France?, Astronomy, tapestry, 16th century?, ? x ? cm, Göteborg, Röhsska Museet för Konsthantverk och Design [Röhss Museum of Applied Arts and Design].

France?, L'astronomie, tapisserie, XVIe siècle?, ? x ? cm, Göteborg, Röhsska Museet för Konsthantverk och Design [Musée Röhss des arts appliqués et du design].

Collaboration from Robert H. van Gent January 29, 2001 For some time I have been puzzling over a very colourful portrayal of the muse Astronomia with an astronomer and several bystanders on an early 16th-century French tapestry. You can find scans herewith. The original is in the Röhsska Konstslöjdmuseet [Röhss Museum of Applied Arts and Design, Göteborg] and is depicted on the dust jacket of Patrick Moore, Watchers of the Stars: The Scientific Revolution, London, Michael Joseph, 1974. Apart from its probable date and French origin, Patrick Moore gives no further information. It is not mentioned anywhere in the text and was probably just chosen for its nice looks. The tapestry depicts the muse Astronomia, an astronomer (Ptolemy?) looking at the starry sky with the Moon and a comet (or an exploding meteor?) with an armillary sphere in his hand. Several more figures looking at the night sky are also shown, one of whom is seated behind a desk with a strange dial and making notes. Although the lady is clearly identified as the muse Astronomia, I have not yet been able to link the letters on the astronomer's garments to the name of Ptolemy. The astronomer's pose is very similar to the Ptolemy portraits in your collection but I am not completely sure. It may be an idea to include this one in your collection of Ptolemy portraits for the time being - perhaps someone else can either confirm the identification or suggest a better one. January 30, 2001 The suggestion that the astronomer is Arab appears to be very plausible on account of the 'IBN' but note that it appears to be preceded by an 'E', so perhaps it should be read as 'EIBN'. The letters following 'IBN' appear to be 'SI'.

The seated scribe, with an instrument on the lectern in front of him, is pointing his left index to the sky. He is writing with his right hand in a book on a portrable desk. There is another book closed on the table. The stool and the lectern appear to be late medieval in style. He wears three labels: some of the letters are not only almost unreadable, but the meaning is even more difficult to understand...

On his shoulder: "IEVITE IBH".

On his sleeve: "II ????? E D? BIFC ^ H".

On the fringe of his robe: "F BNAIO ???? AC BNORI".

At the extreme left two peasants are also taking part im the astronomical observation. The one seated on the ground is pointing his right index to the sky. The standing one, with a stick in his right hand, is also staring at the skies. On the background farm houses and a village completes the life settings and surrroundings for these peasants. Quite obviously, all the figures in this tapestry are clearly pointing and staring at the sky. Are they observing a normal sky or a stange phenomon? Stars of different sizes glazes through the whole horizon. The Sun, with a human face, is linked with a Moon crescent, both in gold color. But next to the Sun-Moon couple a very strange star looks like a pink six branches flower. What could be the identification and the meaning of this very peculiar star or system? Is it a normal star enhanced so that the viewer will recognize it? Could it be the Polar Star? Or a rare phenomenon that could be identified and dated in the late Medieval Times?