RE: f71r White Aries
R. Sale > 17-03-2021, 08:41 PM
White Aries is exceptional. It is the *best* painted folio in the whole of the VMs Zodiac. Is there a reason for that? Who has been placed among the nymphs? You know Lady Bertilak? And this fellow whose fess has been couped? It's just a little inside joke. What's with the blue stripes and the red and the white hats? Clearly there is a path of historical origin regarding church tradition and ecclesiastical heraldry, specifically the cardinal's red galero, as an ongoing tradition instituted by Pope Innocent IV. c.1245. And this was Sinibaldo Fieschi, a Genoese who, among other things, had a coat-of-arms, not like the modern era where armorial patterns have been given to all popes. The Fieschi blazon is bendy, argent et azur.
It is clear, with this knowledge, that the representation of the orientation the blue stripes is intentionally dualistic. There is the natural tendency to see the characters and patterns in the radial interpretation. However heraldry of either pattern provides nothing further. On the other hand, interpreting the orientation of the blue stripes as they exist in situ, with everything else removed, provides a deep and immediate connection to church history. These patterns are paired. The thread of heraldry and the thread of pairing, that begin on VMs Pisces, are tied together here.
There are two characters associated with the striped patterns. The inner one wears a red hat. This occurred historically at least three time as Pope Innocent IV. made several of his nephews to be cardinals in the church. The most noted of the nephews was Ottobuono Fieschi.
Orientation of the blue stripes is only the first consideration; there is all the extra inkwork that occupies the space where a blue and white striped pattern should be white. And it's not. Is 1450 to soon to start hatching? How should these markings be interpreted? They are a hybrid where no hybrid examples exist. Should the markings be interpreted at all? No. The reader must know heraldry. Heraldry does not mix tincture designation systems. They must be separated.
Two methods used combine to confuse and disguise. Other methods of interpretation have been placed in defense. Both pope and cardinal are in the proper hierarchical spheres. Both were placed in the most favored heraldic quadrant. Both members of the church have been placed with the only white animal suitable for sacred sacrifice. Where Aries normally starts the Zodiac, VMs White Aries is the third medallion.
The special painting of VMs White Aries has two reasons. With the blue stripes being essential, they can be disguised by being included with a lot of other painting and painted objects. And secondly, with the need to emphasize the 'white' animal, painting everything else makes the unpainted things appear more white. Sacred and unpainted just don't have the same connection.
And by the way, Ottobuono is also of interest, he was papal legate to England. He may have known 'argent, a fess gules', Thomas de Kent, or argent, three chevrons sable, Otto the Archdeacon. Apparently he also knew Roger Bacon. As it turned out, Ottobuono did make Pope, very briefly, as Adrian V.
And further investigation within the VMs may discover the presence (on Pisces and Dark Aries) of two examples of the obscure heraldic fur known as papelonny. Once the placement of these named patters, in quadrant and in sphere, which is seen to correspond with the blue-striped patterns of White Aries has been determined and the verbal similarity between papelonny and the French term for 'pope', which is 'pape', has been shown, (both really were actual, historical popes), it should be clear that this whole situation was built into the illustration. It matches history too well to be uninfluenced by relevant events and traditions.