Images of the Orient-Weapons included-XVI century

fernando · 18th September 2007, 06:50 PM

This is about the Portuguese Codice at the Casanatense Library.
I have found at the flea market this reproduction work printed by the National Press House in 1985.
For those not aware ( lkike i wasn't ) Cardinal Casanata ( 1620-1698 ) has donated 25 000 volumes and a large sum of money for the institution of an Italian public library, to be ran by Dominicans. These kept enlarging its contents and, when in 1873 the library became in controll of the Italian State, it already had 200 000 printings, including 2100 incunabulums and more that 5000 manuscripts, a hundred of them from the Renaissance period.
This is all to say that manuscript nr. 1889, concerns a Portuguese work. After being ignored for four centuries, this incunabulum came alight some fifty years ago, and from then on several studies took place and some of the images were already published. The codice is composed of 76 folios, containing as many aquarelles, with images of the most varied peoples the author found in Asia and also Africa. In Asia, only Japan is not represented, which means that this Album most probably dates from the XVI century. The legends, in lettering of such period, were no doubt inserted by the author. According tho the introductory text, he is not considered a genious as a painter, but very efective, and the material as such, considering the period it was made, has no paralel.
Apart from the introduction, the book has several supporting pages, relating to each image, with corresponding fascinating interpretations of the peoples depicted, often dedicated to how they were armed and would fight, written by the various chronicle authors of the same period. As most of the images represent armed persons, i here include some of them, considering that the shape of the weapons may not be faithfull, but still a subject of particular interest, as situations of this degree are not often observed. I have scanned all images to my computer, in a much larger and legible resolution. If anyone interested, i will be glad to either post in here some more examples in 800x600 format, or email larger ones, bunch by bunch, as the whole thing is very heavy.
Or maybe i set up some kind of link, if i learn how to do it.
I am sorry the examples i attach here are a few too many, but i found it rather dificult to select the ones for posting, as they all are fascinating ... at least to my eyes

fernando

fernando · 18th September 2007, 06:53 PM

some more

rand · 18th September 2007, 08:47 PM

Hey Fernando,

These are great images of 16th century India relating to costume, arm and armor and good refernce for anyone researching in that field. Would suggest possibly posting the photo's in a blog, you are allowed larger image sizes, its free, you only have to do it once and then anyone can access the information.

rand

Jens Nordlunde · 18th September 2007, 09:42 PM

Fernando, you are a step ahead of many of us searching pictures and descriptions like this, thank you very much for showing them.

As Rand suggests a blog or maybe CD or DVD, whatever you prefer, if translations are possible it would help a lot, if not the pictures are fine.

fernando · 18th September 2007, 11:15 PM

Hi Rand
Me, creating a blog ? I don't know

.
My first impulse was to check whether this material is interesting for some of the forum members. That's the easy part

.
I never thaught of being a blogger

Hi Jens
I am glad you find this usefull.
I will surely think of something within my computer skills

. Maybe the CD solution. No problem with the images. Translations are a bit more problematic, at first sight; the original legends are in XVI century Portuguese, the names of peoples races are hard to modernize and revert into english. I have to see if i can bring the whole bunch up to something decently understandable.
I will be back and tell what will happen.
The additional texts by the various period authors relative to the races in the images, amount to thousands of words. I would only sinthetize some of them in case somebody would require for a particular case/s, after observing all the images.
Let just see if there is someone else interested.
Kind regards
fernando

fernando · 19th September 2007, 02:05 PM

Hi Jens
you have a PM from me.
Thanks
fernando

18th September 2007, 06:50 PM	#1
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,639	Images of the Orient-Weapons included-XVI century This is about the Portuguese Codice at the Casanatense Library. I have found at the flea market this reproduction work printed by the National Press House in 1985. For those not aware ( lkike i wasn't ) Cardinal Casanata ( 1620-1698 ) has donated 25 000 volumes and a large sum of money for the institution of an Italian public library, to be ran by Dominicans. These kept enlarging its contents and, when in 1873 the library became in controll of the Italian State, it already had 200 000 printings, including 2100 incunabulums and more that 5000 manuscripts, a hundred of them from the Renaissance period. This is all to say that manuscript nr. 1889, concerns a Portuguese work. After being ignored for four centuries, this incunabulum came alight some fifty years ago, and from then on several studies took place and some of the images were already published. The codice is composed of 76 folios, containing as many aquarelles, with images of the most varied peoples the author found in Asia and also Africa. In Asia, only Japan is not represented, which means that this Album most probably dates from the XVI century. The legends, in lettering of such period, were no doubt inserted by the author. According tho the introductory text, he is not considered a genious as a painter, but very efective, and the material as such, considering the period it was made, has no paralel. Apart from the introduction, the book has several supporting pages, relating to each image, with corresponding fascinating interpretations of the peoples depicted, often dedicated to how they were armed and would fight, written by the various chronicle authors of the same period. As most of the images represent armed persons, i here include some of them, considering that the shape of the weapons may not be faithfull, but still a subject of particular interest, as situations of this degree are not often observed. I have scanned all images to my computer, in a much larger and legible resolution. If anyone interested, i will be glad to either post in here some more examples in 800x600 format, or email larger ones, bunch by bunch, as the whole thing is very heavy. Or maybe i set up some kind of link, if i learn how to do it. I am sorry the examples i attach here are a few too many, but i found it rather dificult to select the ones for posting, as they all are fascinating ... at least to my eyes fernando Attached Images

18th September 2007, 06:53 PM	#2
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,639	some more Attached Images

18th September 2007, 08:47 PM	#3
rand Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 538	Photo's Hey Fernando, These are great images of 16th century India relating to costume, arm and armor and good refernce for anyone researching in that field. Would suggest possibly posting the photo's in a blog, you are allowed larger image sizes, its free, you only have to do it once and then anyone can access the information. rand

18th September 2007, 09:42 PM	#4
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,713	Fernando, you are a step ahead of many of us searching pictures and descriptions like this, thank you very much for showing them. As Rand suggests a blog or maybe CD or DVD, whatever you prefer, if translations are possible it would help a lot, if not the pictures are fine.

18th September 2007, 11:15 PM	#5
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,639	Hi Rand Me, creating a blog ? I don't know . My first impulse was to check whether this material is interesting for some of the forum members. That's the easy part . I never thaught of being a blogger Hi Jens I am glad you find this usefull. I will surely think of something within my computer skills . Maybe the CD solution. No problem with the images. Translations are a bit more problematic, at first sight; the original legends are in XVI century Portuguese, the names of peoples races are hard to modernize and revert into english. I have to see if i can bring the whole bunch up to something decently understandable. I will be back and tell what will happen. The additional texts by the various period authors relative to the races in the images, amount to thousands of words. I would only sinthetize some of them in case somebody would require for a particular case/s, after observing all the images. Let just see if there is someone else interested. Kind regards fernando

19th September 2007, 02:05 PM	#6
fernando Lead Moderator European Armoury Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,639	Hi Jens you have a PM from me. Thanks fernando