- Options
- Login
- Desktop Style
Options
Beinecke MS 404
- Beinecke MS 404
-
Beinecke MS 404
ReneZ > 13-06-2017, 02:17 PM
No this is not a typo.
During a workshop held at the Beinecke this week, several manuscripts in the collection are being explained to students.
One of these is the 'Rothschild Canticles', and its picture on the Beinecke facebook page immediately drew my attention.
It is this one: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Both (tiny) volumes have been fully digitised:
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. -
RE: Beinecke MS 404
VViews > 13-06-2017, 03:20 PM
Wow, amazing image!
A great parallel for the roundels we see in 57v and especially 86v4.
There seems to be a tradition in Jewish manuscript art of representing some of the figures with their back to the viewer,
This image has some too, incidentally also from a Rothschild collection, although the similarity is not as good as the image you posted:
Rotschild Mahzor, JTS MS 8892, Florence, 1490, f 395v
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
5Not sure if the direct link above will work, the image is accessible via the website only once you agree to some pretty drastic copyright rules and right clicks on the image are disabled)
I have no idea if there is any meaning or specific reason why these figures are represented from the back. -
RE: Beinecke MS 404
Anton > 13-06-2017, 04:00 PM
There's corresponding text in Latin (f97v). -
RE: Beinecke MS 404
MarcoP > 13-06-2017, 04:40 PM
(13-06-2017, 04:00 PM)Anton Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.There's corresponding text in Latin (f97v).
I cannot make out the exact relation between text and illustration. It seems to describe a mystic vision of God. The text mentions both the winds and the evangelists. I guess the four figures in the corners are more likely to represent the winds.
103v begins with a great statement about god-as-a-circle: "my center is everywhere, my circumference nowhere".
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
PS: the fountain of faces at 34r is also peculiar. -
RE: Beinecke MS 404
davidjackson > 13-06-2017, 06:23 PM
Quote:“God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere.”
It was a popular medieval ages saying that seems to be traced back to the fourth century You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., a Latin booklet of 24 commented definitions of God's essence.
I suppose the fountain is depicting the fountain of life with Christ at its head. But there are normally four flows (the four rivers). I suppose the fourth one is on the other side of the fountain and we can't see it. Could it be Mt Sinai in the background? But why? It could be Exodus, when God gave life giving water, but I can't see Moses being depicted in that way.
Got to go out now, but if someone wants to save me the trouble of having to read the book when I get home later tonight and gives me the answer, I shall be a Happy Bunny
-
RE: Beinecke MS 404
MarcoP > 14-06-2017, 09:31 AM
(13-06-2017, 06:23 PM)davidjackson Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Quote:“God is a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference nowhere.”
It was a popular medieval ages saying that seems to be traced back to the fourth century You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., a Latin booklet of 24 commented definitions of God's essence.
I suppose the fountain is depicting the fountain of life with Christ at its head. But there are normally four flows (the four rivers). I suppose the fourth one is on the other side of the fountain and we can't see it. Could it be Mt Sinai in the background? But why? It could be Exodus, when God gave life giving water, but I can't see Moses being depicted in that way.
Got to go out now, but if someone wants to save me the trouble of having to read the book when I get home later tonight and gives me the answer, I shall be a Happy Bunny
Hi David, I have checked f33v. The text starts with (a variant of) Song of Solomon 4,15:
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
It seems the mountain is Mount Lebanon. Clever illustration of the "living waters"
-
RE: Beinecke MS 404
davidjackson > 14-06-2017, 05:10 PM
The olive trees upon the mountain fooled me - I suppose they are meant to be cedars. Thank you for looking it up.
Ah yes - the "song of songs" - by far the most risqué part of the bible. Which gives some of the best pickup lines in history (from the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.):
- Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing.
- Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.
- you have stolen my heart, with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. (You capitalist swine, you)
Quote:He says:
to which she replies
Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;milk and honey are under your tongue.
The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.
You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.
Quote:Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.
Am I just a modern cynic or am I starting to understand why my grand-father used to become so engrossed when reading his bible?
But of course, the whole thing is supposed to be an allegory for the love Christ had for his Church, which was as his wife. - Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing.