medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Re: [M-R] FW: Essex reliquary: Long hair and spikenard?
Henk,
My typo, Zandlooper, as Dr. Bugslag indicates, is what he’s looking for...the one with the double o does seem to be in Belgium...
Judith
On 11/22/10 1:36 PM, "Henk" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
A ‘zandloper’ (lit. sandrunner) is an hourglass. So not an area in Belgium. The hourglass, according to Van der Linden, De Heiligen (the Saints), p 1074 is the attribute of Hieronymus of Bethlehem or of Philiipus Benitius. But in heraldry it stands for the passing of time, eternity, or death (especially when winged). This work has no hourglasses or other life-death symbols connected to St Monica.
Henk
Van: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Namens Dr Jim Bugslag
Verzonden: maandag 22 november 2010 18:43
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: Re: [M-R] FW: Essex reliquary: Long hair and spikenard?
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Genevra,
I had occasion recently to consider this question in terms of the monumental tomb brass of the twice-married Joan, Lady Cromwell (d.1479) in Holy Trinity Church, Tattershall. The brass was probably commissioned after her death, probably c.1490, and she is represented with long, flowing hair, uncovered but with a floral band around her head. After two marriages, I think we can be pretty sure that she was no longer a virgin, but I could not say whether some flattering allusion to that state was intended. The problem with such iconographic questions is that Emile Male was dead wrong when he wrote about medieval artists being constrained by iron-clad laws of representation. I'm currently trying to figure out, for example, why a mid-17th century image of St Monica would have her carrying two shields, one carrying the Name of Jesus, IHS, the other "een zandlooper", whatever that is (can any of our Dutch colleagues hazard a guess at that?). These do not appear to be "standard" attributes of St Monica.
Cheers,
Jim
On 22/11/2010 10:57 AM, Genevra Kornbluth wrote:
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture The issue is not one of verisimilitude, but one of iconographic significance. In western medieval art, long flowing hair (uncovered) normally identifies a saint as a virgin or penitent. Covered hair designates a married woman (whether to a regular man or to Christ). Hair styled in other ways-- in a bun, braids, etc.-- may well follow contemporary fashion. In any case, the conventions relating to hair are specific to particular times and places. A Bulgarian icon, especially one as late as the one in the link appears to be, follows the conventions of a different tradition.
The question about the Essex reliquary amulet would be, did long unbound and uncovered hair retain its medieval significance in this sixteenth-century work? Do specific images from the fifteenth or sixteenth century demonstrate a shift of meaning?
Best,
Genevra
On 11/22/2010 11:33 AM, Marjorie Greene wrote:
Here:
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_of_Constantinople
she's uncrowned, holding a big cross, but hair is not flowing (left) and crowned, flowing hair, holding a somewhat stylized cross (right).
I suspect that the hair thing has to do more with ladies' hair styles of the time of the creation of the image than with any attempt at verisimilitude.
MG
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