Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Epithalamium
Italy, Milan, ca. 1450-1466
MS M.1148. Fol. 001r

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Scene, Secular: Marriage -- Eros, nude, blindfolded, winged, wearing bow and quiver with arrows, holds right hands of woman and man, wearing hat. At left, behind the woman is another woman, wearing headdress. Behind her are five men, wearing hats, and man, holding vessel in front of open portal, through which hands holding bowl are visible. At right are group of men, several wearing hats. Scene is in landscape setting, with flowers.
In upper margin is half-figure of Venus, amid rays, emerging from cloud, pouring flowers on scene below. Beside her is inscription VENUS.
In right margin Eros appears again, inscribed CUPIDO, winged, blindfolded, emitting rays, aiming bow and arrow toward initial O enclosing woman, left hand grasping arrow piercing her breast. Beside her is man, wearing hat, with arrow in breast, raising left hand.
In lower margin is escutcheon decorated with heraLdic design (quarterly six fesses dancette, alternatively white, red and orange and "cane sedente sotto il pino" (dog sitting under, and tied to, a pine tree).