The Fitzwilliam Museum, ms. 169, fol. 48v, 1301-1400

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Folio 48v

(According to Ernest Langlois the date is either the very end of the XIVth or the beginning of the XVth century)

Detailed manuscript information (based on The Fitzwilliam Museum and Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 150-151):

Parchment, measure: 329x233mm, 137 folios, two rubrics at 39 lines. Beginning of the second folio: De mon lit tantost me levay.

Scene depicted

False Seeming addresses the God of Love and his army from a pulpit.

Miniature description
Size:
329x233mm
Column miniature
Height: Approx. 11 lines
 
Material and colors:
Parchment
Gold leaf, blue, red, white, brown, green, black, grey
 
Initial:
Undecorated blue initial "S" above and undecorated red initial “B” below the miniature.
 
Rubric:
Ten lines above miniature reads: “Faussamblant parle.”
Five lines above miniature reads: “l'aucteur parle.”
Two lines above miniature reads: “Coment faussamblant preesche Davent le dieu d'amors et ses gens.”
 
Frame:
Miniature: Simple gold leaf exterior frame with red inner borders.
 
Background:
Background shows rudimentary atmospheric perspective. The scene takes place in a garden. The sky is blue, with white wavy lines indicating clouds or wind. There are several tropical trees (palm trees) as well as green grass.
 
Place of production of miniature:
France
Date of production of miniature:
1301-1400
 
Similarities with other images of the corpus:
The allegorie's position is similar in the following manuscripts : PML. Ms. 132, fol. 78r; BNF. Ms. fr. 380, fol. 73r; JPG. Ms.Lud XV 7, fol. 70r.
Other Allegories:  JPG. Ms.Lud XV 7, fol. 70r.

Secondary Sources:
Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, pp. 150-151.

Detailed description
Allegories:
God of Love and his army are on the right.
False Seeming is on the left.
 
Clothing and other features:
1. False Seeming
  • Brown monk’s habit with cowl
  • White alb with tight-fitting sleeves
2. Army member #1-Man seated at God of Love's feet
  • Red robe
  • Black girdle
  • White beard
  • Yellow chaperon
3. God of Love
  • White houppeland with high collar trimmed in gold
  • Light pink wings
  • Gold eschapins
  • Blonde hair
  • Gold leaf crown
4. Army member # 2-Woman
  • Red cotehardie with tight-fitting sleeves
  • Blonde curly hair
  • Blue reticulated headdress
5. Army member #3-Man
  • Blue houppeland  
6. Army member #4-Man
  • Green houppeland with high collar and pink girdle
  • Brown curly hair 
7. Army member #5-Man
  • Red chaperon
  • Pink houppeland with red girdle
  • Blonde hair
 
Gestures:
False Seeming addresses the God of Love and his army from a pulpit. His right hand is raised, finger pointing, indicating a gesture of speech; his left hand is raised, palm facing upwards. The God of Love is listening, arms crossed over his chest. His army is behind him. The only two figures of the army of the God of Love who do not seem to be listening are the woman in red and the man in blue beside her, who is holding onto her arm.

© Reproduction by Permission of the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

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