The conundrum of the golden camel

摘要

ThispostwasoriginallywritenfortheregularfeatureMedievalManuscriptsinTheNationallibraryofAustraliaMagazineBookofHours(detail)c.1500inCliffordCollectionofManuscriptsMainlyRelatingtoRomanCatholicism,c.1250–1915,ManuscriptsCollection,nla.gov.aula.ms-ms1097-6Thislatefifteenth-centurybookofhours(acollectionofprayersandpsalmsforprivatedevotion)fromtheFerrararegionofItalyisoneofseveralexamplesfromtheLibrary’scollectionthatcannowbeviewedonline.Amedievalmanuscriptreflectsthetimeandplaceinwhichitwascreatedand,whiletheprecisedetailsofthisbook’shistoryhavenotendured,cluestoitspastcanbefoundinthewayinwhichitwasmade,thechoiceoftextandstyleofdecoration.Forreasonslosttoustoday,thebook’sdecorationisunfinished;thereareanumberofpagesthatcontainoutlinesofwhatwereintendedtobeintricatelyworkedletters.Thebookappearstohavebeenproducedinacommercialworkshopinwhichseveralscribesandartistscontributeddifferentsections.ThissharedsystemofbookproductionflourishedinItalyfromthethirteenthcentury,makingforfasteroutputandansweringagrowingdemandfromanemergingeducatedmerchantclassforthatultimateaccessory—abook!Amongthetantalisingriddlesassociatedwiththemanuscriptisthemeaningofthecamelatthefootofthefirstprincipalfolio.Imagesofcamelsarenotunknowninmedievalbestiaries(illustratedmoralcompendiumsofrealandimaginaryanimals),butthisoneisdepictedinwhatseemstobeaheraldicshield,surroundedbyalaurelwreathandflankedbytwoputti(cherubs).Thecamelwasoriginallyrenderedingoldorsilver(nowdegraded)onanazurebackground.CoatsofarmswereapopularwayofpersonalisingbooksinEuropeatthistimeandprovideevidenceabouttheownerofamanuscript.PreliminaryresearchsuggeststhattheshieldisassociatedwiththeGobiofamily,whowereprominentinMantua(74kilometresfromFerrara)fromthethirteenthcentury.ThisfindinghasgeneratedmuchexcitementamongLibrarystaff,buttherearestillquestionstobeansweredbeforewecansolvethelongstandingconundrumofthegoldencamel.WasthebookcommissionedbytheGobiofamilyandduly‘stamped’withtheirfamilyshield?CouldithavebelongedtoanotherItalianfamilywithacamelintheircoatofarms?Orwasitassociatedwithatown,someofwhichalsohavecamelsintheirshields?