Herbarium Vivum, 16th Century

This 16^th century fascinating herbarium is a compilation of wild flowers, plants, ferns, horsetails, crops, etc. It has two particularities that strongly impressed me first time I saw it. First, flowers and leaves are in their original condition, but those that were partially preserved, have been completed by hand painting –even their specific biotope!- A hard and very detailed work. Second thing that makes this manuscript a treasure… Well, we can see the first specimens of tomato and tobacco plants that were imported from America to Europe!

This herbarium was done by Jerome (Hieronymus) Harder (born in 1523 in Meersburg, Germany and buried on April 27th 1607 in Ulm). Jerome was a German botanist and Latin schoolmaster. Besides his teaching activities, Harder dealt with botany and collected plants for 12 herbariums -nowadays stored in Heidelberg, Munich, Rome (Vatican Library), Salzburg, Ulm, Vienna, Linz, Überlingen, Zurich and Lindau-. Link to wikipedia Hieronymus biography (poor) is here.

Book of the Knight (Epitre d’Othea), 15th Century

This manuscript could be something like a guideline for young knights during 15th Century. Contains instructions and best practices for young knights with spiritual and moral poems. The codex contains around 100 chapters, each consisting of extreme lavish and detailed illustrations and verse texts. Original title for this codex is “Epître d’Othea”, by Christine de Pisan, a Venetian-born woman of the medieval era who strongly challenged misogyny and stereotypes prevalent in the male-dominated medieval culture. As a poet, she was well known and highly regarded in her own day. A brave woman. She composed around 41 pieces during her 30 year career (1399–1429).

Christine de Pizan (also seen as de Pisan) (1363 – c. 1430)

Christine de Pisan was a surprise for me, never heard about her. Wikipedia has a brief biography here. I discovered during my investigation that her most successful literary works are The Book of the City of Ladies and The Book of the three virtues. City of Ladies is my personal target for another post because serves as her response to Jean de Meun's The Romance of the Rose -another delightful codex-: Christine combats Meun's misogynist beliefs by creating an allegorical city of ladies. She defends women by collecting a wide array of famous females throughout history. These women are "housed" in the City of Ladies, which is actually Christine's book. As Christine builds her city, she uses each famous woman as a building block for not only the walls and houses of the city, but also as building blocks for her defense of female rights.

The codex is decorated with about a hundred masterful miniatures. One of these contains the dedication of the work and shows four figures, identifiable as Philip the Good, Charles the Brave, and the two noble bastards David and Anton of Burgundy. I attach some high-res samples below,

Books of Hours (continued) "Horae Beatae Mariae Virginis cum calendario", 14th Century

Title for this jewel is HORAE BEATAE MARIAE VIRGINIS CUM CALENDARIO. It's written in bold gothic letters, long lines, 15 to a full page. It has a complete french callendar in blue, red and gold letters with “Les Quinze joyes de Nre Dame”. Every page of this codex has a lateral border of rich decoration in floreate scrolls and natural flower and fruits and numerous fine illuminated ornamental initials, a total of 12 full page finely painted and richly illuminated arched miniatures surrounded by borders of elaborate floreate decoration and 7 smalls of Saints.

Subjets of large miniatures comprise: S. John in Patmos, The Annunciation, The Visitation (Mary and Elizabeth), The Nativity, The Angels appearing to the Shepherds, Presentation in the Temple, Flight into Egypt, David Praying, Pentecost, Burial Service, the Trinity, Archangel Michael Slay, The Dragon, John the Baptist carrying Lamb and Flag, St Anthony preaching to the Beasts, Mary Magdalene reading, etc.