Mamluk - a manuscript & Baptistere de Saint Louis

Salvete Omnes,

so  today let perform a swift jump-in-time to  medieval Africa, more than 500 years ago... with a link to a Mamluk manuscript - Islamic Turkish-Kipchak-Circassian rulers of post-Saladin  Egypt and Syria (1250-1517AD). - a handy 'Art of the Mamluk period' essay on the MET platform .- and the famous Baptistere de Saint Louis from Louvre.

Please note the research I have read uses the word  'Mamluk' - with a capital 'M.' While the later Ottoman period warriors of Egypt and Syria who came to fight under Napoleon, after his  invasion of Egypt, are called Mamelukes (of the Imperial Guard)..

I have been a student of Mamluk history and  research (eg via Mamluk Studies Review etc) related to the slave-soldiers concept and execution in the Islamic world, and their state in Egypt and Syria, so I daresay I am somewhat  familiar with the history, especially military history and some of their 'furusiyya' works, of this sultanate and material culture related to their military and horse culture.

 

Below there are some military and war horse related works studied and available in English via net libraries:

About 32 years ago a Mamluk-Kipchak work titled Munyatu' l-Ghuzat was translated into English (the Works of Turkish literature ) -

it is a treatise on horseback riding and mounted training for, naturally, the Mamluk 'askari or warrior-soldier.

about 27 years ago preeminent researcher in the military history  dr David Nicolle wrote a very interesting paper: The Realitiy of Mamluk Warfare: Weapons, Armor and Tactics,( Al-Masaq 1994, pp77-100) -  where dr Nicolle discussed a treatise by a writer from the sultanate - Muhammed ben Isa al Hanafi al Aqsara'i (died 1347AD) - titled The Complete Instructions in the Practices of the Military Art.' Dr Nicolle went on writing many articles and books on the subject of medieval Islamic military, including one on the Mamluk 'Askari (from Osprey Publishing, Warrior series, 2014).

In 2001 Isolde Betty Nettles submitted her dissertation on the Mamluk Cavalry practices - (Univ. of Arizona), where the author discussed aspects of the furusiyya and various knightly equestrian traditions.

 

 and finally the Mamluk  horse manuscript from the British Library. 

all images come from Wiki Commons  - do take a look at their glassware. 

Valete

Magi in Journey - Leiden Saint Louis Psalter

Salvete Omnes,
ha, and there we have a very first post in the brand new calendar year of 2018.
We should go right back to the Magi and their journey ( still several days ahead of this sweetly warm holiday of gift-giving and celebrating the birth of Jesus) as portrayed in the noble medieval art while keeping up with the hipology theme.

So here we have this page from the Leiden Saint Louis Psalter - painted for Geoffrey, Archbishop of York in around 1190AD and later on used by young Saint Louis. The manuscript is presently kept at the Leiden University Library.

Magi - riding pacing horses, highly collected

Holy Family - Madonna and Child are riding a grey mule, as probably the monk-painter and his milieu could not fathom Madonna riding a donkey.  Note that Madonna and Child Jesus are riding side-saddle. The bridle is also very interesting, as we see here a curb-bit and a curb-chain or a chin-strap. 

and another horse from this Psalter, Joseph sold by his brothers is being taken to Egypt as a slave

Valete!
ps
images from Wiki Commons