History and Art Experts, I need your Help...

[joyful_molly]

After having tried without sucess for a couple of months to find out anything at all about the following picture, I hope one of you history and art buffs can help me to identify or at least date it.

My wild guess is that it's a print from the 1500s, taken from a book, but that's not a period in history I'm very knowledgeable about.

Comments

[eglantine_br]

I don't know when it is from-- but I like it. Very lively.

[joyful_molly]

I'm in love with the little squirrel-like creatures. The whole thing is so quirky, it's adorable! :D

[classics_lover]

It looks like it's early or pre-Renaissance to me. Is it a carving or an actual sketch? It looks like the sort of thing one sees in door lintels/frames or up on ceilings, maybe?

*shrugs*

[joyful_molly]

It looks like a print or a woodcut; it's a bit difficult to tell without removing the frame (which would destroy it).

[joyful_molly]

Yes, something like that, agreed. I'd love to know what book (if it is from a book then) it came from, or the history behind it. It does look lovely on my wall, though. Quite a conversation piece! :D

[joyful_molly]

Having said that, I've always wondered: WHAT on earth is the little critter in your icon? It's adorable (but obviously miffed). :D

[rsharpe]

I don't know why, but Dante's Inferno came to mind. Somehow this looks like the border of a page?

[joyful_molly]

The creatures don't seem to be "devilish"; more like early drawings of "exotic" animals one sometimes sees in old travel reports. I think you're right with the border of a page bit, I just wish I could find out what book it came from, I'm curious about the context...

[aglarien1]

Just for kicks and giggles, I did a simple search at the British Library for manuscripts between 1500 and 1600 and found this one:
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=18993&CollID=27&NStart=20916
Click on the picture and you'll see how very similar the border is. That style appears to be extremely popular in the mid 1500's.

[aglarien1]

Here's a sample from 1510 of similar scrollwork:
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=8445&CollID=8&NStart=2950

I'd have to do some more searching, but I think the use of scroll work with grotesques has an older history than that - like into the 1400's.

[joyful_molly]

Thanks so much for the links! This is very helpful, I'll do some research there. Didn't cross my mind to look up the British Library (I think the picture is either German or French), but of course the styles are not that different.

[aglarien1]

And the British library has documents from everywhere.