4 ms·

Two Intricate Calligraphy Pages from a 16-Century Manuscript Have Been Decoded

70 points by ohjeez 8y ago

gus_massa 8y ago
I don't understand why this hasn't been translated before. Is it just too much work and nobody volunteer to do it?
- theoh 8y ago
  It's a bit like an embroidered sampler: the content is filler, or at least isn't factually significant/important so there probably hasn't been any reason to look closely. I'm not sure about this kind of document per se, but in general I think only a small fraction of documents in archives actually get processed in detail (translation, transcribing).
  - athenot 8y ago
    This was commissioned for an emperor and contains parts of the Liturgy of the Hours: prayers that Catholic religious do throughout the day. But it's not uncommon for lay people to partake in those, either doing the full version or some abridged version. It's not impossible to imagine the emperor wanting his fancy version of this (whether to earnestly pray along or just to appear pious, we can't know).
    - theoh 8y ago
      I think it's safe to assume that the knotted/maze pattern script (for example) was not intended to be consumed as text.
Zaheer 8y ago
Really impressive work! For folks that like this sort of thing: A modern 'calligrapher' I randomly came across on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joey_bearbower/ https://www.instagram.com/joey_bearbower/ Calligraphy is also huge in Islam and there's tons of beautiful Arabic calligraphy: https://www.pinterest.com/salmaaslams7/islamic-calligraphy/?lp=true https://www.pinterest.com/salmaaslams7/islamic-calligraphy/?...
- yesenadam 8y ago
  I've enjoyed an amazing book of calligraphic art for many years, The Painted Word. Beautiful and colourful designs, some of which also incorporate (how to describe?!) paper carving/cutting. http://davewood.com.au/books/view/the-painted-word http://davewood.com.au/books/view/the-painted-word
- coldcode 8y ago
  Even doing such diamond with modern software can be some work to make it look as perfect; imagine doing it with a pen and a pot of ink. Make one error and you start over.
Isamu 8y ago
Those are some magnificent high-resolution manuscript images that the Getty is making available for fair use. >This image is available for download, without charge, under the Getty's Open Content Program. http://www.getty.edu/about/whatwedo/opencontent.html http://www.getty.edu/about/whatwedo/opencontent.html >Fair Use Open content images can be used for any purpose without first seeking permission from the Getty. Images of many other works in the collections are also on our website in varying formats. The Getty supports fair use of copyrighted material when the applicable legal criteria are met. For more information on use of digital images of works in the Getty's collections, please refer to the Getty's Terms of Use. Attribution to the Getty Please use the following source credit when reproducing an Open Content image: >Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.
rurban 8y ago
The author Georg Bocskay wouldn't have liked his name being translated to Georg Boschkay at all. He is Hungarian and already lost all his accents in the first transcription, being named Bochkai in the German/Latin version. Augustus of Austria et al should be translated as King or Emperor of

70 points by ohjeez 8y ago

gus_massa 8y ago

I don't understand why this hasn't been translated before. Is it just too much work and nobody volunteer to do it?

theoh 8y ago
It's a bit like an embroidered sampler: the content is filler, or at least isn't factually significant/important so there probably hasn't been any reason to look closely. I'm not sure about this kind of document per se, but in general I think only a small fraction of documents in archives actually get processed in detail (translation, transcribing).
- athenot 8y ago
  This was commissioned for an emperor and contains parts of the Liturgy of the Hours: prayers that Catholic religious do throughout the day. But it's not uncommon for lay people to partake in those, either doing the full version or some abridged version. It's not impossible to imagine the emperor wanting his fancy version of this (whether to earnestly pray along or just to appear pious, we can't know).
  - theoh 8y ago
    I think it's safe to assume that the knotted/maze pattern script (for example) was not intended to be consumed as text.

Zaheer 8y ago

Really impressive work! For folks that like this sort of thing: A modern 'calligrapher' I randomly came across on IG: https://www.instagram.com/joey_bearbower/ https://www.instagram.com/joey_bearbower/ Calligraphy is also huge in Islam and there's tons of beautiful Arabic calligraphy: https://www.pinterest.com/salmaaslams7/islamic-calligraphy/?lp=true https://www.pinterest.com/salmaaslams7/islamic-calligraphy/?...

yesenadam 8y ago
I've enjoyed an amazing book of calligraphic art for many years, The Painted Word. Beautiful and colourful designs, some of which also incorporate (how to describe?!) paper carving/cutting. http://davewood.com.au/books/view/the-painted-word http://davewood.com.au/books/view/the-painted-word
coldcode 8y ago
Even doing such diamond with modern software can be some work to make it look as perfect; imagine doing it with a pen and a pot of ink. Make one error and you start over.

Isamu 8y ago

Those are some magnificent high-resolution manuscript images that the Getty is making available for fair use. >This image is available for download, without charge, under the Getty's Open Content Program. http://www.getty.edu/about/whatwedo/opencontent.html http://www.getty.edu/about/whatwedo/opencontent.html >Fair Use Open content images can be used for any purpose without first seeking permission from the Getty. Images of many other works in the collections are also on our website in varying formats. The Getty supports fair use of copyrighted material when the applicable legal criteria are met. For more information on use of digital images of works in the Getty's collections, please refer to the Getty's Terms of Use. Attribution to the Getty Please use the following source credit when reproducing an Open Content image: >Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program.

rurban 8y ago

The author Georg Bocskay wouldn't have liked his name being translated to Georg Boschkay at all. He is Hungarian and already lost all his accents in the first transcription, being named Bochkai in the German/Latin version. Augustus of Austria et al should be translated as King or Emperor of