Sunday, January 31, 2016

Aneleda Falconbridge - Order of the Laurel - a.s. l



Project:Order of the Laurel for Aneleda Falconbridge
Words:Mistress Aildreda de Tamworthe & Master Lucien de Pontivy
Calligraphy:Lord Alexandre Saint Pierre
Illumination:Doña Camille des Jardins - Her gallery of the painting process
Paper:12" x 16" Parchment made by David de Rosier-Blanc
Script:Gothic
Pens:Goose feather quills for text & lines, Mitchell #3 for the musical notes.
Inks:Ian the Green's Iron Gall & Brazilwood.
Inspiration:14th Century Chansonnier, dit Chansonnier Cangé, f. 144v



This project started with a lot of back and forth between Camille, Lucien, Aildreda and me. We discussed various options to use for inspiration until finally deciding upon this page:



Inspiration decided upon, we continued discussing layout. Ultimately came to decisions on where Camille would place the laurel wreath and arms, as well as settling on the following dimensions:

Main text & Illumination area: 8x12"
Column width: ~3"
Illuminated "box": ~1x2.75"
Space to the left of the music/text columns: 1.5"
Total artwork & marginalia space: 10x14"

With a plan in place, I ordered parchment while Dreda and Lucien wrote the words. A couple weeks laster I went to work. Dreda and Lucien gave me instructions on how to match the first stanza with the music.





I started by figuring out the proper Ames Guide settings to fit the same number of lines of text as the original. Then I tested some of the text to ensure I could get it to fit in the narrow column widths.



Once confident the text would fit correctly, I lined the page with plummet & pencil.



Then, using a pointed quill, straightedge and Ian's Brazilwood ink, I added the staffs for the musical notation.



Then I started to add the text. I realized that the last line of text was not going to fit, so I used a period solution: I grabbed a smaller quill and wrote it in at a smaller size. This was totally unplanned, but resulted in a nice period touch.



I penned the remaining two verses, and then added marginal commentary to provide the required language of the scroll.



My part done, I handed it off to Camille for her to do her magic with brush & gold. This is the final result, see her gallery for the painting process.



Words

Jubilate Oriente
Matra Tigrum
To all here present today
Sing we now as one
Merrily loudly we say in many tongues
A joyful deed is done today
Sing we both all and some
And tell how with humble joy
Orient's own devoted voice
Makes for us a joyful noise
For she is rarely mum

Drawing notes from wood and string
By royal call
Joining voices in a ring
She leads both great and small
Countless Eastern voices sing
To fill a hall
Instigating anything
That will bring song to all
An armored host becomes a choir
Warriors' voices full of fire
Battle music now inspires
New singers to stand tall

Weaving ties with harp and pen
As we have seen
Draws together kings and men
To build what might have been
As we hear, so shall we ken
That nothing mean
Nor sundered, but that she mends
Hear then our King and Queen
Draw our court of Laurels near
And with heralds' voices clear
Call we Aneleda peer
This lady, wreathed in green

With these words We, Brennan Ri and Caoilfhionn Banri, induct Mistress Aneleda Falconbridge into Our Order of the Laurel, bestowing upon her these Arms by Letters Patent. Argent, a winged snail contourny vert and on a chief embattled sable three mullets of four points argent. All is done on the occasion of Our Market Day at Birka, on the feast day of the blessed and queenly Saint Bathildis, Anno Societatis 50.


Final Thoughts

I failed to really prepare this piece of parchment enough. The flesh side was a little ragged, and could have benefitted from some sanding and smoothing. I powered through it without enough thought about what Camille would have to deal with. Luckily, my Apprentice-Sister is awesome and was able to deal with the rough surface. That said, lesson learned, and I'll be more careful about preparing my parchment in the future.

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