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Folio 32v Commentary

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Folio 32v f32v Text: the palm tree and the turtle dove. The text refers to the palm tree, slow growing and forever flourishing. The rubric compares the nest of the turtle dove with the faith in Christ's passion. Illustration: This dominating image shows the usual bland white turtle dove in its roundel and square perched in the arms of a cross. The cross represents the tree which conceals the nest, according to the rubric. In the Aviarium several stories are illustrated with heavily inscribed diagrams. For this scene, the Heiligenkreuz Aviary (f 133v) shows a dove inside a circle in the centre of a cross. The circle and cross are covered in rubric and behind the cross is a rather bushy palm tree. The Aberdeen artist has used a simplified version of this design, minus the palm tree and most of the rubric. There is a sketch of the cross in the margin. In the centre of the cross Clark (1992,269) has deciphered the colour indication ni, meaning niteur, bright or clear. Two initials, type 2.

The illustration in detail

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Historic Collections - University of Aberdeen - King's College - Aberdeen - AB24 3SW
Michael Arnott
m.arnott@aberdeen.ac.uk

University of Aberdeen