Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Farnese Hours
Italy, Rome, 1546
M.69, fol. 103r

See more information »

Miniature:
Moses: Serpent of Brass -- At upper left, seven men and women, and one child, two extend arms toward, and gaze up at serpent, mouth open, entwined around cross. At base of the cross, is jumble of bodies of men, women, and one child, entwined with snakes, some grasping the snakes, one raising arms, one raising head, mouth open, one or two possibly dead. Snakes, mouths open, fall from sky. Moses not present.
Scene in bare landscape. At lower edge of miniature is plaque inscribed ET OS MEVM ANVTIABIT LAVDEM TVAM.
Upper margin:
Scene, Sacrificial -- In square cameo, altar on which is animal, possibly lamb, amid flames, flanked by three figures, one raising arm over the altar. Cameo in frame flanked by two figures, winged, armless, wearing helmets, and by two panels in which are putti, two grasping drapery entwined in spiral at each side.
Left margin:
Back-turned nude man, standing with left foot on top of and right foot in mouth of animal head, on pedestal of sculptural scroll decorated with winged head of horse, grasping garland in mouth, and with mask.
Right margin:
Man, wearing short loincloth, holding drapery at his back, standing on head of animal, on pedestal of sculptural scroll decorated with winged head of horse, grasping garland in mouth, and with mask.
Lower margin:
Christ: Resurrection -- In square cameo, angel, right arm extended, holding bannered staff with left hand, with drapery flowing from his shoulders, and wearing short loincloth, stands atop closed sarcophagus flanked by four soldiers, asleep, leaning on the sarcophagus. Cameo is enclosed by frame flanked by putti, two astride hybrid horse with serpent-like hindquarters, two putti wrestling (?), two embracing (?).