[MR] question on heraldic beasts

Thu Oct 30 20:52:54 PST 2003

Cristiane asked:

> I have decided to embark upon making feast gear for the upcoming 12th
> Night Challenges (feast gear and salt cellar) containing heraldic
> beasts. Thus, my question: was it practice to decorate one's
> tableware with such beasts even if they are not part of your device
> and/or badge?

Well, it does depend on what you are planning on doing, and in what
style you plan on doing it, etc. :) but some of the following might be
inspiring to you in terms of ideas for decorated feast gear with
heraldic beasts.

There's some lovely glassware that had heraldry enamelled into it
(though certainly there are glasses with short narratives or hunt
scenes on them as well):

Goblet with the Arms of Liechtenberg, 1500-1530
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1216.html

Covered Welcome Beaker, 1550-1554
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1190.html

Beaker with Arms of Schiltl and Portner von Theuern, 1586
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1235.html

Beaker with the Arms of Puchner, 1587
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1236.html

Beaker with Arms of Hirt and Maier, 1590
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1314.html

Beaker with an Imperial Eagle, 1599
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1239.html

If this is the sort of thing you might like to try to simulate, see
http://users.easystreet.com/rafaella/paintedglass.html for instructions
as to how this can be done with a modern craft paint known as Pebeo
Porcelaine.

There is also Italian majolica and other such decorated ceramics; not
only are there examples of sets of dishes made up with the owner's
heraldry ...

Armorial Plate with the Flaying of Marsyas, mid-1520s
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1173.html

Bowl with shield of arms of the Saracinelli of Orvieto, 16th century
http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/itacer/itacer-1495.0.html

Plate shield of arms of Vigerio of Savona, 16th century
http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/itacer/itacer-1498.0.html

... but also some which can be interpreted as a "heraldic beast," even
though the beast in question might not have been directly related to
the heraldry of the owner:

Drug Jar, 1420-1440
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1276.html

Drug Jar, 1425-1450
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1151.html

Drug Jar, 1431
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o1152.html

and I point out these drug jars because the decoration is stylistically
similar to pitchers in the following artworks:

Annunciation, by Robert Campin, 1420s
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/master/flemalle/2/annuncia.html
detail: http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/m/master/flemalle/2/annuncib.jpg

The Mérode Altarpiece, by Robert Campin, 1427
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/master/flemalle/merode/
detail:
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/m/master/flemalle/merode/2mero_c2.jpg

If you are more interested in creating your own bottles and putting
heraldry on 'em, you might also be interested in the jugs and bottles
known as Bartmann or Bellarmine, which often have heraldic medallions
under the face; see http://www1.bellarmine.edu/strobert/jugs/jugs3.asp
for some history and pictures.

Spoons can also be used as a means of expressing a heraldic-type
beastie, either by means of a shape molded into the top of the spoon
(though most show either a human figure, especially a saint, or else a
more geometrical figure, like an acorn), or by a more elaborate
decoration.  I particularly like the spoon with the fox preaching to
geese at http://www.mfa.org/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=52503 :)

I suspect one could also carve heraldic beasts into the handle or
sheath of an eating-knife as well; the MoL "Knives and Scabbards" book
has examples of rather fancy tooled leather knife-scabbards IIRC.

Another idea for a heraldic-beastly decoration for one's feast gear
would be Perugia towels with such creatures in the brocaded bands (or
in embroidery meant to simulate such bands).  Dame Alianora's Compleat
Anachronist on the subject had several suggestions (as well as
instructions & patterns for Making Your Own), but the following details
from two of Ghirlandaio's "Last Supper" scenes might be especially
inspiring:

http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/ghirland/domenico/4lastsup/2ogniss4.jpg
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/ghirland/domenico/4lastsup/3smarco2.jpg

And yet another appearance of heraldic beasts on the feast-table would
be in the form of aquamaniles -- there are period examples shaped like
lions, eagles, unicorns, and so forth.  There are links to several
different styles of period aquamaniles at
http://geocities.com/karen_larsdatter/aquamaniles.htm

Saltcellars would present more of an opportunity for three-dimensional
decoration, I suspect, rather than a painted-on decoration, though
there are examples of painted saltcellars (as the majolica example
below).  Most saltcellars will involve seashells (especially
scallop-shells) and sea-creatures -- not because they had the foresight
to think that Atlantians might find them interesting ;) but because
salt came from the sea, and so the decorative motifs most frequently
chosen for saltcellars are marine-inspired as well.  If you're doing a
3-dimensional heraldic beast for a saltcellar, definitely consider
swans, mermaids (which are technically heraldic monsters, I think), and
dolphins, especially.

The most famous SCA-period saltcellar is probably the saltcellar that
Benvenuto Cellini made in the 1540s, with figures representing the
Earth and the Sea, made of enamel, gold, and ivory.  (It was stolen
last May, but is rather unlikely to be putting in an appearance on
eBay.)  There's a picture of it at
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/c/cellini/saltcell.html

Other pre-17th century saltcellars include:

Jewelled and gilded rock crystal saltcellar, mid-13th century
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/loui/hod_1983.434.htm

Sapi-Portuguese lidded ivory saltcellars (made in Sierra Leone),
15th-16th centuries
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/sfg/hod_1991.435a.htm
http://www.ethno-museum.ac.at/en/collections/africa/afrika6l.html
For another, see the British Museum's Compass --
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html -- and search for
1981.Af35.1.a, b

Onyx saltcellar with golden mermaid, 16th century
http://museoprado.mcu.es/i54.html

The Burghley Nef, an elaborate saltcellar in the shape of a little
ship, made of a nautilus shell and silver and gold
To view this, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for M.60-1959

Pen and ink wash designs by Giulio Romano for saltcellars with swans,
dolphins, and scallop-shells, 1530s
To view this, go to the British Museum's Compass --
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html -- and search for
1874-8-8-79

Maiolica saltcellar with the arms of the Pucci family of Florence, 1532
To view this, go to the British Museum's Compass --
http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/index.html -- and search for
1855,12-1,110

Gilt bronze saltcellars, each with a man holding up a large
scallop-shell, ca. 1560
To view these, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for 627-1865 and 629-1865

Architectural salt, 1577 or 1578
http://128.11.41.128/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=59390&did=500

Standing silver-gilt saltcellar, 1586 or 1587
To view this, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for 146:1, 2-1886

Pedestal salt, 1587 or 1588
http://128.11.41.128/artemis/fullrecord.asp?oid=59376&did=500

The Vyvyan Salt, 1592 or 1593
The panels are painted with figures from emblem-books.
To view this, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for M.273:1, 2-1925

The Stoke Prior Double Salt, 1594 or 1595
To view this, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for 283:1 to 3-1893

Majolica saltcellar with dolphins, 1600
To view this, go to the V&A Museum's Access to Images --
http://images.vam.ac.uk -- and search for 8402-1863

There are lots of examples in period artwork of vessels which can be
assumed to be saltcellars which appear to be ornate small lidded
goblets, though.

(I rather suspect that the two figures which appear to be golden dogs
on the table of Jean de Berry --
http://humanities.uchicago.edu/images/heures/january.jpg -- are an
aquamanile or perhaps another ornate saltcellar.) :)

Okay, I think that's about enough prattling for me for today. ;)

Karen