Any ideas about this detail? (Middle right rosette).

[MichelleL11]

I don't recall having seen any explanations for this. Has anyone ever seen anything like this elsewhere? 

. . . Conceptually, we can probably assume this scene takes place either in the sky or in the heavenly realm (or both). . . .They also used a special method of painting, applying curved dabs of blue paint, maybe suggestive of clouds?



There is also a strange detail of a couple of lines bottom left on the inner circle.

Hi, Koen:

Running with the Revelations theme, I would suggest Revelations 16 (verses 17-21).


17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake. 19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. 20Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found. 21 And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.…

The multitude of large blue circles in the "earthly" realm are a decent representation of hundred pound hail.  This, in my opinion, is the most convincing part because there are not that many ways you can represent hundred pound hail (with the artistic abilities of the VM illustrator) and there just aren't that many things these circles could conceivably represent.  Certainly not in Revelations . . . 

Continuing in the general area of this verse, the center shape might be the seventh bowl of wrath, seen from above.  Maybe something like this:

   

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.  Admittedly this bowl is Islamic and c.1200, so maybe we're stretching too much here -- but it is possible. 


And the detail on the lower left is the pouring of its contents into the air by the angel.  The two sets of curved lines would then represent the sinking of the mountains (away from the "heavenly" realm).  And the jagged stabby blue painting could be the heaving ground (seen from above) due to the great earthquake.

I think it is a bit problematic that it is relatively easy to get this stuff to fit.  But it could be because it is what is represented . . .  

Just wanted to provide this possibility -- but I am still very equivocal about the whole Revelations approach and need more time to alter my thoughts to be entirely convinced.  But there is a way to interpret this Rosette that may be you and Cary see as fitting in to your approach.