(15-12-2016, 12:53 AM)Searcher Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.My intermediate conclusion:
1) unidentified things which nymphs hold in their hands likely must relate to each other;
2) they may have direct or abstract meaning; so:
... hence the cross in nymph's hands on the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. may mean a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..
Hi Searcher, I agree with you about the likeliness of relationship of these items and their abstract meanings, and the identification of the cross staff. I just realized that many of the objects can appear to have a common theme, one of measurement.
Spindles in the context of the fates measure lifetime. On another level the thread can indicate distance. On yet another level it can measure time in terms of how long it takes to fill the spindle, and/or an empty spindle can indicate very little time or distance. As it is a pointed object, it can also be used to indicate direction if need be, as I think might be the case in the MS, since generally they are not used in this manner, they usually hang straight down to be spun. Also there is the one with the red item around it, it is shaped like the symbol for ascending node, which may be an indication of nautical navigation. This one is on the page that I consider the first of the quire in its original form, which may inform the meaning of the rest of the occurrences of the spindle.
Calipers are used for measurement, outside calipers generally measure the widths or heights of 3d objects, but in the context of dividers on maps they can be used to measure distance in a drawing against a scale of measurement. If you put these ideas together, it may indicate distances across mountains, which would be farther and longer to traverse than shown on a map due to the 3d nature of the terrain involved.
Cross staffs are used to measure things far removed from oneself, or used to calculate distances. A line of sight is implied.
Water sticks are used to measure depth of tides, water levels of lakes and rivers, etc. It could be used metaphorically to indicate deeper depths that were measured by sounding lines. Or maybe it is a staff, as in walk softly and carry a big stick? Or a ceremonial staff held by a monarch, or a leveling staff or rod, which measures heights?
The rings, I don't know, I can't see how they would measure, except as a weight perhaps. But they could point out direction by aiming the gem. or it could be a measurement of wealth, indicating a kingdom or empire?
I think that's everything in terms of objects in the quire except the sickle/spoon thing. I don't think a sickle measures anything, but a spoon could measure volume, such as teaspoons or tablespoons do, larger spoons could measure cups or pints. metaphorically it could indicate lots of water, since it appears to be overflowing? In the context of measurement, could it be anything else?