RE: Some Voynichy crowns
R. Sale > 20-04-2026, 07:49 PM
The distinctive feature of the Eastern crown is the presence of relatively large triangular points rising up from the headband. These same triangular points, rather than the fleur-de-lis, crosses, or that ubiquitous three-leaf clover, borrowed from a cross botany, are what is found in the VMs representations.
The upper parts of a crown, where there are arches, a cross, and/or other decoration, are indicators of imperial *status*, but they carry little significance for national or historical identification. Various European empires used arched crowns, and in religion as well.
The image in Morgan M.853 is interesting because its provenance is so precise - and because it's dating coincides with the start of the VMs chronology.
The VMs artist either independently invented an Eastern crown clone or was in some other way acquainted with the particular structure of triangular points. This indicates the artist would need to have been a person whose knowledge spanned the distance from "Oresme's cosmos" in Paris to the Eastern crown of Corpus Christi in Vienna - a broad spectrum of experience to which more can be added.
The nymphs of the VMs Zodiac sequence may appear generic as a group, but the artist has taken the liberty to transform a few of them into historical and literary caricatures. Here the crowns provide identification from the artist's point of view, but not yet clear from the modern perspective.
The cosmic and zodiac sections are all the work of 'Hand 4'. The illustrations and the text of these sections needs to be given special consideration.