Quedlinburg knot fragments

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Front of the carpet after the reconstruction by Julius Lessing, 1901

The Quedlinburg knot fragments are five carpet fragments from around the year 1200 that were discovered in Quedlinburg from 1832 .

discovery

In 1832 Franz Kugler found carpet remnants in the priechen of the former collegiate church of St. Servatius of the women's monastery in Quedlinburg , which had been cut into strips in the stalls to make doormats . Kugler's assessment of this find: “Of great value for the knowledge of the art of the earlier Middle Ages are the large pieces of wool knitted carpets, which have recently been placed in the Zitter (treasure chamber) for safe and henceforth safe storage, after they were previously used as foot covers in the Had served the Church. They contain pictorial representations which, in view of the difficult technique as well as the style of the drawing and the peculiar content, are of great interest. In general, they bear the stamp of the Byzantine style, as it had developed towards the end of the twelfth century (primarily in the well-known miniature images of the manuscripts of this time); they consist of sharp outline drawings with simple color filling, but certainly not without a certain, like touched shadow indication. A distinction is made here, with regard to the more or less ingenious way of drawing, the work of two hands, from which the cartons for these carpets must have been made. "

Art historical research on this find experienced an upswing when further carpet fragments were discovered a few years after the first fragments were found. A few decades later, further fragments were found in 1886, also in the former collegiate church, which were kept in a box.

The Quedlinburg knot fragments are among the greatest treasures of medieval, monumental textile art . Their technical and artistic perfection suggests a long tradition in the production of large knots .

A first attempt to bring the five carpet fragments into a meaningful system was made in 1901 by Julius Lessing and repeatedly published in his well-known reconstruction drawing. The long series of images with bordered tapes and the theme “The Wedding of Philologia with Mercury” in two lines of images, with an upper and lower carpet bordered , led him to the conclusion that these were pieces that belonged to a single carpet. Lessing did not take into account essential stylistic differences. For a long time it was assumed that the carpet depicted by Lessing "was worked in different parts", which has been proven by technical investigations by H. v. Schuckmann has proven to be an incorrect assumption. Both carpets are made in one piece over the full width from bottom to top. The differently designed backgrounds of the various carpet fragments are not visible in Lessing's drawing. Stylistic differences are also not identified in Lessing. This is possibly due to the fact that it was assumed at the time that the carpet was made in different pieces by different hands and that the style had changed over time.

Newer attempt at reconstruction

The following representations in this section show the results of the research work from 2014, which suggest that the fragments must be parts of two different carpets.

The width and length of the carpets can be clearly determined by weaving characteristics of the existing carpet fragments.

Fragments I – III (135 × 172 cm; 130 × 255 cm and 93 × 355 cm) belong to carpet I with a star background. Fragments I and II form the upper line of the picture with the trimmed border. The framing border on the left of fragment I is also preserved. This includes fragment VI (H 26–28 cm, W 40–41). Carpet fragment III forms a line of its own. The fragments IV (120 × 234 cm) and V (170 × 183 cm) belong to Carpet II with a palmette border.

The exact center of carpet I is known. The repeat of the border and the embracing figures standing in the middle, Pietas and Justitia, provide precise information here, so that a width of 5.60 m is given. The length results from the two existing carpet rows, even if they are severely trimmed. A picture line without tape is 1.15–1.16 m. Five lines of picture and six lines of writing of 14 cm each result in a length of 7.40 m in connection with the reconstructed upper and lower border of 40 cm each.

The reconstruction included the small carpet fragment from the upper left corner border with the bust of Dulcedo (loveliness), which came to the Wilczek collection in Vienna via the Forrer collection. Another half-figure Pudicitia (the modesty) begins under the stylized leaf ornament. The whole carpet border was decorated with 34 half-figures alternating with the leaf square.

The width of Carpet II cannot be determined quite as precisely, but twelve palmettes must have formed the lower edge. The central figure in fragment V has moved a little to the right of the viewer and thus closes up closer to the following figure than to the left. Three figures on either side would make a meaningful row. The average width of a palmette is 38.8 cm. If you add a red border of 11 cm, as shown below, the result is a width of 4.90 m. The length is determined by the height of the lines, which is 98 cm and 96 cm here, plus six lines of writing of 12 cm each, an upper and lower border of 29 cm and a red border of 11 cm, results in a length of almost 6 , 40 m. The new assignment of the fragments also allows the circumferential, supplemented borders to appear in a regular rhythm, without breaks or inaccuracies in the drawing. Carpet I measures 5.60 × 7.40 m, carpet II 4.90 × 6.40 m; a size that places high technical demands on the skill of the weaver .

description

Carpet fragment I – II

A red tape, which rises to the left of the first line of the picture and continues over the entire length, contains the dedication inscription of the carpet after the upper center: “Alme dei vates / decus hoc tibi contulit Agnes / Gloria pontificum famularum suscipe votum” (translated : "Venerable priest of God, Agnes offered you this ornament. You glory of the bishops, take a gift of consecration from your servants.") Begins on a dark blue background studded with stars with a green upper border in which the names of the characters are linked the sequence of images with the two virtues Fortitudo (destroyed in the facial area) and Prudentia - bravery and cleverness. They face each other and stand on small hills that suggest a landscape. Fortitudo holds an upturned sword in her right hand and a scroll in her left hand. Above her light undergarment with a blue-green shadow is a wide- sleeved, belted, light red dalmatica with a wide decorative border on the hem and a yoke at the neckline, above a red coat, held in front of the chest with a large clasp. Prudentia, who is standing next to her, is holding in her left hand a winding snake that reaches up high and her right is placed in front of her chest. Over her light-colored robe, also with a wide embroidered border at the neckline, lies a wide green cloak that falls over her right shoulder and the hem, richly pleated, over her right arm. What follows is the personified empire. A king sits on a high throne. His gray hair adorns a crown. He turns left. A blue robe and a red cloak, knotted across the chest, is gathered and held above his knees by his right hand. A scepter completes his royal dignity. His left hand is holding a tape that rolls upwards: “Juste judica - judge justly”. The two embracing virtues Justitia and Pietas form the middle of the line . Their faces gently touch. Light, wavy hair falls on her shoulders. The figure of Pietas is laid out in a very expansive manner. A light undergarment and a stiff-looking upper garment richly embroidered with crosses are covered by a red cloak that is knotted over her right shoulder. Her right arm lies under Justitia's, her left hand lies on her partner's shoulder. Justitia wears a light red undergarment, over it a blue cloak with wide sleeves, a wide patterned hem and a decorative border at the neckline. The wide sleeve of her robe is gathered up, her left hand rests on the waist of Pietas, her right hand on her shoulder.

A second enthroned figure follows: Sacerdotium . The broad figure is dressed as a bishop: In Alba , Dalmatica and a magnificent red chasuble with a rationale . His head, turned slightly to the right, covers a miter . His left hand holds the crosier and a closed scroll. Furthermore, an almost vertical book is held by his hand on his left knee. His right arm, which is outstretched and open, points to the embracing women, Pietas and Justitia. To the left of the throne is another virtue: temperantia (moderation), with a light undergarment and a yellow-red upper garment adorned with decorative ribbons. In her raised right hand, which is pressed to her body, she holds a large brown jug turned down, from which water is pouring. Here the picture line ends with a section.

Fragment III

Fragment III (trimmed at the left edge) begins with the seated poet Martianus Capella . The green border from the upper edge is continued down behind him. Martianus wears a red robe and a green, yellow-edged cloak that is closed on the shoulder. His beautifully drawn head, with long hair and beard, his stern expression, his cap and his speaking gesture identify him as an ancient scholar. His left hand holds a banner with the words: "Sors erit equa tibi" (translated: "May fate be weighed up to you"). His right hand is raised, the index finger stretched. The gesture is for the figure in front of him. It is Mercury as a youthful god with short, curly hair and a serious expression. A light cloak over his left shoulder leaves his arms free. In his left hand he is holding a vertical tape with the words: “Deprecor auxilium vestrum sociae” (translated: “I ask for your help, companions”). His right hand points to the tape with an extended index finger. There are three standing women. The middle one with a leaf crown and wide-sleeved patterned, magnificent robe is Psyche . She holds a banner with the words: "Constanter iuvo" ("I help constantly"). On the right behind her is mantike (visionary gift), also with a leaf crown and a vertical band of writing: “Verba imperfecta relinquo” (“I leave behind incomplete words”). The third is Sophia (wisdom), her robe with a patterned neckline and oversized long sleeves, holds an illegible banner in her left hand. Hymenaeus ( god of marriage) follows at a short distance . He sits on a throne facing the viewer, a three-tier crown adorns his wavy hair. A belted, yellow robe and a blue coat with a fur collar surrounds his figure. Around his neck is a chain with a leaf cross in a round medallion. The words: "Quia felix copia talis" (interpreted as: "because such a marriage is happy") are written in a tape that flows pleasantly over his body. Immediately afterwards, Mercury and Philologia stand facing each other, touching each other with their right palms. Mercury wears a red undergarment and a red, fur-trimmed cloak. Around his neck is a leaf medallion similar to that of Hymenaeus. With his left hand he grips the pommel of his sword, which is held vertically upwards and wrapped in ribbons. Next to it the words: “Sum tuus” (“I am yours”). Philologia wears a patterned, wide-sleeved robe. Above that is a red coat lined with ermine and adorned with a soft brown fur collar. In her left hand a banner: “Si placet astrigeris” (“if the rulers of the stars like it”). A long ribbon separating the scene tells of the shine of the stars. Here the image line ends with trimming.

Fragment IV

Framed by broad, red-framed tapes, the figures act on a blue-green background; they are named in a lighter field at the top and placed on a strip of the same type at the bottom. The image line is cropped on the right. It begins on the left with an enthroned male figure who turns to the right. A crown adorns the chin-length hair. Part of the red, ermine-lined coat with a delicate fur collar can be seen. The robe, which is also red, is adorned with a wide ribbon at the neckline. The raised left hand holds a banner that continues across the chest to the carpet cut. It proclaims: “erimus super ethera nomen” (“we will be a name above the ether”). The right indicates the words in the ribbon. An incomplete inscription above the enthrone shows the letters ERI. A group of three follows on the left. Philologia the bride is depicted as a delicate girl in a bright wedding dress. The wide, long sleeves of her robe envelop her left hand, on her right the sleeve is pushed up and placed on her chest. Your extended index finger points to the scribe. One step behind her is her mother Phronesis (reason), in a white belted robe that reflects the shape of the body through dark blue fold lines, with a wide embroidered collar that extends to the shoulders and ends in a cross as a decorative element. Above her loose hair the bandages of the married woman and above a crown of leaves. Her right hand embraces the bride, her index finger points to the banner behind her: "Vestris annuo votis" ("I agree to your marriage vows"). On her left arm is a large light yellow cloth, perhaps the bridal veil . Facing the group is Genius , bearded and wearing a scholar's cap. His red, white dotted robe is decorated with wide decorative edges on the sleeves and decorative strips on the hem. A white shawl is draped around the waist and his left arm. His outstretched right hand swings a quill pen, his left hand holds an inkwell, and a tape unrolls his fingers: “Dulcis amor noster” (“Sweet is our love”). This is followed by the figure of a young man with the words in the upper edge area: "Castus amor" ("the chaste love"). Her undergarment adorned with deep blue folds and her red cloak, fastened with a clasp on the shoulder, could identify her as the richly dressed groom Mercury. The head is covered by a kind of crown, the left includes a banner: “Sinte eam immortalem” (“let them be immortal”). Next to the figure is the litter box decorated with royal decorations . On the far right, Philologia's arm is visible, which is grasped by a half-figure floating down from above. The youth turns to the middle scene, his raised right hand points to the half-figure in the upper edge, who holds a blue ribbon with white writing in her right hand: “Semper eris nostra” (“you will always be one of ours”).

Fragment V

Edged by tapes above and below and the preserved lower carpet border, the cut fragment begins with a seated figure on a suggested landscape. She is dressed in a light, blue-lined robe and a wide looped belt. She turns to the right. The short reddish curls are crowned by a scholar's cap. She is holding a branch of flowers in her bent left hand. Above it are the words: "risus jovi" ("the laughing sky"). This is followed by another seated figure with a light blue belt, also wide looped, and a wide red coat. In her high left hand she holds a crumhorn on which she blows. Her right hand at knee height is holding a vertical banner with the words: “gaudete virtutibus” (“rejoice in virtues”). Her short red hair covers a scholar's cap. It is labeled Ver (spring). The center of the lower line is a female figure seated at the front - Cipris ( Venus ), with a splendid, richly embroidered top and a crown in the blond hair that falls to the shoulders. With her left hand she holds a large wheel with the inscription: “aestivalis” (“summery”), her right hand holds a banner: “Vivo bipartita” (“I live divided in two”) (this is reminiscent of the dualism of the voluptuarius, which Martianus emphasized several times and think of castus amor ). Below her a youth ( Cupid ) is shown running. He grabs the bike on the right and left with his arms wide open. He seems to be turning it powerfully. The scene is framed by two unequal trees, whose wide-spreading roots arise from small mounds of earth. To the left of Venus there is a naiad (a water nymph) sitting on a hill. Her strong, bared arm holds an upturned vessel in her hand, from which she lets water flow into a well. This figure is missing a quarter of its shape because the carpet has also been trimmed here. A tiny piece of carpet has been preserved above the upper tape. You can see the hem of a light robe and two feet, followed by a wide piece of landscape. A little to the left above Cipris, two more feet, one slightly in front of the other.

Material and technology

The material is the same in both carpets. The warp threads are made of natural-colored hemp , twisted in a zS twist, as is the intermediate weft . The pile consists of colored wool twisted in a zS twist . The decisive factor, however, is the warp density, which is different for the carpet fragments.

  • Fragments I – III, with a star background:

Warp density on 10 cm width 80 threads, number of wefts at 10 cm height: 19, rows of knots 19, density of knots: 40, number of knots on 1 dm² approx. 760, intermediate weft: 1 double thread on the row of knots.

  • Fragments IV – V without a star background:

Warp density over 10 cm width 78–80, number of wefts over 10 cm height 20–21, rows of knots 20–21, knot density: 38–40, number of knots over 1 dm², 798–840, intermediate weft: 2 or 3 (or 5 thinner) hemp threads on the row of knots. In the fragments IV – V, a warp thread is missing for 10 cm, which means there is also a knot for every 10 cm of width. In addition, the intermediate weft is thinner after each row of knots, so that the pile is more delicately fine.

Colours

The colors of fragments I – III are natural, yellow, golden yellow, pale pink, red, yellow-green (light and dark), green, blue-green, blue (light and dark) and dark brown.

The colors of fragments IV – V are natural, pale yellow, incarnate, lemon yellow, golden yellow, light umber, medium and dark brown, pink, red-brownish, yellow-green (light and dark), green, blue-green, blue (light and dark).

In the fragments IV – V there are three more browns and one more yellow tones. The faces in fragment IV have turned almost purple-red , probably due to reduction or oxidation . As a result, the facial drawing becomes blurred, and Philologia is particularly affected by this.

draft

front

The discovery of a preliminary drawing on the back of fragment IV aroused astonishment: “The drawing in brown-red brush strokes of hardly changing width, without heels or pentiments, reproduces the outlines of the figures, the main features of the folds of their clothes, eyes, nose and mouth the faces, the tapes with the letters. On the other hand, they do not mark the boundaries of the areas of light and shadow or details of the garments ... If the preliminary drawing on a line of carpet was comparatively completely visible, but otherwise hardly discernible, it probably owes it to a simple stroke of luck: the designer's brush that made the drawing the tightly tensioned chain applied must have been wetter than usual for this one line. ”However, this thesis by Fritz Bellmann must be contradicted. The assumption that you could paint the design on the stretched, vertical warp threads is not tenable. Even the attempt to securely attach a horizontal or diagonal line (the threads move when touched) is hardly possible, let alone entire rows of figures. The design must be completely painted on a length of fabric - in later centuries on cardboard - with as much details as possible. This draft was then stretched behind the warp threads, revealing all the details of the drawing and color information. The weaver does not have the opportunity to be artistically active during the production process, she just has to be technically perfect. Even the weaver, endowed with the greatest artistic sensitivity, could not modulate a philosopher's head after a few lines on the chain. Knitted or knotted, the fabric builds up very slowly row by row and only allows the figure to emerge from a template. Don't even correct it, like B. when painting, you could use wrong knots, but would have to undo everything again. Good weavers can only distinguish themselves by following the design as faithfully as possible. If you are inaccurate with the color specification or the given drawing, this will have a negative impact on the overall picture. Only a good draft and the craftsmanship of the weaver can create works of art like the ones we find in the knotted fragments in Quedlinburg. The large hunger kerchiefs prove that one could apply drawings, even entire paintings, to large linen or hemp cloths. How or by what means the drawing on the back was visible could only be clarified by a specific technical investigation. It is conceivable that after finding the fragments, someone traced the dark outlines that had been knotted. Then there should be the same, loosely adhering color particles on the light, hemp-colored intermediate shots. Another possibility: due to a chemical or excessive moisture, the color of the black knots that form the outlines has been loosened and the warp and the adjacent intermediate shots have also been discolored, but then the drawing would not be clear, but would rather blur at the edges.

The story of Martianus Capella

The carpet pictures come from the allegorical-encyclopedic didactic poem "De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii" (the marriage of Mercury and philology) by Martianus Capella, which was widely used in the early Middle Ages . The neo-Platonist Martianus lived in the first half of the fifth century AD and came from Mandaura in Africa. In Carthage he worked as a lawyer.

In the first book of his didactic poem, there is an account of Mercury , the son of Jupiter . He decides to get married. He goes looking for a bride and meets Sophia, Mantike and Psyche. But his advertising is negative for all three. He wants to ask Apollo's advice and goes on a search. After crossing a river, he meets Apollo with the four vessels of fate. He already knows his desire. The bride envisaged is characterized, but initially without a name. Apollo relates: “She is of an ancient generation, the most learned of all virgins; she knows the secrets of heaven and the underworld, the depths of the sea and the will of Jupiter. All wisdom, all knowledge in the world is embodied in you. ”Her advantages in comparison to Sophie, Mantike and Psyche become evident. So Mercury agrees with his proposal. He moves with Apollo and Virtus, in the company of the Muses and under music of the spheres through all the heavens in the palace of Jupiter to get his approval of his desire. Jupiter had already observed that Mercury practiced many disciplines in order to please the girl. He refined his speech, played the lute and golden lyre, painted and tried his hand at sculpting. “All of this is pleasing and adorns the youthful grace.” Jupiter calls a large assembly of gods. This is followed by a consultation of the gods, which makes a positive decision on the marriage between Mercury and Philologia. Thereafter, Philosophy is given the task of making the decree public.

In Book II, Philologia learns of Jupiter's disposition. At first she hesitates, questions an oracle, but the result of the wedding number is positive. In this way their concerns are allayed, and the marriage covenant seems extremely beneficial. She brews a protective ointment against the heavenly fire. Her mother Phronesis enters her room and brings wedding presents. The next morning the wedding preparations begin; it follows the arrival of the choir of the muses with their hymns of praise. The four cardinal virtues : Prudentia, Justitia, Temperantia and Vires (prudence, justice, moderation and valor) appear to greet them, as do the three graces. A sedan chair is brought in to a great roar, with a bang and castanets. Athanasia, the daughter of Apotheosis, appears and arouses great awe in all those present because of her priestess office. “Up - said she - young woman! The Father of Gods orders that you enter the palace of heaven in this royal litter, which no earth-born woman is allowed to touch by the will of the gods - not even you are allowed to do so before you take my cup. ”Then she strokes Philologia gently Chest and abdomen and noticed that it was full and bloated. "Before you free yourself from all your knowledge, you will not attain immortality." And so Philologia, with the greatest effort, vomits everything she had ever considered in her bosom. They are books in all sizes and shapes, with different covers and characters. Young girls rush over, some Artes, some Disciplinae, and collect from the floor what flows from the young woman's mouth. Athanasia then forms a kind of spherical round shape equipped with life and hands it to the Virgin. Philologia, heated and very thirsty from the exertion, opens the vessel and drinks the colorless, sweet-tasting liquid it contains. And immediately her limbs are strengthened with new elasticity, the earthly power gives way, the heavenly powers come in, without the law of death. This is followed by a wreath with the name Everliving. Now the goddess demands: ascend to the temple of heaven, virgin, worthy of such a covenant. Philologia mounts the wedding chair and a long journey through the divine worlds begins, from the moon circle to the Mercury circle, from the Venus to the sun circle, through Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, up to the sphere of fixed stars. Then she has reached her goal, she is surrounded by fields of light and spring meadows and by the various forms of the zodiac signs. She happily sets out through the Milky Way to the extensive complex of the god Jupiter, where Jupiter with Juno and all the gods enthroned on the highest pedestals and in milky white armchairs await the arrival of the betrothed. Then when Mercury arrives, the whole council of gods rises with admiration. Jupiter personally lets him sit near his own seat. Shortly afterwards, Philologia is invited in, surrounded by muses and accompanied by her mother. Phronesis now demands of Jupiter and all the divine: “Before all eyes, what the son of Maia had prepared for the purpose of the engagement party should be given into the hand of the girl, and yet at the end of the bride there should not be a lack of wedding gifts and then they would like to allow the laws and laws of the Papia and Poppaea to be read out. ”At this highly justified request, the Council of Heavenly Assembly grants the Heavenly Assembly to sift through the gifts and presents. After the groom has been selected, the individual servants are brought in and decorated as beautifully as they are wonderfully.

“So now the myth is closed; the books are now beginning, which subsequently place the arts in their right. ... and show subjects of knowledge, as sober as they are most of the time, but they also don't want to prevent entertainment. "

- G. Zekl, pages 51 and 88

The next seven books introduce the individual arts: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy.

Image program

Fragment III begins with the narrator Martianus and the god Mercury. This is followed by the three personified female figures Mantike, Psyche and Sophia. With a small distance the enthroned wedding god and the bride and groom Mercury and Philologia, who give their marriage vows. Only the apotheosis of Philologias can follow as a conclusion and the only meaningful addition, because the connection between the two is clearly completed in this scene. The blue, almost vertical tape following the scene reports on the shine of the stars and thus indicates the spherical environment for an apotheosis. The carpet has only one line of images with scenes from the marriage of Mercury and Philologia. What the three lower picture lines (always assuming that this picture line was the penultimate from the top) could have included is completely open.

Fragment IV also tells of the marriage of Philologia with Mercury, but in completely different images (the first, probably two, figures are missing). A young god (Mercury?) Sits on a throne and turns to the right with a speaking gesture and facial expression. To whom? Maybe to his father Jupiter, who may be sitting next to him on the throne, his mother Maia, or other gods? In his hand a banner with the promising statement: We will be a name above the ether. On the left joins the bride Philologia, very small and delicate, next to her mother Phronesis. A genius sums up the group of three by his outstretched right hand and eye contact with Philologia. "Castus amor" (Mercury?) On the richly decorated litter also turns to the bride and points to the goddess who appears in half-length at the upper edge, who anticipates her apotheosis, with the words: You will always be one of ours, and Mercury (?) conjures: Let them be immortal.

Both wedding pictures end with the apotheosis of philologia, her elevation to the goddess. In the second carpet, the characters of which are much more narrative, additional images from the story of Martian would make sense, because if the existing line begins with the gods of the wedding ceremony, the beginning of the story and thus the overall understanding is missing. The line below could have described the broad didactic poem in more detail. It certainly begins when Mercury goes looking for a bride, meets the three women Psyche, Mantike and Sophia and a first encounter with Philologia. What has been preserved - as far as can be seen - above the two figures Risus Jovi and Ver in the lower picture line is a standing female figure (Sophia?). This is followed by a wide stripe with a suggested landscape (on it the seated god Apollo?) And then a standing male figure (Mercury, who meets Philologia with her muses?). The fourth line could have represented the seven liberal arts - bridal gifts for Philologia from Mercury - because that is the real concern of the didactic poem, the top line then possibly virtues.

Fragment V, the lower line of the picture of the second carpet, depicts Venus and the elements. Venus with the wheel of fate and Cupid, who moves it, is a beautiful picture for the beginning love story of the couple Mercury and Philologia. Martianus tells how Mercury visits the god Apollo on his journey through the heavenly spheres to ask for his advice on the choice of bride. When Mercury caught sight of him, he was “sitting high on a steep place, from a distance you could already see how he was examining four closed vessels, one after the other, by alternately inspecting their contents; they were of different shapes and made of different metals. One was, as far as one could guess, made of fairly hard iron, another made of the shining material silver, the third seemed to be made of a soft material, the gray lead; on the other hand, the one closest to the god, shone in the sea color of transparent glass. But each of them carried certain basic substances and seeds of things with it. ... The iron vessel sprayed flames, it was called "Summit of Mulcifer" (Hephaistos or Vulcanus), the one made of silver spread a cheerful glow and shone like a mild spring sky, this was called: "Jupiter's Laughter." The one made of heavy metal, full wet winters, cold frosts and also snow and ice, it was called the "corruption of Saturn". But the reflection from the color of the sea… was filled with the original substances of all air, which was known as “Juno's breast”. ”In his list, the elements earth and water are missing. In the carpet picture, the water is represented by the naiad (a water nymph), as is the spring and the air. Autumn and winter and an element, or earth and fire and a season could be added. In the Middle Ages, the four elements were considered to be the components of the universe, the four seasons as the measure of its movement in eternal return. The remains on the banners surrounding fragments IV and V say roughly:

“... O you gods, you who put matter together; rejoice in it ...
... dividing up the leisure hours of life; sweet ornament ...
... this one shines glowing ...
... pray; in between study ... "

The story begins with the lower carpet picture and builds up towards the top. The inscription, however, logically begins at the top. You can read it like a book and first learn about the matter, then about hours of leisure and sweet adornment (bridal show, wedding?), ... this shines glowing ... (apotheosis?), About virtuous life ... pray ... (virtue line?), And study (seven liberal arts?). The first and second lines at the top possibly received a dedication inscription.

The situation with the top line in Carpet I differs from the strips discussed above. This is not directly taken from Martianus' didactic poem. Betty Kurth writes: "[...] in order to accommodate the pagan material for the church purpose, the personifications of the empire and the sacadotium were placed in front of the ancient picture circle as a proemium." of the medieval ruler, the personified empire. The second enthroned figure is a bishop who embodies Sacerdotium. The middle between these two “powers” ​​are the hugging virtues Pietas and Justitia, the main representatives of the earthly and heavenly cardinal virtues. This picture line is seen as the allegorical interpretation of the ancient text: "Quid ergo per Mercurium et Philologiam nisi sponseum et sponsam, id est Christum et Ecclesiam intellegimus." "Mercury and Philology / Bridegroom and Bride / are to be equated with Christ and Church." Reference to the unity of the medieval world order and the union of both powers.

Shape analysis

What is most striking when comparing the carpet fragments with one another are the different framing, the height of the picture lines and the dark blue background strewn with stars in fragments I – III. Then there are the much more monumental figures in these fragments. Another type of face is also striking: extensive, almost strict; The eye area, nose and mouth are outlined by black lines, only the lips are given a little red over the strict black line. The figures in fragments IV – V, on the other hand, appear almost playful: delicate, agitated, elegant. The robes literally swing around the figures, the parts of the body are clearly visible. The faces have full mouths and blush on the cheeks. Due to the strong discoloration of the faces in fragment IV, direct comparisons are only possible to a limited extent, the original drawing is more to be guessed than can really be recognized.

Comparison of the two standing female figures Prudentia (Frag. I) and Phronesis (Frag. IV)

The figure of Prudentia is laid out over a large area. Her robe is laid in broad, stiff folds that do not follow the movement of her figure. The wide, sweeping coat also contributes to the compactness of its shape. Phronesis, on the other hand, very slim, her dress belted at the waist, the position leaning back slightly. Her left leg is clearly visible under the robe, the folds underline the plasticity of the body.

Comparison of Mercury and "Castus amor" in the wedding scene.

In question III. we see a serious Mercury, entirely appropriate to the solemn occasion. His finely patterned robe is tied at the waist with a narrow belt, but the fabric appears thick and firm. Many uncoordinated folds are formed on the right sleeve due to the bulk of the fabric. His right leg is slightly indicated by the folds, but does not allow any real physicality. His fur-lined coat rests evenly on his shoulders and falls stiff and straight.

"Castus amor" in question. IV is in full motion. He points left and turns right. His robe is casually gathered up by a belt and leaves his left, sideways free leg free up to the knee. His coat lies elegantly on his shoulders and is closed by a fibula.

In Carpet I, the corpulent figures in Pietas, Temperantia and Hymenäus are striking. If you initially think of a distortion in Pietas, closer inspection clearly reveals a deliberate, physical fullness. The chest area and upper abdomen hang lushly over the belt, complemented by real "fat folds" in the back area, also with Temperantia. The wedding god Hymenaeus also shows an excessive body around the middle of his body.

The draftsman of Carpet I developed his very own, monumental style here. The physicality of the figures is either almost completely covered by dense masses of material, or he very subtly depicts excessive body. As different as the painters have designed the figures, the cut of the robes always follows the same mix of style elements. The robes of the scholars are taken from classical antiquity; The wide, brocade-like decorative braids and trimmings are Byzantine; courtly, chivalrously, on the other hand, the fashion of the long, wide sleeves in women's clothing and the long robes, the hems of which pile up on the floor and always drape in the same way The design of the wide border of Carpet I could be a model in the embroidered wall hanging (around 1170) to have. Here, too, half-figures and leaf ornaments alternately determine the framing. The palmette border of the second carpet has an exact equivalent in the relief of St. Peter from the Hamasleben monastery church (around 1210).

Cultural environment

Throughout Western Europe, at the end of the 12th and the beginning of the 13th century, a fall back to classical antiquity can be observed. Greek, Byzantine and Roman scriptures are read in the original, translated or even converted into new works. The Thuringian Landgrave Hermann I (around 1155–1217) is particularly committed to historical fabrics. He was particularly interested in ancient texts. Herbort by Fritzlars Liet von Troye is based on a French model, the Estoire de troie des Benoit de Sainte-Maure around 1165. Albrecht von Halberstadt set out on the completely unusual project of translating Ovid's Metamorphoses , the ancient work of metamorphoses , into German. The renewed interest in Ovid's works in the 12th century suggests an Ovidian Age. Other lyricists are to be referred to Thuringia on the basis of indications. B. Heinrich von Morungen , who appears in the documents of Dietrich von Meißen († 1221). This important Central German representative of courtly lyric poetry was not only inspired by the troubadours and Latin hymns, but also by knowledge of ancient subjects. In Braunschweig it is Heinrich the Lion (1142–1195) and his uncle Welf VI. (around 1115–1191) who promote literature. Welf VI. had the Latin Historia Welforum written down around 1170 . The imperial chronicle experienced a mass reception among the German texts. Pfaffe Lambrechts Alexander was also seen in connection with the Guelphs. The Alexander legend is an early example of the reception of antiquity. The Roland song by Pfaffen Konrad - based on the French Chanson de Roland - was probably composed in Braunschweig around 1170. Eilhart von Oberg could also have composed his "Tristan", the first German translation of the Tristan material, in Braunschweig in the 1180s. In Magdeburg, too, the environment was very suitable for developing a developed literacy, as Magdeburg had flourished politically and culturally since the 12th century. With Norbert von Xanten (amt. 1126–1134) come the Premonstratensians, who focus on working in scriptoria. Especially under Archbishop Wichmann, the court was designed to represent princely people. According to the Lauterbach Chronicle, the archbishop turned to the histriones with generosity and noble disposition.

The Quedlinburg abbess Agnes (1145–1203), daughter of Margrave Konrad I of Meissen (called the Great or the Pious), was the cousin of Archbishop Wichmann of Magdeburg and was abbess of the monastery from 1184 until her death in 1203. Her father Konrad I, a clever and power-conscious territorial lord with ties to Friedrich Barbarossa, is now considered the progenitor of the Saxon kings. Due to the close family ties with the leading men of her time, she was also familiar with the intellectual and political currents of the time. She will have been informed of the dispute between the Guelphs and the Staufers about Bishop Wichmann, who was a confidante of Barbarossa. She must have been just as familiar with news of Friedrich Barbarossa's relationship with the popes of his time and the power struggles. It can be assumed that she also knew Wichmann's successor Ludolf von Kroppenstedt (1192–1205). He had studied in Paris and had come into contact with the ideas of the School of Chartres and Alexander Neckam, the author of a commentary on Martianus Capella. Alexander Neckam saw in Mercury, the bridegroom, Christ, and in Philology, the bride, the Ecclesia. Mercury, trader and mediator between the worlds, symbolizes the empire of Christ. Philologia - all sciences unifying spiritual power - Ecclesia, the Church.

With these diverse approaches to topics of ancient tradition and such a strong, political-intellectual interweaving, it is not surprising that the story of Martianus Capella is taken into account in the pictorial program of the Quedlinburg carpets. According to Betty Kurth, the Göttingen copy of the first two books by Martianus Capella from the 12th century could have served as a template for the carpet pictures, since the same errors in the naming of the subjects (Sichem, Manticen, Iminäus and the like) appear in the manuscript.

Résumé

With the inscription "Alme dei vates / decus hoc tibi contulit Agnes / Gloria pontificum famularum suscipe votum" (translated: "Venerable priest of God, Agnes offered you this ornament. Glory of the bishops, take consecration gift to your servants" in Carpet I.) The carpet is said to have been planned by Abbess Agnes von Meißen and created under her direction around 1200. The execution of the huge knotted carpet (5.60 × 7.40 m) should have taken several years The second carpet was perhaps made under Abbess Sophia, Countess von Brehna (Abbess from 1203 to 1226) immediately after the completion of Carpet I. Numerous details and a further development in the representation of the figures in the second carpet point to a later creation of the second carpet.

That it has to be two different carpets results among other things. a. from material findings, e.g. B. the different warp thread density of the fragments. Even a single warp thread less or more over a width of 10 cm is not possible from a purely weaving point of view. The warping of the chain is the starting point for every fabric. The length, width and number of threads are determined. Any addition or removal of thread during the weaving process would make no sense, at best a faulty fabric. The differences in the edging, the height of the image lines and the color of the background also clearly speak for two different carpets. The second carpet was given a completely new design drawing, as can be seen in the wedding scene.

Franz Kugler had already recognized in 1838 that the knotted fragments belonged to two carpets, that the fragments by no means belong to a single carpet. It was not until Julius Lessing's reconstruction (1901), who combined all the existing fragments into a single carpet without recognizing the stylistic and technical differences, that research led on the wrong track for over a century. Far into the twentieth century, Lessing's misinterpretation had consequences for art historical research, which has long handed down Lessing's theses.

The latest reconstructions allow a new view of the context in terms of content and style. It can thus be established that only one line of images in Carpet I is dedicated to the didactic poem by Martianus Capella. In the second carpet, however, three lines deal with the topic - if you add the bottom one with the elements. In particular, the stylistic features of the two carpets make the differences clear. It helps to look at the robes. The monumental design of the figures in Carpet I is particularly striking. The clothing covers the figure and determines the appearance, the figures therefore appear enveloped and stiff. In contrast to the second carpet: the grace in the movements of the figures (fragment IV) of the second carpet refer to a later, softer, more flowing style that is already provided with Gothic elements.

Martianus Capella's didactic poem: “The marriage of philology with Mercury” has only survived in the fine arts in the Quedlinburg carpets. The illustrative design of the pagan theme is mentioned in writing in two sources. It is reported that Duchess Hedwig, the wife of Burchard of Swabia, gave the abbot Immo of St. Gallen a priestly dress on which the wedding of Mercury and Philology was embroidered. And in a vagabond song, Phyllis and Flora, a saddle is described that showed the same material in artistic work. The liberal arts, on the other hand, also in connection with virtues and scholars, we encounter more frequently and are preserved in several works.

Since the dedication line is on the upper edge of the carpet with the star background, and the upper edge must have been created at the very end of the manufacturing process and contains the reference to the Abbess Agnes von Meißen, it can be assumed that the carpet was made before the death of the Abbess was completed, i.e. before 1203. If the carpet had not been completed until long after Agnes' death, it can be assumed that the dedication line would have adorned a different name (that of a successor in office) or would have turned out completely different.

It remains to be clarified which person or institution (“You Glory of the Bishops”) this carpet was intended for, and whether there was a specific reason to create such a monumental carpet, for which there was probably no corresponding model and that alone held a unique position in the art of its time due to its original size.

gallery

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literature

  • Griedemann Goßlau, Rosemarie Radecke: The collegiate church in Quedlinburg . A guided tour through the Romanesque sacred building and the cathedral treasure. Convent-Verlag, Quedlinburg 2003, ISBN 3-9806120-7-4 .
  • Johanna Flemming: The late Romanesque tapestry of the Quedlinburg abbess Agnes , in: Saxony and Anhalt 19 (1997), pp. 517-536 (= Festschrift for Ernst Schubert ).
  • Henrike von Schuckmann: The Quedlinburger and Halberstädter Knüpffragmente , Meine Verlag, Magdeburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-941305-44-1

Web links

References and comments

  1. ^ EF Ranke, Franz Kugler: Description and history of the castle church in Quedlinburg and the antiquities existing in it. Berlin 1838. Franz Kugler: Small writings and studies on art history. First part , Stuttgart 1853, pp. 540–639; there: Description of the antiquities which are kept in the quiver of the castle church at Quedlinburg.
  2. ^ EF Ranke, Franz Kugler: Description and history of the castle church in Quedlinburg and the antiquities existing in it. Berlin 1838, p. 147 f.
  3. ↑ Fundamental: Betty Kurth: The Quedlinburg knotted carpet. In: The German tapestries of the Middle Ages. Vienna 1926, pp. 53-68. Cat. Die Zeit der Staufer , Vol. I – V, Stuttgart 1977, Vol. I, pp. 641–644, in it the reference to the history of the find. Finally: Johanna Flemming: The late Romanesque tapestry of the Quedlinburg abbess Agnes. In: Saxony and Anhalt, Festschrift for Ernst Schubert. Vol. 19, Weimar 1997, pp. 517-536.
  4. ↑ Cat. Zeit der Staufer , 1977, p. 641
  5. ^ Julius Lessing: Max Creutz, Tapestries and Ceilings of the Middle Ages in Germany. Berlin undated (1901), ill. P. 7.
  6. ↑ Cat. Zeit der Staufer , Ruth Grönwoldt, p. 644.
  7. ↑ Henrike von Schuckmann: The Quedlinburger and Halberstädter Knüpffragmente . Magdeburg 2014.
  8. ↑ Ruth Grönwoldt: Two fragments of the Quedlinburg knotted carpet . in: The time of the Staufer, history-art-culture, catalog of the exhibition vol. 1, Stuttgart 1977, p. 641
  9. ↑ R. Grönwoldt, p. 641, also: Betty Kurth, p. 53 .: “The first five words of a dedication inscription have been preserved on the upper margin of fragment b. The addition after news from the time around 1600 is probably correct, since it is a matter of leonic hexameters and the vates of the first line rhymes with Agnes. "
  10. ^ A b Friederike Happach: Quedlinburger Knüpfteppich , in: Restored works of art in the German Democratic Republic. Exhibition in the old Museum in Berlin, Berlin 1980, pp. 308–310.
  11. ^ Fritz Bellmann: Monuments in Saxony-Anhalt . Weimar 1983 fig. 262, p. 401
  12. ↑ Martianus Capella: The marriage of Pholologia with Merkur , translated with an introduction, table of contents and annotations provided by Günter Zekl, Würzburg 2005. Also: Bibliotheca Weidmanniana, Vol. XV.I, Martianus Capella, De numtiias Philologiae et Mercuri, Classical Science / Classical Studies 2011
  13. ↑ G. Zekl, pages 51 and 88
  14. ↑ Betty Kurth, p. 56.
  15. ^ Katharina Klumpp: The Quedlinburg carpet , unprinted dissertation Halle (Saale). 1969, note 2, chap. VII, p. 82ff. and F. Ohly: Song of Songs Studies. Fundamentals of a history of the interpretation of the Song of Songs in the West up to around 1200 , Wiesbaden 1958, p. 242.
  16. ↑ Edith Rothe , Brandenburger Evangelistar, Düsseldorf 1961, ill. P. 16, “The Entry into Jerusalem” and p. 30, “Descent from the Cross”.
  17. ↑ Renate Kroos: Lower Saxony picture embroidery of the Middle Ages , Berlin 1970 p. 26.
  18. ↑ Martin Schubert: Court culture and vernacular writing in Thuringia and Saxony in the 12th and 13th centuries , exhibition catalog: "Aufbruch in die Gotik", Magdeburg 2009, vol. 1, pp. 265–275.
  19. ↑ Martin Schubert: Court culture and vernacular writing in Thuringia and Saxony in the 12th and 13th centuries , exhibition catalog: “Aufbruch in die Gotik”, Magdeburg 2009, vol. 1, p. 269
  20. ↑ Martin Schubert: Court culture and vernacular writing in Thuringia and Saxony in the 12th and 13th centuries , exhibition catalog: "Aufbruch in die Gotik", Magdeburg 2009, vol. 1, p. 271.
  21. ↑ Ruth Grönwoldt: Two fragments of the Quedlinburg knotted carpet . in: Die Zeit der Staufer, history-art-culture , catalog of the exhibition vol. 1, Stuttgart 1977, p. 644
  22. ↑ Betty Kurth, p. 67
  23. ↑ The stylistic proximity of Fragment IV to the Karlsteppich in Halberstadt (dated to the early 13th century) was already seen by Betty Kurth.
  24. ↑ Betty Kurth, p. 55
  25. ↑ For example in the floor painting, Lyon, Ste-Irenee from the 12th century, but here the liberal arts are represented as ancient scholars; in the Hortus Deliciarum, Herrad von Landsperg, Hohenburg 1170; or in the colored pen drawing for “Der welsche Gast” by Thomasin v. Zenclaere, 1250-1260.
  26. ↑ For which church the second carpet was intended remains unanswered. Since the fragments were found in the Quedlinburg women's monastery, the carpet could have been returned to its place of manufacture after the church or monastery for which it was intended was closed. A new political situation would also be possible if the carpet was made for a ruler. Anette Schmidt-Erler, for example, sees the Karl carpet as a representative gift. She writes: "The Karlsteppich could be understood as a manifestation of the hopes and wishes that Konrad von Krosigk and with him his diocese (Halberstadt) linked to the election of Philip of Swabia as German king." From: The Halberstädter Karls- or Philosophenteppich, Berlin 2000, p. 93, in: Harzzeitschrift, Volume 52/53. Perhaps there was a similar situation for the second Quedlinburg carpet. But it is also possible that it was only returned to the Damenstift much later - already in fragments.