[f72v3] [index] [f72v1]
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 n eight-panel fold-out.
Language: ? (Currier) Hand: ? (Currier) Subsets: Z (Rene), zod (Stolfi) Subject: zodiac Colors: ??? (Reeds), blue(dress) (Rene)
[To be checked and completed]
Six faint, mostly concentric, mechanically drawn circles delimit
three rings of text. 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 notable gaps on the
other two rings at about 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 woman (with breasts) standing,
wearing a long pleated dress with flaring sleeves, and a hat or
hat-like hairdo. With her right hand she is holding a star, by its tail;
the left hand is empty and half-stretched forward. At her feet there
is a tuft of grass and a daisy-like flower. Above the flower
is a word in a dark, different script (possibly "septe~br" 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 have undefined sex (no breasts but also
no genitals). The inner ring figure at 04:00 is smaller and is
standing on a tub or platform of some sort.
Each nymph is holding or pointing to a star, some by its tail ---
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. There is
a label under each star.
Rene [07 Apr 1999] observes that this folio is all curled up.
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. 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.
[1] Manuscript Palat. Lat. 1369. Samples in [2]. [2] Fritz Saxl, book about astronomical and astrological images in medieval manuscripts.
[f72v3] [index] [f72v1]