Friday, January 8, 2021

Silver Crescent - Lilias

 Order of the Silver Crescent scroll for Lilias de Cheryngton

Scroll text by Gun∂ormr Dengir, Ælia Fortunata and Jerome of Stridon; based on the Song of Songs: http://www.drbo.org/drl/chapter/24001.htm 

Calligraphy and Illumination by Æsa feillinn Jossursdottir; based on Manuscript Vat.lat.9490 f.25v - Vatican Library


Finished scroll




Original, open folio view




Burgundy acid free paper, Dr. Ph. Martin's Spectralite 18 carat gold ink, goauche, schminke water color






Latin text:

Quae est ista quae progreditur quasi aurora consurgens, pulchra ut luna lunata, electa ut sol, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata?
Actiones illia columnae marmoreae quae fundatae sunt super bases aureas. Opera eia ut Atlantis, Mundus Cognitus sustinens.
Ea flos Orientis, illa Lilias Cheryngtonis.
Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic Domina nostrae inter Tygrides.
Sicut turris Orientis vis eia, quae aedificata est cum propugnaculis; mille clypei pendant ex ea, omnis bellatores fortium.
Si murus est, aedificemus super eam lunae argenteae;
si cimeliarchium est, ponamus corona Orientis in cautione sua.
Servicium eiae quam signum in Nostro Cordibus, quam signum in Nostra Armis, quia fortis est ut mors Noster Amor eiae.

in illo tempore, cum illis verbis fecerunt, in primo anno Suus Maiestates Tindale et Alberice consulibus, inter nubes candentes, exaltaverunt Liliatem Cheryngtonis ad Ordinem Selenarium Argenteum suo, ut hoc signum gerat, In pale a crescent inverted argent and an Eastern crown Or; simul ut potentias et responsabilitates ordini utatur in saecula saeculorum, vivat.



English text:

Who is she that cometh forth as the morning rising,
fair as the crescent moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in array?
Her acts as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold.
Her labors like Atlas, supporting the known world
She is the flower of the East, this Lillias of Cheryngton.
As the lily among the thorns, so is our Lady among the Tygers
Her Strength is the tower of the East, which is built with bulwarks;
a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armor of valiant warriors.
If she be a wall: let us decorate it with inverted crescents of silver
If she be a treasury, let us place an Eastern Crown within her care
Her service is as a seal upon Our Hearts,
as a seal upon Our Arms,
for Our Love for her is as strong as death

It was in those times and with those words that their majesties Tindal and Alberic, in the year of their first Counsulship did, amidst clouds of light, elevate Lillias of Cheryngton to their order of their silver crescent, that she might bear the mark, In pale a crescent inverted argent and an Eastern crown Or, and exercise the powers and responsibilities of that order for ever and ever, vivat

Coronet - Symon






This piece for a friend was inspired by the coronet from this 13th C source: https://francais-et-chretiens.home.blog/2020/03/05/portrait-saint-louis-1. 

I wanted to keep the diamond and rectangle motif going while incorporating pieces of inspiration from some English illuminations. The rectangle vine motifs were taken from the De Brailes Book of Hours which are available online at the British Library - in particular the center part of the illumination on this page Add MS 49999 folio 1r. 

The finished piece is veg-tan leather, cut to size, and hand dyed black.  Silver plated mounting plates and glass diamond stones.  Motifs are hand painted with Liquitex acrylic paint and Neat-Lack matte spray sealed.  The closure on the back is a flinger loop braid some with a cashmere-wool blue thread.