Manuscript

Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, Cod. gr. 35

Codicology

Produced: Southern Italy/Athens, 1370-1375
Current Location: Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Manuscript Type: Miscellany
Physiologus Version: Greek
Language: Greek
Folios: 52
Illustrated: Yes
Illustrator: Manolis
Media: Paper
Dimensions: Height: 20.5 cm Width: 14 cm
Sample page - Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig Cod. gr. 35
Folio 34v

Description

The Greek Physiologus is on folio 25r-41v.

The illustrations rarely depict the attributes or allegory of the beast, and are mostly just generic birds and beasts with little resemblance to the real animal. Unusually, there are illustrations of the water-horse, ant-lion, magnet stone and gorgon. The illustrations are almost identical to the ones in manuscript Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Vat. gr. 695.


[Adapted from Manuscripta Mediaevalia description]

Physiologus: Free space for pictures of the described animals and mythical creatures. ... The illustrations are mostly executed in writing ink with simple hatching, sometimes (possibly later) colored brown or black, with occasional red accents. Writer and illustrator worked together (cf. the inscription on f. 27 v ). The illustrator Manolis is explicitly named on ff. 36–37 (or names himself), although the remark that he knew salamanders and deer is probably to be taken ironically. Manolis obviously had no knowledge of zoology. The wild ass has a cat's body and a dog's head with a goatee and long pointed ears; the image is repeated as a representation of the salamander. This suggests that these images were not included in the template.

Additional Descriptions

Additional description 1
Additional description 2

Editions and Facsimiles

Digital facsimiles

Universitätsbibliothek Leipzig