An illustrated lecture: The Calendar Pages of "Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry

 









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"Scroll" inspired by the Sutton Hoo Helmet and Franks Casket.

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  Knighting “Scroll” for Richard Rampant   Richard asked me to do a scroll to mark his knighting. His persona is pre-Christian Norse, and this always causes a problem, because prior to the conversion, there really is little in the way of Nordic written material.   Although runic lettering from the period exists, it is carved rather than written, on materials such as stone, wood or bone.   The use of parchment or other paper equivalents belongs to a later date, or to other cultures. Richard is head of household for Brighthelm, and this gave me inspiration for how to tackle the problem.   The “Bright Helm” that gives the household its name is based on the Sutton Hoo helmet.   I decided to create a scroll based on designs used on the helmet.   The helmet was, of course, found in an Anglo-Saxon context, but is either a Scandinavian import or evidence of a trans-boundary cultural style which is usually called the Vendel culture in Scandinavia, but wh...
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A special scroll

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My biggest privilege was to be able to produce the scroll for the elevation to the Order of the Laurel of my own wife, Mary verch Thomas.  Mary was given only two week's notice of this, and although it was pretty obvious who was going to do her scroll, I was told not to worry if it wasn't ready in time.  But I was determined that it would be!  Mary herself chose the white vine style, and once again the scroll was adapted from an original, with changes to the design to personalise it. Below is the original work on which Mary's scroll was based. a Neapolitan copy of Duns Scotus' "Quaestiones on the sentences of Peter Lonmbard" c 1483
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Scrolls in 2023

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Laurel for Marlein Eberlein.  This was a scroll I had promised to do for the recipient as and when she became a Laurel (recognised master in the field of Arts and Sciences in the SCA). That finally happened this year. It was inspired by 16th century "Citizen Portraits"... that is, portraits commissioned by well-to-do bourgeois, something that really only began to happen in this period.  Previously portraiture had mostly been the monopoly of royalty or nobility.  Such portraits often (though far from universally) feature the sitter's accomplishments or source of their wealth, and because the sitter will not be armigerous, any heraldry will be typically that of their trade guild.  In this case I featured the clothes Marlein has made (being worn by her), a sprang hairnet and some pottery, three arts in which she has distinguished herself.  As she often sells her produce, I have put her at a trade counter, implying a successful merchant. I used the symbol of the Lau...
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