14-02-2016, 08:34 PM
MarcoP,
Thanks for your continued efforts in this line of investigation, but I'd say you hit it out of the park on the first try and the albarelli example is an interesting, but distant second place. Nobody has a monopoly on circular patterns.
When I suggested to another investigator that the tub patterns on VMs Pisces, primarily the ones with with stripes, might correspond with the heraldic patterns of paly, bendy, barry and chevronny, I was definitively assured that these patterns were derived from earlier Iberian albarelli. Despite my requests, however, no examples were provided.
My own investigations did reveal certain elements fairly common in the decoration of Hispano-Islamic albarelli with general similarities to the striped patterns found in certain examples of the Pisces tub patterns. And an early Italian example also has a very basic striped pattern consisting of several horizontal lines that might pass for a representation of a barry. So I decided to look more closely.
The pattern on the albarelli is almost always based on a pair of horizontal lines that encircle the object. The space between the two lines is crossed (or nearly crossed) by a repeating sequence of short lines that also go all the way around. These crossing lines are always set on the diagonal. And in those few examples where a more detailed painting technique has been used, these diagonal crossing lines will have a small counter-directional curve at either end making a narrow, elongated 'S' shape.
In the VMs, the crossing lines are always perpendicular to the length of the stripe, not diagonal. If the VMs examples are representations of hatching lines, as Stolfi described them, then hatching lines may serve two purposes. They are either used artistically to create shadings of light and dark. Or they are used in heraldry as a tincture designation system (with a potentially problematic time line).
Do the albarelli designs represent either of these two uses for hatching lines? It would appear to me that they do not. The intent of the albarelli designs would seem to be the creation of a spiral pattern. It gives the impression of spiral, wound cordage that might have been found in basketry.
If the albarelli designs a examples of hatching lines, then a third category (spiral) needs to be add to the definition. Or if the VMs illustrations were intended to show spiraling stripes in the tub patterns, then diagonal crossing lines could have been used. Another example were pottery would seem to come up short and where heraldry provides a better explanation for what is seen in the VMs Zodiac illustrations.
.
Thanks for your continued efforts in this line of investigation, but I'd say you hit it out of the park on the first try and the albarelli example is an interesting, but distant second place. Nobody has a monopoly on circular patterns.
When I suggested to another investigator that the tub patterns on VMs Pisces, primarily the ones with with stripes, might correspond with the heraldic patterns of paly, bendy, barry and chevronny, I was definitively assured that these patterns were derived from earlier Iberian albarelli. Despite my requests, however, no examples were provided.
My own investigations did reveal certain elements fairly common in the decoration of Hispano-Islamic albarelli with general similarities to the striped patterns found in certain examples of the Pisces tub patterns. And an early Italian example also has a very basic striped pattern consisting of several horizontal lines that might pass for a representation of a barry. So I decided to look more closely.
The pattern on the albarelli is almost always based on a pair of horizontal lines that encircle the object. The space between the two lines is crossed (or nearly crossed) by a repeating sequence of short lines that also go all the way around. These crossing lines are always set on the diagonal. And in those few examples where a more detailed painting technique has been used, these diagonal crossing lines will have a small counter-directional curve at either end making a narrow, elongated 'S' shape.
In the VMs, the crossing lines are always perpendicular to the length of the stripe, not diagonal. If the VMs examples are representations of hatching lines, as Stolfi described them, then hatching lines may serve two purposes. They are either used artistically to create shadings of light and dark. Or they are used in heraldry as a tincture designation system (with a potentially problematic time line).
Do the albarelli designs represent either of these two uses for hatching lines? It would appear to me that they do not. The intent of the albarelli designs would seem to be the creation of a spiral pattern. It gives the impression of spiral, wound cordage that might have been found in basketry.
If the albarelli designs a examples of hatching lines, then a third category (spiral) needs to be add to the definition. Or if the VMs illustrations were intended to show spiraling stripes in the tub patterns, then diagonal crossing lines could have been used. Another example were pottery would seem to come up short and where heraldry provides a better explanation for what is seen in the VMs Zodiac illustrations.
.