A
couple of weeks ago I touched upon the topic of maps and the
representation of the monstrous and the other within these visual
objects. During my dissertation I came across an object that I would
like to introduce today, and, in my opinion, is related to the
corpus of maps, which thus far far has received little scholarly
attention. The object I am referring to is the Primer Lapidario
of Alfonso X. The manuscript is one of the many objects produced by
the Alfonsine scriptorium for El Sabio, the Wise. The text, based on
Arab originals, informs its audience of a great variety of gems,
their location, their properties, their relation to the zodiacs, as
well as informations on the constellations and their origin. These
texts on the 118 leaves of parchment within the unfinished
manuscript are accompanied by a total of 802 miniatures with
additional drolleries. These illuminations consist of illustrated
initials, drolleries and images of the zodiac signs. The former
especially caught my attention These initials have
in common that they are all concerned with the the mining of the
gems described in the text. Some are shown to be found in
the sea, others under the earth or in wells. Within this great
variety of imagery, however, one specific type of scene is
significantly dominant. This type always follows a specific theme:
one figure is shown as the wise man, ordering another, the worker.
The relationship between these two figures, to me, appears to be one of
dominance and subjugation. The specific character of these figures, however,
changes depending on the region where the stone is found. They mirror the concepts and ideas the audience associated with the respective locale.
Several
of the precious gems described can be found in the 'tierras de
Arabia'. In these cases the initials frequently show figures wearing
turbans and bears, thereby marking them as eastern, or rather as
Muslim. In the majority of the images both the scholar and the worker
are shown with these markers of Islam, however certain exceptions are
striking. For example, in the case of Libya not two Muslims are shown, but a
turban-wearing wise man and a worker that might very well be
understood as a Christian figure. The image thereby
creates Libya as land of Muslim dominance over Christians, an
especially unsettling image for a medieval Spanish audience,
considering their history and their ongoing battles with Muslims.
Though an easily overlooked nuance, to me it seems rather plausible
to suspect an ideological foundation beneath it.
This
seems all the more apparent when the case of the Argent
vivo is considered in relation. This
stone, according to the text, can be found in the areas of 'la tierra
á que llaman Adracegen, et en la de Sennen, et en la de Espanna.'
The illuminated initial appears to strongly reflect not only the
text, but also the audience's identity. It depicts the wise man as
figure that judging from his clothing refers to images
of Christ and the Apostles rather than to contemporary Christian clothing
(which in great detail can also be observed in the illuminated manuscripts
of the Cantigas de Santa Maria). The worker here is almost naked,
only a white loin cloth covers his body, while his turban identifies him as a Muslim. The relationship of the figures clearly
communicates the Christian dominance in the image. An aspect that
cannot be considered a coincidence considering the Iberian origin of
the manuscript.
So,
I wonder what can we make of this besides suspecting an underlying
self-affirmative aspect in the manuscript that supports the Christian
position in the world? Apart from showing the gems and how they are
obtained, the illuminations show the land of their origin, though of
course in a very fragmented way. Within these lands the mentioned
position of the depicted figures in the world is clearly noticeable.
The initial's similarity to maps seem to me quite astounding and I would suggest
that these illuminated initials, in a way, become almost a kind of
map in their own accord. Images that allow the audience to gaze to
foreign territories and their riches, and not without visually
commenting on the other
that inhabits these regions. I think, therefore objects like the
Primer Lapidario
need to be considered along side other material that so far have not
been brought into connection with these manuscripts of gems, such as the
mappa mundi and the illuminated travel accounts.
-Fabian
-Fabian
