Re: Zodiacal iconography

[Zandbergen@xxxxxxxxxxx (Rene Zandbergen)]

Rafal wrote:

> I have now looked at two books on Zodiacal iconography by
> Prof. Ewa Sniezynska-Stolot which were mentioned earlier.
> These books are:
> 
> 1. [...] Iconography of the signs of the Zodiac and
>    constellations in the Middle Ages
> 
> 2. [...] Iconography of the signs of
>    the Zodiac and constellations in Albumasar's manuscripts]

and...

> 3. [...]Iconography of the signs of the Zodiac and constellations
>    in the Munich manuscript of Abraham ibn Ezra]

[...]

> The first book is based on a survey of some 200 manuscripts
> from the 13th-15th c. (including one from the Beinecke Library
> - but not *the* one).

>From any particular set of libraries? Saxl used the Vatican
library and a few others (definitely Vienna but I don't recall
which other ones).

> There are lots of illustrations but... nothing is really
> similar to anything in the VMS. There are many unconventional
> images for the signs of the Zodiac so that those in the VMS
> look quite ordinary (almost "modern", I would say).

Any crossbowmen?

> I will now try to contact the author. Hopefully, she will
> be able to identify an area or "school" where the VMS images
> may have originated.

Whatever she has to say will be of great interest.

Of the two symbols on f1r recently addressed by John Stojko,
the first looks exactly like the old-style Aries symbol
(see the picture at Dennis' site:
  http://www2.micro-net.com/~ixohoxi/voy/astro1.gif
The MS in question is in Turin.)

The other one _could_ refer to Virgo (rotated over 90 deg)
but this is anything but convincing. 
I don't think these two are in the S&T article (I still need
to get a copy) but her opinion on these (especially the second
one) would also be very interesting.

I am also more than a little intrigued by the Albumasar and
Ibn Ezra MSs. 
Is she discussing Arabic or European copies?

Cheers, Rene