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Scroll 17 — Middle Kingdom — Order of the Dragon’s Tooth
This is backlog scroll that I did. The recipient was not given a scroll at the time the award was given.
The scroll was inspired by a page from the Breviary of Marguerite de Bar, Lorraine c. 1302-04.
The recipient is a Laurel in 14th Century French research so I wanted to find a design that would have been of his period. This was just one of the many personalized touches I used in this scroll. The bridge scene commemorates the reason he was given the award. During the Pennsic War in 2003, he single-handedly held off the East Kingdom attack during the bridge battle. I’ve used charges from his device in the shields at the top of the scroll, the deer argent on a field gules and the caltrap sable on a field or. I have the Middle Kingdom livery colors in the diamonds at the bottom of the scroll.
I was very pleased with the end result. My gilding is much better in this scroll than any of the previous ones I’ve done. The calligraphy is better, with the lining and spacing a bit more uniform.
Scroll 18 — Middle Kingdom — Award of Arms
This scroll was inspired by a page in the Luttrell Psalter, England, diocese of Lincoln c. 1325-35. If you look closely, you’ll notice it is nearly the same as my Scroll #4 which was the same design. Scroll #4 was never given out due to some incorrect information and I always intended to do a new scroll in this design.
This time around I felt confident enough to include some more of the elements from the original, that I left out of my first attempt. I was able to include the grotesquery in the top left corner and some more of the bars with whitework.
I was much happier with the colors and layout on this version. I was also pleased with the calligraphy which seemed better than recent attempts.
Scroll 19 — Middle Kingdom — Award of Arms
This was an original drawing. I was going for a bar and ivy type design with a large gothic style illuminated letter. I find my whitework uninspiring and am not overly pleased with the overall appearance of this scroll.
I do think my calligraphy is coming along and again, I’m lining things a bit better so the writing is not squashed.
Scroll 20 — Middle Kingdom — Order of the Willow
This was a scroll done for a fellow house member of the Silken Petals. It was inspired by a page from the St. Omer Psalter, begun 1330-40 and said to be one of the last masterpieces of East Anglian illumination.
Fiona was being made a Companion of the Willow for her scribal work. I placed the Willow badge in the center of the gilded “P” and then alternated the badge with other scribal “items” — an inkpot and quill, a miniature of Fiona as a scribe working on a scroll (She really does own a dress and surcoat like the one I’ve painted), and two paint brushes crossed.
There was alot of gilding in this scroll and I’m quite pleased with how it turned out. I’m getting a much better handle on working with the patent gold. This was also my first attempt at diapering. It is a very time-consuming and eye-straining technique but I do like the end result of the checkered background. While my calligraphy is still improving, I do wish it had been better. Fiona does such beautiful work and I really wanted this scroll to be perfect.
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