28-07-2017, 10:38 AM
(This post was last modified: 28-07-2017, 10:39 AM by Koen G.
Edit Reason: typo
)
Thanks, Marco! It is certainly valuable to extend the amount of examples in this thread. So it looks like the blob is usually Earth, at least in the clearest example (Harley). Would this be some wind-inspired representation as well? It seems like a common property is that there are four main points and four minor ones in between.
The asymmetry in the VM blob is indeed remarkable. I can't help but think that it is intentional to some extent, the one on the right really sticks out.
Maybe a better argument can be made based on the Rosettes lower left circle? This blob is literally in the middle of stars. If this represents the Earth, it would be somewhat anachronistic from a medieval (and earlier) point of view since they didn't imagine the Earth positioned in the middle of a field of stars. Rather the stars were on the outer sphere surrounding the Earth (like an onion). If we were to take the blob as a pole star, then it would make sense to have the other stars surround it.
Cresques' map features three pole stars, each on top (north) of a wind rose or diagram. There are plenty of references in the literature, but I haven't been able to find an explanation yet for why it takes this peculiar shape.
(By the way, wonderful that you found a decent sized image of the unretouched version).
The chart by Gabriel Vallseca (1447) also has the symbol for the north pole on top of the wind rose. Here it is a pattern of dots in the same shape, but with one in the middle as well.
The asymmetry in the VM blob is indeed remarkable. I can't help but think that it is intentional to some extent, the one on the right really sticks out.
Maybe a better argument can be made based on the Rosettes lower left circle? This blob is literally in the middle of stars. If this represents the Earth, it would be somewhat anachronistic from a medieval (and earlier) point of view since they didn't imagine the Earth positioned in the middle of a field of stars. Rather the stars were on the outer sphere surrounding the Earth (like an onion). If we were to take the blob as a pole star, then it would make sense to have the other stars surround it.
Cresques' map features three pole stars, each on top (north) of a wind rose or diagram. There are plenty of references in the literature, but I haven't been able to find an explanation yet for why it takes this peculiar shape.
(By the way, wonderful that you found a decent sized image of the unretouched version).
The chart by Gabriel Vallseca (1447) also has the symbol for the north pole on top of the wind rose. Here it is a pattern of dots in the same shape, but with one in the middle as well.