Notes on Laurel scroll for Crystal of the Westermark

Scroll by Francois Thibault, 29 June to 14 Aug. 1998 (XXXIII). My fifth scroll, my first peerage scroll. Done because Crystal is my lady's apprentice-sister (she apprenticed to Dame Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke the night before being offered the Laurel, and chose to remain in fealty for service [Dame Siobhan is also a Pelican]).

Paper is Aquarelle Arches, 140 lb., hot press, acid-free.

Hand is French Gothic Batarde (as per Drogin), with a 3/4-mm Brause nib. Line spacing is a 4mm minim, plus 4mm each above and below. Capital is a 3mm nib.

Illumination

Vine border comes from many French C15 examples; e.g., Breviary of John the Fearless (Harvey MS 2897, folio 188b), seen on p. 61 of Backhouse, The Illuminated Manuscript (1979, Phaidon edition; no ISBN on my copy).

Historiated initial depicts Crystal's apprenticing. Crystal is in yellow, Siobhan in green, Cynthia (my lady) in red, Sir Geoffrey Matthias at his table in his tent (where Siobhan and hers had just served dinner for him and his). The scene was sketched for me by Dame Teleri Tawel, in the style of the Luttrell Psalter; I then copied it.

Border miniatures, clockwise from upper right:

• Marshmallow woman based on an illustration of making wafers, from an early C14 Flemish Psalter (Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Douce 6, f. 119r), reproduced on p. 76 of Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society, by Bridget Ann Hanisch, ISBN 0-271-00424-X. I changed the wafer to a marshmallow and gave her a mug of beer. This is because, the night of Crystal's apprenticing, Duchess Mistress Juanna told her, "If there's ever a Laurel given for marshmallows, you should get it." By request.
• St. Brigit's (sp?) Cross: St. Brigit is the patron of brewers. By request.
• Adam and Eve, from the Tres Riches Heures (fol. 25); changed The Apple to The Mug. Plate 25 (p. 93) of The Golden Age: Manuscript Painting at the Time of Jean, Duke of Berry, by Marcel Thomas, ISBN 0-8070-0924-2.
• A guy sitting in a barrel drinking beer: drawn originally; barrel based on the one in the lower left.
• Squirrel (?) with a trumpet: Saluces Hours (third quarter of C15, Savoy. Add. MS 27697, f. 19). Reproduced on front cover of Backhouse, Books of Hours, 0-7123-0052-X. Modified to have a prehensile tail for his mug.
• Cook straining the pots: Luttrell Psalter (Add. MS 42130, f. 207); see Backhouse 1979, p. 50. Added mug on little table. By request.
• Cook & cleric: British Museum MS. Reg. 10, E. iv. (rep. in Take a Thousand Eggs or More, vol. one, by Cindy Renfrow, ISBN 0-928598-1-8, p. 31). Suggested.
• Monk at barrel: Sloane 2435, f. 44V. Back cover (& p. 53) of The Medieval Cookbook, by Maggie Black.
• Boy pouring wine: Saluces Hours, The Marriage at Cana (Add. MS. 27697, f. 49), see p. 55 of Backhouse, Books of Hours.
• Weasel: based on the weasel in a C12 Latin bestiary (MS, Cambridge Univ. Lib. II.4.26 [2.6?], in the library since 1655); see p. 92 of the English translation by T.H. White, ISBN 0-486-24609-4. Added mug, of course. By request.

Heraldic achievements:

• Supporters: same source as weasel in border.
• Helm: well, she asked for a barrel helm...

Colors

• Gold leaf: 23 3/4 K XX deep gold, a patent leaf from Italy.
• Silver leaf: imitation, by Old English.
• Reds: Winsor & Newton Flame Red, lightened with Gran d'Ache White.
• Yellows: Gran d'Ache Golden, lightened with Gran d'Ache White.
• Green dress (Siobhan): Winsor & Newton Mistletoe Green, darkened with Winsor & Newton Primary Red, lightened with Gran d'Ache Golden (lots). Also used for laurel wreath, marshmallow woman's dress (lighter), green stripe on sleeve of wine boy, his hat, and some food ont he left of the table.
• Gran d'Ache Cobalt Blue used for Geoffrey Matthias's clothing, the MMW's headgear, the enticed cook's gown, and the wine boy's collar and tights; watered down for Luttrell cook's tunic and barrel monk's trim.
• 1:1 mix of Winsor & Newton Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna: dark woods (barrel rims, top of helm, table legs, firewood, fruit bowl, spoon, a plate), Crystal's hair (at her request, I actually matched this one to reality), Eve's hair (since Eve [woman giving beer] represents Crystal), animal furs, various shoes, and the cleric's clothes. Darkened with Burnt Umber, lightened with Burnt Sienna.
• Mix of Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna to Gran d'Ache Golden: 1:3 mix for lighter parts of monk's barrel, 1:5 mix for other barrels and mugs.
• Flesh tones are Winsor & Newton Flesh Tint (except for Cynthia's skin, which is lightened with about 1:1 Gran d'Ache White).
• Luttrell cook's beard is about 2:1 Gran d'Ache White to Winsor & Newton Burnt Umber.
• Mantling done with Gran d'Ache Violet.
• Frog and purple leaves are 1:1 Gran d'Ache Violet to Gran d'Ache White.
• Pottery is about 3:2 Winsor & Newton Flesh to Burnt Sienna (darkened with extra Burnt Sienna).
• Ironwork is Gran d'Ache Black.
• Straw cross is about 5:1 Gran d'Ache Golden to Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna.
• Luttrell cook's cuffs are Winsor & Newton Primary Red.