Wordless Wednesday

 

Making Manuscripts

This video came across my Facebook feed. It touches on the process on how a manuscript was/is made: making parchment, quills, ink, calligraphy, gilding, and illumination.

Making Manuscripts - Getty Museum

Sources for Digitized Manuscripts and Books

from the BPL collection
a 15th. century (c. 1420) Missal

One of the best ways to study calligraphy is to view actual manuscripts. We can analyze hands (or variations) used at a particular time, try to work out tools used such as writing implements, inks, and pigments. Unless you have access to a library with an extensive collection of ancient and medieval manuscripts, this can be difficult. Many times, you need some sort of academic credential to gain access. Until now.

The Vatican has announced that it is digitizing thousands of its manuscripts and books from its collection. If you can't be there in person, viewing these sources is the next best thing.

You can read an article about the project from Open Culture

You can also explore what the Digital Vatican Library has to offer.

Other sites which have also digitized their collection of medieval manuscripts and books include:

Bodleian Library, Oxford University

The British Library Medieval Manuscripts Blog

The Book of Kells, Trinity College

Heidelberg University

The Saint John's Bible isn't a medieval manuscript, but it is the first, hand-commissioned Bible since the invention of the printing press. This project was headed by Donald Jackson and took over 10 years to complete.

If you are fortunate to live in Massachusetts and have a valid Massachusetts drivers licence, you can apply for a Boston Public Library card. The library card will gain you admittance to The Boston Public Library Rare Books and Manuscripts Department at the main library in Copley Square. Currently the department is undergoing extensive renovation and not expected to reopen until 2021. According to the BPL website many items from the department have been digitized and can be found at BPL Internet Archive  and Digital Commonwealth 

The Friday Five Good Things

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Three Medieval Manuscript Sacred Art workshops are being offered on Enders Island this year. I may have to move to the island

2. Happily we can eat at Five Guys and stick with the Keto plan. You get your hamburger as a lettuce wrap instead of bun.

3. Skyped with The Eldest and watched Worst Cooks 

4. The Eldest's town came through the tornado warning without damage.

5. Dinner out at the 99.

How was your week?

Merry Christmas To Me

When you're shopping for Christmas gifts do you ever pick up a little something for you? I do. Somewhere while trolling the Interwebs, I came across this book, Medieval Cats by Kathleen Walker-Meikle. What could be better for a person who loves cats and Medieval manuscripts? So Merry Christmas to me.

 The book, published by the British Library in 2011, must have been a limited edition as I had to buy a used copy from Amazon. Not to worry, the copy is in excellent condition.The pages are printed on glossy stock, and all of the manuscripts and illuminations are reproduced in color.

In honor of Ink, "A large black cat and a mouse, with a mouse and a weasel below, accompany a bestiary text on each animal. England. mid-to late 13th centrury. (BL, Harley 3244, F. 49V)"

Don't want to spring for a book, but still want to see Medieval manuscripts? The British Library has been digitizing manuscripts from their collection. Pop on over and you can peruse to your heart's content. The site is a happy, little time waster for serious procrastination or study.

The Friday Five Good Things

Photo taken on 10/16 on a rainy morning

Five things that happened this week.

1. Enjoying the new season (11th ) of Supernatural.  We missed some of the episodes from the previous season so thanks to Netflix are able to catch up.

2. Went to see the movie The Martian. Exciting story, very well done. We saw it in 3D though the effect wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be.

3. Plans were in the works to take my class on a field trip to the museum's Prints Department.

4. I thought this year's Fall foliage a bit dull. On Wednesday, the colors suddenly popped. Most of the trees in my yard are yellow and when the sun set, the whole yard was bathed in a beautiful golden light. Of course, I didn't have my camera ready and the light changed so quickly.

5. My class got to visit the Prints Department. I requested from the collection a 14th to 15th century Italian manuscript, a leaf from the  86th Psalm. It's so exciting to see hand done work up close. The curator even showed us the verso (left hand) side. And to show a modern use of lettering in artwork, we also got to see Worcester artist, Howard Johnson's One Day the Cannibals Raided the Cookie Jar Such a fun piece.

How was your week?

Sacred Art at St. Michael's Instute, Ender's Island, Mystic, CT

After arriving on Sunday, finding our rooms, and unpacking, our week began with a meet and greet in the livingroom of the main house. Our instructor was Valerie Weilmuenster and Sister E. would fill the role of spiritual advisor. The class was Advanced Manuscript Illumination and Gilding.

Our days were nicely paced giving us time to feed body, mind, and soul. We met for a buffet breakfast, and Mass was said each morning at 9 AM for those who wanted to participate. Our hands were blessed on the first morning. After Mass, class met in the spacious classroom. Valerie had gilded gorgeous name tags for us. We took our name tags and staked out our work stations.

Each morning, we met in a circle at the back of the classroom or outside in a gazebo because the weather was too beautiful to stay indoors. Sister E. led us in meditation. Our topics for the week were beauty and the Spirit that moves us.

In the advanced class, we would work on our own projects with help and guidance from Valerie. Mornings were spent reviewing topics from the beginning class. On the first morning, we mixed a basic paint pallette in red, green, and blue and then mixed a dark, basic pallette in the same colors. On Tuesday we took sheets of 23K, loose leaf, gold, gum arabic, and a little water and ground shell gold (paint) in a time consuming but oh so worth it tradition. Valerie also showed us her layout and design process as she approached a project.

The class broke at noon for a buffet lunch and resumed at 1:30 PM. We worked on our projects until 5 PM and ended class with a meditation circle. After a sumptuous dinner and dessert, we could go back to the classroom and work until late in the evening. I never made it past 8 PM. I was pretty much done in and in bed by 9:30.

On Friday, since one of our classmates had to leave early, morning meditation included a blessing with oil by Sister E.

The Magna Carta

I finally got a chance to see the Magna Carta on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

 On 15. June 1215, King John of England was forced to set his seal on the Magna Carta. The document is significant because it limited the king's power and made the king subject to the law just like everyone else. This document was also the inspiration for the United States Declaration of Independence.

 Sadly, photographs even without flash were not permitted. The lighting was quite dim so these old eyes couldn't really see the details of the writing. The document wasn't as elaborate as I thought it would be. It's not large, maybe a little larger than 14 in. x 17 in. The writing was neat, but small, and no large decorated initials.  Small and plain in size, but huge in it's significance.

The last day to see the exhibit at the MFA is 31. August. The document will be heading back to its home at the British Library. Next year, marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, but you don't have to travel to England to see it.  The British Library has an online exhibit, Magna Carta: Treasures in Full. You can see the document up close. Read it in Latin or an English translation, and see its place on a timeline.

A TARDIS Friday Five

Day Two of my Artist Retreat last week was spent at The Boston Public Library. This was an old haunt of mine when I was a student at Boston University when Adam was still in short leaves. Five things I did while at the BPL

1. I greeted the lions that are in the foyer of the old library (McKim building).The two lions that stand guard over the foyer were carved to honor Massachusetts Civil War dead. The lion to the right of the staircase, is called the Harvard lion as the Massachusetts regiment was mostly made up of young men who attended Harvard. The lion to the left of the staircase with one of his paws curved in, was dedicated to a Massachusetts regiment made up mostly of working class men from Irish descent. My family lore states that my great-uncle Manny, a stonecutter, worked on the lions. The lions look like they are carved from concrete, but they are carved from unfinished Sienna marble. Charles McKim, the architect, was heavy into symbolism. Since the young men who died left unfinished lives, the lions were not polished. Over the years, people have rubbed the tails of the lions for good luck and the oils from human hands has polished the marble.

2. At 11 am, I went on the free Art and Architecture tour of the old library (the new library was built during the 1970s). This was my third or fourth time on the tour, but by far the best. The docent, Miles, had a million back stories which I had never heard. Before the tour, I asked him if he knew where I could find info about Uncle Manny and he suggested the Louis Saint-Gaudens (sculptor of the lions) Museum in NH. He said they might have records of the sub-contractors Saint-Gaudens used. A good lead.

Don't Blink!

Enlightenment stands over the doorway to the main reading room.

Besides the lions, my favorite room on the tour contains the mural paintings of The Quest of the Holy Grail by Edwin Austin Abbey.

The masterpiece of this tour is the Triumph of Religion murals on the third floor painted by John Singer Sargent. I was so busy looking at the stunning murals I forgot to photograph them. (What a maroon!) You'll just have to be content with seeing  them at the link above.




3. The third floor also houses the Rare Books and Manuscripts room. Any library patron with a valid BPL card can visit the room and request to view the rare books and manuscripts during library hours. You don't need special academic credentials in order to see the books. The receptionist had me fill out a card, and then directed me to a coat room where I could hang my coat and put my bag in a locker. No bags, books, or pens are allowed. I was allowed to bring a pencil, a loose sheet of paper, and I was told I could photograph (without flash) the books to my heart's content. I was then directed to the Rare Books room. The librarian asked what book I wanted to look at, but since I had no clue what was in the collection, I asked him to pick something for me. Truthfully, I was going to be happy with anything he chose. It's not often that one gets a chance to view a manuscript up close and personal. He got me a wedge to support the book and a pair of white, cotton gloves.

Then he brought out a 15th. century (circa 1420, 30 years before Gutenberg invented the printing press) missal, a book that is used during the Catholic service and ritual.  According to some notes, the book was thought to have been made for a lady. The book had 150 pages done on vellum (calf skin) with 13 miniatures and heavily illuminated borders. Whoever commissioned the book had beaucoup de bucks as each page was lavishly decorated with real gold leaf.

The book was so beautiful, I almost cried. Each page was ornately painted in brilliant colors. Red and blue acanthus leaves, fruits like strawberries and pears, small blue flowers which I thought might be forget-me-nots, holly

As I was looking through the book, it occurred to me that I was looking at a medieval graphic novel. I was amused with the miniature of someone being laid to rest in a grave. I love the little Alas, poor Yorrick skull in the lower right corner at the feet of the mourners. Sometimes the artists painted the patron in the book as an homage. I thought perhaps the lady owner of the book might have been a widow. This miniature dedicated to the memory of a loved one. I only speculate this because the decorations in the illuminated "D" are heraldic in design.

Before I left the Rare Books room, the librarian emailed me a draft copy of the library's Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript collection. He said on my next visit, I can just ask for whatever call number I would like to see.

4. I traded in my electronic library card for an old-fashioned library card. I can still access the library from the comfort of my home, and will be able to use it on my next trip to the library.

5. After feasting my eyes, it was time to feast my stomach and rest my hurting feet. Though I had test driven my new girlie shoes before the trip, they caused problems with walking city blocks. Tea is served Wednesday through Friday from 2pm to 4pm at the Courtyard Restaurant in the library. So I treated myself.

All I had to do was order the kind of tea I wanted (Earl Grey, hot) and then the waitress brought an entire selection of tea sandwiches, assorted desserts, and a currant scone with fruit marmalade and Devonshire Double Cream.  The tea fare was absolutely delicious especially the Devonshire Cream, but I wish the waitress had let the tea steep a bit longer before pouring my first cup.  The first cup was tea colored, hot water and not Early Grey tea.

Tea would have been a lot more fun if there was someone to share it with. The ritual of tea isn't so much about the beverage or goodies, but is also about the company. Who wants to come to tea with me next time?

Lux in Arcana

One hundred original documents from the Vatican Secret Archives are now on display at the Capitoline Museum in Rome.  How cool to not only follow history through the documents, but to be able to see original manuscripts and the original writing? The exhibit will run through September 2012. You can browse the exhibit here

I gotta go find a dollar to buy a lottery ticket. Who wants to come to Rome with me?