When an Illuminator Thinks a Scribe is an Ass

Today I was reminded of my favourite example of a medieval illuminator making a visual comment about a scribe. It occurs among the canticles that follow the psalms in the Eadwine Psalter. [1]

Evidence of Medieval(?) Reading-Glasses (Midweek Miscellany 5)

Source

The Colbert Libraries (Midweek Miscellany 3)

The "Histoire de la Bibliophilie" blog has recently posted about the libraries of the various members of the Colbert family, including a family tree; portraits of, and biographical information about, the key individuals; discussions of their auction catalogues; and images of their binding-stamps, including these:

The JBC monogram of Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–83)

A Parchment Hole Used by an Artist (Midweek Miscellany 2)

This really has nothing to do with provenance, but it's too good not to share.

This drawing ...

Detail, recto

... appears in the lower margin of the huge (c.530×370mm) Clumber Bible (France, c.1395):

Full-page view

Detail, verso

The most detailed published description of the manuscript is: Sam Fogg, Illuminated Manuscripts: An Exhibition at the Blumka Gallery, New York (London, 1999), no.12 pp.44–49.