Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms fr. 1560, fol. 64v, mid-XIVth century | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 17-19):

Parchment, measure: 285x196mm, 3+131 fols (two fols contain a table of contents and one folio is not included in the numbering. It was done either by the rubricator or the scribe), two columns at 40 lines. Beginning of second folio: Si ne me plaing des elemens CXXII. Beginning of the fourth fol.: Vers une riviere m'adresce.

Scene depicted

Jealous husband beats his wife.

Miniature description

Size:

Column picture.

Height: 12 lines.

Material and colors:

Parchment

Red, blue, gray, brown, black, gold leaf

Initial:

Decorated foliate initial “L” on gilded background. Foliate in red with white ink detail. Stem in blue with white ink detail. Initial is pink with white ink detail. Extender from ‘L’ forms a border dividing both columns of the text and extending over the top and bottom of each column. Foliate extenders spring from the border in red, blue and gold.

Rubric:

Placed directly above image. Reads: “Coment le jalous bat sa fame”

Frame:

Gilded outer frame with red (left and right) and blue (top and bottom) inner border. White wavy pattern detail on inner red and white meander pattern on blue borders.

Background:

Diaper background. Diagonal grid. Alternating gold and red and blue lozenges. White ink detail in red and blue lozenges.

Detailed description

Allegories:

Jealous husband on the left

Wife on the right

Clothing:

1. Jealous husband:

Red floor length gown
Red chaperon
Grey hose
Black pouleines

2. Wife:

Blue gown belted at the waist
Grey hose
Black pouleines

Gestures:

Husband's right hand, holding a club, is raised over his head and ready to strike his wife. His left hand is grasping her hair. The wife is crouched on the ground; her arms and hands are outstretched as though she is pleading for her husband to stop.

Objects:

Club

“This weapon […] semiotically connects the husband with the allegorical figure of Dangier, who is usually depicted wielding a club at Amant” (Desmond, Marilynn.Ovid’s Art and the Wife of Bath. The Ethics of Erotic Violence. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2006: p. 95) (see fol. 27v)

Ex-libris

On the last fol. verso : Si Jo ponitur et han simul associatur / Et nes addatur, cui pertinet ita vocatur (XVth century).
Jacques de Croismare: Ce livre nommé le Rommant de la Rose, apartenoit a Jacques de Croismare, en son vivant conseillier du roy nostre sire en son grant conseil, et lieutenant general de Monseigneur le grant seneschal en Normandie, lequel trespassa le .. jour de janvier l'an de grace mil IIII c IIII xx et douze. Priez Dieu pour luy et pour son ame (XVth century).
Underneath an unidentified hand : Et en l'an mil cinq cens quarente, estant au dit Rouen, ce dit livre m'a esté donné liberallement par Nicolas de Croismare, filz du dessus dit maistre Jacques. Preudomme.
On first flyleaf, verso : Acheté par Claude Fauchet, conseiller second president pour le roi en sa cour des monnaies, l'an 1570. Fauchet adds: Les autheurs du Romans de la Rose sont nommés f. LXIX et LXX.
Preceding this note there is another brief one: Escript a Rouen ce lundi, troisieme jour de novembre. Le tout vostre en paiant.
Following the last line of the Roman: Explicit hoc totum, pro Christo da michi potum.