the tubs came from albarelli. But I was left to do my own discovery, so you can see the potential flaws blossoming. However, what I found from examples was the use of a pattern with general similarities, but also with its own specific qualities. Various examples of pottery do have patterns of closely placed parallel lines drawn horizontally around the object, and repeatedly crossed by a series of shorter lines. In many examples, these lines appear to be quickly applied without particular concern that they connect with the parallel lines on either side. In the limited sample of objects I discovered, all representations of this pattern have the crossing lines oriented on the diagonal. This contrasts with the VMs Zodiac examples, which always have the crossing lines perpendicular to the longer, parallel lines.
In a few of the pottery examples, a bit more care had been taken to get the crossing lines all the way across and connected to the two parallel lines and in these examples there are some that show an interesting curve at either end of the crossing line, as they approach the parallel lines, making each of the crossing lines into an elongated 'S' shape. To me, the elongated 'S' pattern is indicative of a spiral. A spiral pattern is suggestive of twisted cordage, and the use of spirally wound fiber in basketry. So the pottery pattern could have come from basketry, but how do potential ropes help to explain the drawings of the VMs Zodiac, especially in the chevrons of VMs Pisces?
In separate investigations it has been shown that Egyptian art exhibits the use of ladder-like patterns. However iit is not clear what the use of this pattern may represent in the Egyptian interpretation. Even more interesting is the occurrence of a 'ladder and dot' pattern, where the center of the square between each rung of the ladder has been marked with a dot. This occurs only once in the VMs, to my knowledge, interesting to see where that is.
It still seems to me that the VMs tub patterns, where these ladder elements are located, are intended to create designs that are composed of alternating light and dark bands oriented in different directions. Historically it is clear that the use of such patterns based on alternating bands can be found in heraldic tradition. Other VMs tub patterns also match heraldic tradition. Doesn't this establish a meaningful method of communication between author and reader, providing the reader is cognizant of the symbols the illustrations are providing?
In the examples from the tub patterns, there seems to be an obvious intent to create a regular, alternating pattern of marked and unmarked bands. A variation of light and dark, in artistic terms, if you will, rather than all the same. This is the artistic technique of hatching, lines drawn to create shades of light and dark.
The hatching conundrum has long been a topic of discussion: the who, where and when particularly. I recently found a Wikipedia article on an artist known only as Master E. S., from monogrammed playing cards, etc. However the historical record of this artistic technique is problematic for VMs investigations that want to hold the VMs parchment dates and the VMs creation dates close together.
Either the VMs contains a very early use of hatching technique or, perhaps, it is something else. One suggestion in that regard was that the patterns were borrowed from pottery produced in Islamic Spain, that the pattern on the tubs came from albarelli. But I was left to do my own discovery, so you can see the potential flaws blossoming. However, what I found from examples was the use of a pattern with general similarities, but also with its own specific qualities. Various examples of pottery do have patterns of closely placed parallel lines drawn horizontally around the object, and repeatedly crossed by a series of shorter lines. In many examples, these lines appear to be quickly applied without particular concern that they connect with the parallel lines on either side. In the limited sample of objects I discovered, all representations of this pattern have the crossing lines oriented on the diagonal. This contrasts with the VMs Zodiac examples, which always have the crossing lines perpendicular to the longer, parallel lines.
In a few of the pottery examples, a bit more care had been taken to get the crossing lines all the way across and connected to the two parallel lines and in these examples there are some that show an interesting curve at either end of the crossing line, as they approach the parallel lines, making each of the crossing lines into an elongated 'S' shape. To me, the elongated 'S' pattern is indicative of a spiral. A spiral pattern is suggestive of twisted cordage, and the use of spirally wound fiber in basketry. So the pottery pattern could have come from basketry, but how do potential ropes help to explain the drawings of the VMs Zodiac, especially in the chevrons of VMs Pisces?
In separate investigations it has been shown that Egyptian art exhibits the use of ladder-like patterns. However iit is not clear what the use of this pattern may represent in the Egyptian interpretation. Even more interesting is the occurrence of a 'ladder and dot' pattern, where the center of the square between each rung of the ladder has been marked with a dot. This occurs only once in the VMs, to my knowledge, interesting to see where that is.
It still seems to me that the VMs tub patterns, where these ladder elements are located, are intended to create designs that are composed of alternating light and dark bands oriented in different directions. Historically it is clear that the use of such patterns based on alternating bands can be found in heraldic tradition. Other VMs tub patterns also match heraldic tradition. Doesn't this establish a meaningful method of communication between author and reader, providing the reader is cognizant of the symbols the illustrations are providing?