#
# Identification:
#
#   * Title: "Virgo"
#   * Page: f72v2 = KG (Rene) = p141 (Stolfi)
#   * Folio: f72
#   * Panels: f72v2
#   * Bifolio: bK1 = f71+f72
#   * Quire: K (Rene) = XI (Beinecke)
#
#   This page is the central verso panel of an eight-panel fold-out.
#
#   D'Imperio figure 10, page 88 (center).
#
# Attributes:
#
#   * Language: ? (Currier)
#   * Hand: ? (Currier)
#   * Subsets: Z (Rene), zod (Stolfi)
#   * Subject: zodiac
#   * Colors: ??? (Reeds), blue(dress) (Rene)
#
# Description:
#
#   Six faint, mostly concentric, mechanically drawn circles delimit
#   three rings of text (units 程R1}, 程R2}, 程R3}, outside-in). The
#   outer ring crosses the fold into page f72v3, and runs under that
#   page's diagram, so the text is interrupted between 08:30 and
#   09:30. There are conspicuous gaps in the inner ring at 09:00
#   and in the middle ring at 09:30.
#
#   The two outermost circles are not exactly concentric, and the 
#   third one doesn't quite close on itself (at 06:30).
#
#   Inside the inner circle there is a standing woman (with salient
#   breasts). She is wearing a long pleated dress, dragging on the
#   floor, and a hat or hat-like hairdo resembling a shower cap. The
#   dress has a doubly-outlined collar and flaring sleeves ending with
#   toothed edges. With her right hand she is holding a star, by a
#   wire-like tail; there may be smudged detail to the right of the
#   tail, and just inder the right hand. Her left hand is empty and
#   half-stretched forward. At her feet is a tuft of grass, and
#   a flower with six round petals and a thick S-shaped stem.
#
#   Above the flower there is a word in thicker strokes (possibly
#   "septe~br" in Roman script, with the tilde over the "e"). Rene [07
#   Apr 1999] observes that the "p" is open, like on f116v.
#
#   Between the bands of text, there are two bands of naked figures
#   ("nymphs"), 12 in the inner one, 18 in the outer one. Most of them
#   are clearly female, but some (outer band at 10:30 and at 11:00,
#   inner band at 10:30) have undefined sex --- namely, no breasts and
#   almost straight hips, but also no genitals. The hairstyle varies;
#   some wear scalloped headbands which could be crownlets; three of
#   the "male" ones are wearing an "explorer's" hat.
#
#   The inner-ring nymph at 04:00 is smaller and is standing on a tub
#   with inch-thick walls and uneven edge.
#
#   Each nymph is holding or pointing to a star --- except for the
#   inner nymph at 00:30, who is just looking at the star, and the
#   inner nymph at 01:30, who has no star (or had her star erased).
#   Some stars have curved wire-like tails hanging from one of the
#   lower rays; none of these tails is used as a handle by the nymphs.
#
#   Some nymphs are holding the star with both hands; others have the
#   right hand on their lower back, waist, buttock, hip, thigh, or
#   belly; and some hold their right arm stretched back and down. The
#   inner nymph at 02:00 has the right hand on her left elbow; the one
#   at 00:30 has both hands clasped behind her back. The feet are
#   generally hidden behind the text ring, but sometimes visible.
#
#   There is a label just ahead (clockwise) of each nymph (units 程S1}
#   for the outer band, 程S2} for the inner band). Some of the labels
#   in the inner band (from 05:00 to 09:00) run over the next
#   (clockwise) nymph.
#
#   Rene [07 Apr 1999] observes that this folio is all curled up.
#
#   There is a folio number "???" at the top right corner.
#
#   The following table lists some attributes of the nymphs. The
#   "rays" column is the number of rays in each star; a "t" means the
#   star has a tail. The "hand" column gives the position of the right
#   hand; a hour figure measn that the right arm is hel more or less
#   straight, in that direction relative to the nymph.
#
#     band  label place hand  rays notes
#     ----- ----- ----- ----- ---- ----------------------
#     inner S2.1  10:15 star   8   no breasts
#     inner S2.2  11:30 ribs   8   
#     inner S2.3  00:30 07:00  7 t hands clasped behind
#     inner S2.4  01:15 belly  -   no star; no right arm; right foot half-raised
#     inner S2.5  02:00 elbow  8   feet visible; shallow breasts,hips
#     inner S2.6  03:00 waist  8   crownlet
#     inner S2.7  04:00 belly  7   smaller, standing in tub
#     inner S2.8  05:00 07:00  8   
#     inner S2.9  06:15 08:00  7   
#     inner S2.10 07:15 07:00  8   crownlet
#     inner S1.11 08:00 07:00  8   
#     inner S1.12 09:15 hip    8   
#                                  
#     outer S1.1  10:30 star   8 t no breasts; hat
#     outer S1.2  11:00 star   7   no breasts; hat
#     outer S1.3  11:45 back   8   
#     outer S1.4  00:30 butt   8 t 
#     outer S1.5  01:00 hip    9 t 
#     outer S1.6  01:45 butt   8 t 
#     outer S1.7  02:00 waist  8 t no breasts
#     outer S1.8  03:15 hip?   ? t shallow breasts
#     outer S1.9  03:45 back?  7   
#     outer S1.10 04:30 waist  9   
#     outer S1.11 05:00 07:30  8   crownlet
#     outer S1.12 05:30 belly  7 t  
#     outer S1.13 06:30 butt   7   crownlet 
#     outer S1.14 07:00 belly  9   
#     outer S1.15 07:30 back   7   crownlet
#     outer S1.16 08:00 hip    8   
#     outer S1.17 08:45 07:00  9?  erased ray?
#     outer S1.18 09:30 waist  7   
# 
# Comments:
#
#   The figure must represent the sign of Virgo, ??? to ???.
#
#   The gaps at 09:30 suggest the text should be read starting from there.
#
#   The way f72v3 overlaps f72v2 indicates that they were drawn in
#   that order.
#
#   The fact that the labels in the inner band sometimes overlap the
#   following (clockwise) nymph suggests that each label is associated
#   with the preceding one; but also that the label of each nymph was
#   written after the following nymph was already drawn. Presumably
#   all the drawings were done before all labels, or the nymphs were
#   drawn and labeled in counterclockwise order.
#
#   The fact that the inner nymph at 01:30 has no star, if it is not
#   an accident or erasure, suggests that the labels are associated
#   primarily with the nymphs and not with the stars.
#
#   Rene [27 Mar 1996] observes similarities between the zodiac
#   symbols in the VMs and those in a 1440 german manuscript [1]. Says
#   in particular that Virgo in that manuscript holds a flower and not
#   a star.
#
#   Adams Douglas [28 Mar 1996] thinks the star held by the
#   symbol-woman is Spica, the brightest star in Virgo, usually on the
#   her head or a sceptre.
#   Rene [31 Jan 1999] confirms this suggestion by reporting a 
#   medieval illustration of Virgo [3] where the woman is holding three
#   cornstalks ("Spica" is Latin for cornstalk) and a "kerykion"
#   or harald-staff (akin to the Latin "caduceus").  Robert 
#   Firth [1 Feb 1999] suggests that the latter may signify that the 
#   sign is heralding the arrival of Autumn. 
#
#
# References:
#
#   [1] Manuscript Palat. Lat. 1369.  Samples in [2].
#
#   [2] Fritz Saxl, book about astronomical and astrological images in
#   medieval manuscripts.
#
#   [3] Michael Scotus, "Liber introductorius" (Munich Latin Codex CLM 10268).
#   reproduced by [4].
#
#   [4] Franz Boll, "Sphaera", 1903.
#
# Last edited on 1999-04-21 09:02:36 by stolfi