Re: VMs: Late Gallows

["Maurizio M. Gavioli" <mmg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 04:15 01-07-05, Dennis wrote:
>         In this manuscript of Jean Froissart's Chronicles one can see 
> gallows embellishments.
>
> http://www.bnf.fr/enluminures/manuscrits/aman1/i3_0024.htm
>
> They are cut off quite a bit on this image of the page, but if one can 
> look at a fuller image they are more gallows-like.
> [...]
>         Thus we have gallows embellishments at least as late as 
> 1380.  Most of the ones we have seen are in the 11-12th centuries.

Do you refer to the downward 'loops' from the ascenders in the first red 
line "Ly parle de la bataille..."?

This embellishments are quite common in the _littera bastarda_ 
(particularly for important mss like this one) and I am sure they can be 
found much later than that. They are, however, embellishments and are not 
part of the letter.

Stem prolongations and duplications, particularly in the first and last 
line of a page or column, have been used for centuries both as decoration 
and as a way to 'make a style'; chanceries were often fond of them and 
often tried to develop peculiar styles as a kind of mark of authenticity 
(like the minute decorations on today bank notes).

Just my 0.02 ?...

        Maurizio


 Maurizio M. Gavioli -  VistaMare  Software
 via San Bernardo 5, I-16030 Pieve Ligure, ITALY
 http://www.vistamaresoft.com/

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