Historian of the Strange: Pu Songling and the Chinese Classical Tale

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Historian of the Strange: Pu Songling and the Chinese Classical Tale
Judith Zeitlin
Manufacturer: Stanford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0804729689

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get lost in a real world

Hortus Eystettensis
Barker Nicolas
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The twelfth-century manuscript of Gregory the Great's Moralia in Job, lavishly written and illuminated at the Cistercian monastery of Cîteaux in 1111, contains images of seemingly gratuitous violence and daily life that are famous but have a significance that has eluded most modern viewers. These images range anywhere from monstrous beasts that devour and hack at each other with swords to monks harvesting grain and felling trees. They have been called by some scholars the products of "unbridled, often irrational fantasy," entirely independent of the text and of any specific meaning. In this book, Conrad Rudolph argues that beyond the face value of these illuminations, there lies an undercurrent of thematic consistency. Like obscure events from Scripture, he maintains, the images may lead to another level of meaning yet to be discovered.

Rudolph focuses on the ways spirituality and politics operate in the artistic process that produced this particular manuscript. By exploring these interactions, we can understand how the form of spirituality embodied in this manuscript legitimized a very intimate attitude on the part of the artist toward the subject. The images are in fact the product of Gregory's demand that one "become" what one reads: some reflect the ideal monk crafting a holy place out of the wilderness, others the Cistercian notion of spiritual advancement as a violent struggle. In this way, the Cîteaux Moralia in Job conveys an exuberance and creativity rarely found in manuscript illumination before or since.

Anyway, 'Bestiary' is a decent resource for scholars interested in late medieval English bestiaries, and an excellent work for the interested general public. Amazingly sharp and clear facsimiles of the original illuminations are placed in their original places in relation to the text, and the translation is generally limpid.

Unfortunately, it is not always accurate. The more I studied the Bodlein Bestiary, the more I wished I had the original Latin text--there were many places where I wondered exactly how much liberty the translator took with his source. For example, he replaces ('translates) the standard introductory phrase 'Physiologus says' with 'the naturalists say that'--incredibly irresponsible scholarship. It may make the work more palatable for popular tastes, but such changes are anathema to the medievalist. I often also wonder how many changes he made to the text in the interest of keeping all the illustrations in their original places, as this also requires the translated text to fill a proportional area of the page.

All in all, I recommend it highly as a taste of the genre--a fascinating and rich one for those interested in the history of illumination, natural history, philosophy, and moral instruction. The miniatures and illuminations are beautiful and nicely reproduced, and while the text is lacking, it is the best we have at the moment.

Rich archive includes over 700 clear, finely detailed authentic medieval vignettes depicting domestic scenes, farming, hunting and fishing, winemaking, eating and drinking, landscapes, maritime, military, recreations (including tournaments), punishments, religious scenes and more. Royalty-free vignettes ideal for ads, catalogs, newsletters, etc. 8 plates in full color.

This vivid portrait of everyday life in the medieval Arab world draws on thirteenth-century miniatures from collections as far afield as St Petersburg and Istanbul.

The wide range of topics covers every aspect of contemporary society in the Abbasid period, from life at court to the pomp and ceremony of the military, from the dispensing of justice to the bustle of the suq and slave market. The routine of village life is contrasted with the pleasures of urban society, and we are also introduced to the world of musicians and professional mourners. Women are shown not only as virtuous wives, and in childbirth, but as spirited and articulate individuals. The traditions of Arab hospitality are described, with scenes of drinking, feasting and etiquette.

The author has illustrated her study with contemporary miniatures, principally those of al-Wasiti which accompany the celebrated Maqamat of al-Hariri. In his text, al-Hariri made no attempt to conceal his admiration for his unprincipled and thoroughly disreputable protagonist, Abu Zayd-who represents the voice of the common man and possibly provides a prototype for the popular picaresque heroes of later European literature. Al-Hariri frequently used the tales as a subtle and indirect way of satirizing the prevailing social order, yet he was insistent that his work had an underlying moral purpose.

An introduction to Medieval flowers - Visually beautiful manuscripts.......2007-04-12