Bibliothèque nationale de France Ms fr. 12595, fol. 63v, XVth century | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 48-49):

Parchment, measure: 325x231mm, 200 fols numbered by a rubricator, at two columns, 37 lines. Beginning of second folio: D'un aiguillier mignot et gent. Binding with Napoleon's coat of arms. The Roman appears on folios 1-157r, followed by the Testament on fols 158r-167v. Fol. 168 is left blank followed by the Sept articles de la foi on fols 169r-200r and the Codicille on fol. 200r-v.

Scene depicted

Jealous husband scolds his wife.

Miniature description

Size:

Column picture.

Height: 12 lines.

Material and colors:

Parchment

Blue, black, red, green, gold leaf

Initial:

Pen-flourished initial “P” (2 lines). Located below the miniature and rubric. Initial in blue with red ink background detail.

Frame:

Gilded outer frame with blue/white bar inner border. Gilded foliate extends from both the right and left sides of the frame, with starburst detail.

Background:

Diaper pattern background. Both square grid (black ink) and diagonal grid (white ink) painted over pink background with red and white details.

Place of production of miniature:

Paris (?), France

Date of production of miniature:

15th century

Detailed description

Allegories:

Wife on left

Jealous husband on right

Clothing:

1. Wife:

Blue floor length gown
Brown hood

2. Jealous husband:

Light brown skullcap over dark green hood
Dark green kirtle
Black girdle with Black gipser and knife attached
Red fur lined houppeland
Black boots

Gestures:

Wife’s arms are crossed

Jealous husband points at wife

“the husband stands facing his wife and holds his hands in a set of speaking gestures that visualize the aggressive thrust of his words” (Desmond, Marilynn.Ovid’s Art and the Wife of Bath. The Ethics of Erotic Violence. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2006: pp. 87-9)

Objects:

Knife attached to girdle

Landscape:

Illusionistic grass ground

Ex-libris

On last flyleaf: Ce livre est au duc de Berry. Jehan
Following the Roman, several ex-libris have been erased and are illegible.