A couple of blanks for the pile

So I've been working on a few blanks in between my actual scrolls.  Sometimes the hand just needs to do something a smidgen different, so I picked these up when the folds of cloth I am painting on a miniature just weren't cooperating. 

These first two a G and an M, are from my Macclesfield book.  The penwork was much more enjoyable this time, as the flow from my new nibs are leaps and bounds better than the ones I was using.  Thanks Bridget!  

This G is plainly for ID, and it is from Codex Admontensis 646 folio 326, 3 recto  a document from the 13th century.  The gold as always doesn't scan well but it is quite shiny to look at.  It's embellished slightly more than mine is.  Also the blue is a much deeper more midnight than mine is.  I'll have to try to mix the midnight at a later date.

AS 47 Silver Guard

It feels like I've done a lot of Silver Guards recently.  Not that I mind of course, it's just something that stuck out to me. 

The source is Codex Campililiensis 184, folio 114 f 3 recto a 14th century initial.  It's small as far as my scrolls go, only a half an A4 size page.   I tried to be as true to the hand as I could and I managed better than normal.  I wrote with my new nibs, as provided by my Dark Mistress, and the difference in ink flow is amazing.  I've not quite worked out the sweet spot of this particular nib set but holy hell.  The only real issue I had is the yellow on the border is much too yellow, it should be creamy rather than that much more mustardy color.  I hesitated to fix it only because I was using the VERY thin perga that does not do well with any excess of water. 

Text:  (This is the first time that I have attempted a more period sounding text, with olde style spelling)

Ever since this Realme was created in the dayes of Albion, those who attain  mastery of sword and saber are rewarded by hand of the kynge and qweene. Paul the fyrste Kyng of Drachenwald, and Aryanhwy the firste his queene need honor one who's prowess has far surpassed his peers:  Egil Drakhufvud and so signed by owre hands this 23rd day of November in the year 47 we make him a member of owre Silver Guard.

Alessandra's Sun and Chalice

Posted this one on Facebook but I forgot to put up the process and documentation here on ze blog. 

I was told that the recipient did late period Italian and took it fairly seriously, so I squealed with joy and got out my book on the Borso D'Este Bible, which is one of the most intricate and detailed pieces that I've ever had the pleasure of working from. 

Now I had every intention of adding in the rose panel on the side, but when I wrote up my text I realized that I just could not make it fit in the space I had allotted myself if I had the rose, so I left it with just the award encircled in the vinework that is typical to this manuscript. 
The capital letters I took from other pages of this manuscript, making sure that I found one in each color that I favored in the scroll, for the sake of balance.
This was done with gold leaf, guache and drawing ink and written in a Gothic Bastarde hand.  I will note that I did not have the normal problems with the gold leaf in this piece as I usually do.  It could be that I was only guilding little dots, but, it still needs to be said.  

 

TEXT:

Insulae draconis, rising sun of Drachenwald, hear the words of your soverigns Clancy and Ursula prince and princess of the great island principality held during the reign of King Paul and the Queen Aryanhwy.

Upon the islands we, your pince and princess have in our power the right and sole privelege to reward the excellent example shown by our subjects in their support of the bright sun of our beloved principality but also to the kingdom of the black dragon.

Long have we heard tell of the great work of our Dutchess Alessandra Melusine and we do see it fit to reward a lifetime of service and do offer her entry in to the Order of the Sun and Chalice, partially for her long love of textile arts. 

As shown here, the badge of the order to be worn henceforth after this the (NUMBER) day of August here at Ffair Rhaglen.

Fardägn's Dragons Steele

The source is Codex Gottwicensis 30 fol 247f 134r , a book from the 9th century.

So I started this particular scroll with the idea in my head to work it precisely as the exemplar showed, in gold and silver.  I applied the gold leafing first, and that went on fine, but when I went to apply the silver leafing it all went to hell in a handbasket.  The silver stuck to EVERYTHING, even where I didn't have size.  When I went to gently scrape it from my writing space because the brush just would not remove it, I tore the perg.  I was almost crying with frustration. 

I restarted it the next day and decided to replace the silver with black, since period pieces tarnish fairly quickly and silver turns black.  I think it looks fairly cool.  I rather like how it ended up.

TEXT:
Sing praise and let it be known throughout the vastness of the realm that we Paul and Aryanwhy soverign by grace of God do send greetings to all nobles and gentles these present letters reading, hearing or seeing.

We pray and request, indeed we order and command, that you our dearest Lord Fardägn Skvaldre persevere, as you have begun, in obeying and carrying out the wishes of Drachenwald's King.

Ever since you were skilled enough to carry the arms we have given - Sable, in dexter chief a bull's head couped Or and issuant from sinister three wolf's teeth argent and we do grant you by these presents - full power and irrevocable authority,  which by your sword - we shall help you to accomplish.

It is true that the greatest joy and pleasure we can have is in the destruction of these our enemies which we have long against struggled.  And you deserve praise for the good start you have made with this in the skill of your sword and vanqishing of your own personal enemies.  So we decree and affirm that he shall henceforth be recognized as a member of our Order of the Dragon's Steel.

And that these decrees may be valid forever we have ordered this document to be confirmed by this the date 13 October in the year 47, and by the character of the Royal name, signed below.

AS 47: Crown Tournament scroll-2

This is a little scroll by my standards, halfpage size.  It s based upon the breviary of Marie de Gueldre the dutchess of Gueldre and Juliers folio number 19 where Marie is depicted as the Virgin mary surrounded by many of the happy flowers and thistles in the Utrechtian style.

In the manuscript the flowers are only blue and red, but I added the gold flowers as a way to harmoniously bring in the yellow of the panache and the yellow of the Kampfrou dress she is wearing.  While I realize this is slightly incorrect termanology for someone who makes Landsknect dresses, its the only word I could think of to describe the style. Facebook provided me with that portrait of the recipient in the dress she made herself when I went looking.   

AS 47 Crown Tourney Scroll-1

This scroll reads as follows:  Paul the First, by grace of god king of Drachenwald, bright son of Albion and likewise Aryanhwy I our queen to all unto whom these letters patent shall come, peace, love and greetings.  As we celebrate the naming of our heirs,we do joyfully invest this man Barobrand Hissgant as a Baron of the Court on account of the great fame his valor renown and prowess hath brought and of the virtures he has long shown. In accordance with his rank he may style himself a coronet which is best suited to his person so that all might see the esteem in which we hold him. This document validates by this the date 6 October of the year 47 and by the character of the royal name signed below.


Now this scroll was based on the Triumphant Return of Maximillian the First. Now there are two versions of this that I could find online one with wording and the other one blacked out.  I used the blacked out one because of its higher image quality as well as being able to zoom in on the image itself.   

Tudor Fun

So this particular scroll was for the wonderful Insulae Draconis.  I sorta like the Principality awards, mostly because they're new and different and I generally get to play about like a schoolchild when I do them.  This one was particularly fun.  I don't think i have ever painted so many shields with arms upon them.  In order:  Drachenwald, Insulae Draconis, Harpelstane, Ffraid and then space was left for the Arms of the Recipient. 

 The source was mostly from the University of Oxford, MS Top Glouc D 2 Folio 15 Recto.  It was delightful to find that when I couldn't find the source agin using google fu, that it was convieniently blazoned across the top of the images.   I used the other image for some of the background imagery.

Backlog PCS's

So I just completed a Pair of PCS's from Padraig and Elsa's reign in 1995.  It was requested when it was given to me that they be in matching styles or even entirely matching if possible. 

So I went to my trusty source the Balliol College library  Where I found MS 238 E named  Fons memorabilium uniuersi which was made for William Gray Bishop of Ely by Domenico Bandini in 1444-1448.  Folio 146 verso which has the initial letter cut out.  Figuring it could be whatever letter I wanted in that case I used the flowers in the  center for the ascender and descender on the Initial and made the initial itself a P.

They read as follows:  All things change, as winter's ice receeds from the shores of Drachenwald so then do the tides of the ocean take back those it has brought to us.It is customary when people leave the shores of the black dragons domain, that they be remembered in the hearts of their friends.  From this need was borne the Popular Company of Sojurners.

It is with heavy hearts that we Padraig and Elsa king by right of arms and beautiful queen of Drachenwald bid farewell to our friend Vega Seda/Corbett Seda.  So that he never forgets his time with us we induct him into our Sojurners.  Done by our hands this the ninth day of April Anno Societatis thirty nine at this the feast of fools. 

Oh ye Old scrolls.

This was a post I found in my scanners files, that was not actually a part of any of the Older posts. 
It is from the Sforza hours ~1460 (which is one of my favorite books of hours), done for Thorvaldr and Fiona's reign in AS 44. 

Looking at it I can definitely say that my Gothic writing hand has steadied and improved a great deal.  My letters and words were Enormous.  I bet I could fit twice to thee times the amount of writing in that space now. 

Works in Progress.

 Book of Lous of Orleans f. 31 r The Adoration of the Magi

Sforza Hours

Skulls and Snakes.Office of the Dead, British Library ADD MS 50002 Fol 89

Random bit of Rare Green Trompe Lóeil.  My green however does not pass muster as far as even application of paint is concerned.  I might need a tip or three as to how to fix it without ruining it.  MS DOUCE 219-20 Fol 85

Dragon's Jewels

So, in having a conversation with my kid, he asked me if because he didn't get a scroll with his Dragon's Jewel if it didn't count.  Something about the whole conversation just made me sad, so I decided to make a few teeny tiny dragon's jewel scroll blanks to give to TRM at Crown.  Theses are 2 of the 3 that I made, the other one I will post when its done, maybe tomorrow. 
Lets see, Hours of Catherine of Cleves for both of them, guache and drawing ink.  Maybe one day my Y's will come out looking nice.  I really hate the letter Y.

Parchment, Perga and Paper

I find myself with an odd conundrum.  I sit here at my desk with a roll of vellum on the shelf above me, and pristinely cut pergamenata beside the desk in a folder.  However sometimes I am struck with the desire to work, not on any of these but on paper.  Every once in a while I do so.
So these past weeks I have taken out my coldpress paper and made two blanks and one scroll on the coldpress paper.  I didn't have to worry about my hand pressing to the paper, or my ink beading up, or my paint not taking to the surface.  I didn't have to pounce or erase anything to get my writing space properly prepared.

Vellum is delightful, but not for the everyday project.
Pergamenata looks beautiful when done, but is somewhat of a pain to work with. My general preference is to work with this, however because I Like it.
Coldpress paper looks adequate but it's easy and strugglefree (unless you make a mistake)
But the bleached white perg doesn't look that different than the paper, it feels different, but looks wise...Yeah.

I have it on the back of my brain to make my own rag paper and use that because that is perfectly period and it would be a delightful experiament.

So.  What are your thoughts on using paper? I am curious.

AS 47 Chapter 3

This is a scroll based on the Gosforth cross, an anglo saxon cross in St. Marys Churchyard in Gosforth Cumbria England.  It is dated to about 920, and tells the tale of Norse gods, including imagery of Loki, Sigyn. Heimdahllr, Thor, and Víðarr carved from red sandstone.   I replaced the tales of the Gods, with imagery from the tales told me of Viscount Eirik.

I fought with it for a long time, trying to figure out if I should leave it in black and white or if I should put color in it.  I know that a lot of viking carved edifaces had color in them, were enamelled or painted brightly.  If anything I think that the color only in the Dragon's Steel Mark at the top, just makes it artistically stronger.  

The text was written in the lyric style of Beowulf, in stanzas.  Which made it seem all the more appropriate when I heard it was given on the field.  That made me smile.  

The words are as follows:


Children of the black dragon in days long past
the kings who ruled them
Had courage and greatness
set in stone since the days of the Mighty Albion
Now ruled by Paul the Mighty and Aryanhwy the learned.
A son was born in the far north of the lands held by paul
in a place called Nordmark.
A famous son that the Almighty had made renowned
Eirik Harfager was his name known throught the north
and all through the lands of the dragon
The fortunes of war favored this northern son
and far and wide the tale of the lionhearteds sword grew

As dawn brightened and day lit the halls of Paul
The clear song of the poet
Rang out over the din, in the song of Eirik. 
Highborn and noble king ordered that boat fly
like a bird over the waves and bring Eirik before him
With shield gilttering and sword fresh off the stone he stood
summoned int he lofty halls of the king of glory
With summers gold upon his brow
And this spoke the king unto Eirik

" Now my dear son
I do honor your achievements and lavish reward upon you
I make your name immortal within the ranks of the Mighty Dragons Steele
This sigil you must add to your shield
to show all that I grant honor unto you
The black dragon upon the blood red pines
With golden sky above and below
Above this a stripe of red
bearing upon it a pure white sword"

And raising his cup in his own salute
As mead flowed in the honor of Eirik.

More blanks!

A Nightingale out of a Dutch Bestiary.  The most beautiful singer in the animal kingdom. 

 Welsh gramatical texts from the 1500's found at Oxford Jesus College, MS 15.  I thought them beautiful in their simplicity.    This one and the one below it can be found here  http://image.ox.ac.uk/show?collection=jesus&manuscript=ms15

A book of kells-esque bird creature.  I love knot work and the knot animals, but its so intricate and such a pain that I usually only do one or two per year. 

AS 47 Chapter 2

This is a Lindquistringes for Richard Rampant.  I wanted to do something unique for him to hang, and I decided I would fall back on the patterns that made me fall in love with this sort of work.  The simple elegant geometrics of persian and Indian manuscrips.  I love them. 

This is based on the Safavid Manuscripts Khamsa of Nizami attributed to Mirza'Ali, from 16th century Iran. Specifically plate 26 fol 77 Verso, Barbad playing music to Khusraw,  Originally comissioned in the late 1100's and copied/added to in ~1540. 

There is a tiny scorpion hidden in the flowering grass between the signature boxes, an indication of his heraldry.  

The text was translated by my friend Silvein Morgan into Arabic, which I did my best to reproduce exactly.   
 

"We, Paul and Arianwe, King and Queen of the Kingdom of Drachenwald
and sole sovereigns of all the lands east of the sea, give all who
hear these presents greetings.  You know all which we have heard of
the faithful services which the subject of these good tidings, our
most beloved servant Richard, has undertaken before us and before our
Kingdom, and which he may do in future for us and our lawful heirs.
We have taken in our hearts to reward our beloved servant and in
accordance with these words we take and appoint the aforementioned to
the "Orden des Lindquistringes" to be a companion thereof and to enjoy
the same rights, distinguishments, duties, and responsibilities which
the other companions of our order enjoy and bear, to do so without
claim or impeachment by any person forevermore.  This we have done
before those gathered here to witness on 21 June in the year 47 of the
society."

Missing pieces!

I was going search through my old work, trying to find a reference for something that I KNEW that I had....and I came across FOUR scrolls that are not in the gallery of fun.  I will document them at a later date, but here are the photos for your amusement..  

Writ of Intent - Pensic

I was asked to write the Writ of Intent for Drachenwald to ally with AEthelmearc this Pennsic.  It was truly an honor to be asked and quite a challenge to write. The Cadels across the top were the most fun to do.

Oh my...

Soo....I came across a folder of ancient history.  And among pictures of me in my very first girl scout troop and photos of an infantile Saraswati I discovered a cache of old scrolls. 

I should like to offer them as burned offering to Tittivillus...I like pieces of all of them, but none of them are worthy of being given out.  Without further ado....Ancient works for the Midrealm..