Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Gradual
Spain, Castile, ca. 1500-1510
MS M.887 fol. 1r

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Virgin Mary: Miracle, Knight and Roses -- Virgin Mary, nimbed, is seated on throne with canopy, holding rose with left hand. With right hand, she supports nude Christ Child, rays as cross nimbus, standing on her right thigh. With right hand, He holds tether attached to leg of bird hovering above His hand; He holds other end of cord with left hand. He looks toward man, wearing crown of roses, with joined hands, sword at waist, beads of rosary hanging from left wrist, kneeling in left foreground, hat on floor before him. To right of throne looking toward Virgin Mary, stands soldier, wearing helmet, with sword at waist, extending distaff (?) with left hand.
Scene in room with barred (?) window and tile floor, enclosed in initial A, decorated with foliate ornament and surrounded by gold field decorated with roses.
Margins decorated with floreate border of roses.
Upper margin:
Birds
Left margin:
Bird; putti each holding rose in one hand and raising the other; angel displaying cloth on which are five bleeding wounds; peacock.
Right margin:
Putto, holding staff with right hand and with left hand, reins of hobby horse that he rides; angel displaying cloth on which are five bleeding wounds; owl grasping bird with claws.
Lower margin:
1) Man, wearing knotted headdress and short loincloth, raising broadaxe over head with both hands, looks toward winged serpent or dragon entwined around tree. At right, one of three putti, holding basket containing roses (?), backturned, looks over left shoulder toward the serpent (?). Of the other two putti, one raises right hand and looks over right shoulder toward the serpent (?) and the third putto, standing in doorway, extends both hands toward the basket.
2) Two angels flank and support heraldry of the Acuña family of Castile incorporating bleeding hands, heart and feet of Christ (Five Wounds of Christ, inscribed MISERERE MEI, in border decoration of leaves.
3) One of two putti, holding club with left hand, standing backturned at doorway, extends right arm to the other putto holding serpent (snake) by its tail. At right, dragon, wings outspread, standing upright, wraps tail around right ankle of man, wearing knotted headdress and short loincloth, shield hanging on left arm, looking toward the dragon, raising with both hands, scimitar behind his head.