Easter AD 2025

 Salvete Omnes,

Raphael Santi's Resurrection , currently in Brazil 

it is a beautiful Sunday - Easter Sunday 

happy Easter - wesolego Aleluja, Chrystus zmartwychwstał! Prawdziwie zmartwychwstał  - Χριστὸς ἀνέστη! Ἀληθῶς ἀνέστη! 

..

and a very interesting 1420s (XV century) northern German painting of Crucifixion, unknown master

. we can observe wide (woven?) cinches,  richly decorated bridles and tack,  dyed-leather large pommel and cattle saddles with skirts, rowel spur, long-leg ridding with heavy stirrups, and their riding attire of  the period. The gray stallion has his forelock gathered and tied up (Eastern or steppe fashion).

enjoy

Valete

Saddle from the MET AD1400-1420

 Salvete Omnes,

another beautiful Central European (Bohemian or Hungarian? ) parade, bone-ivory, saddle the great American museum - here the site.

Dimensions: Overall ((a) Saddle): 13 5/16 × 20 1/2 × 13 5/8 in. (33.8 × 52.1 × 34.6 cm) 

Overall (b-blanket): 30 7/8 × 27 1/4 in. (78.4 × 69.2 cm)

note the beautiful eagle 

enjoy

Valete

Saddle circa AD1400 - MET

 Salvete Omnes,

a parade saddle from MET -  

Dimension:
H. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm); L. 20 in. (50.8 cm); W. 16 in. (40.6 cm)

enjoy

Valete

Saddle from MET circa AD1450

 Salvete Omnes,

another beautiful XV century bone parade saddle from the New York City museum 

From the MET comes this description:

The shape, with its low, splayed cantle (rear of the seat), was characteristic of eastern European saddles, but the exact place of origin and original purpose of these examples of elaborately carved bone are unknown.

Dimension: H. 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm); L. 22 in. (54.8 cm); W. 17 in. (43.2 cm)
Enjoy

Valete

Semana Santa in full swing - with a Crucifixion by Conrad Laib

 Salvete Omnes,

let us pray for peace and end of human suffering around the world as the Easter holiday is upon us.

we, in the Catholic Christianity, are in the Semana Santa - Holy Week/Swiety Tydzien, aleady in the third day of this last day of Lent.
Last year I did a post  about Semena Santa in Spain and Palm-frond like arrangements - you can take a look here.

And  I would like to share this Crucifixion by Conrad Laib (c.1410-1460), active in Salzburg, Holy Germany Empire. 

Apart from the religious subject matter and artistic value, this work contains lots of information about the horses, horse tack and armor and even weapons of the era.

Bridles, spurs, stirrups, bits - a bonanza of material culture .

here clearly a white mule, animal for clergy, with a very sumptuous bridle an saddle  

a do watch again the famous masterpiece - 'The Passion of the Christ' by Mel Gibson (or any other film about the Passion of Christ) 

Valete

A little more of XV century Epiphany

 Salvete Omnes,

since this is the Epiphany weekend, so   let us enjoy  it as it lasts, with snow and wind around and around, and more medieval imagery.

In this post-   the Northern Renaissance master Hans Pleydenwurff painted this  Three Kings altar   for the Saint Lawrence church in Nuremberg.

The altar's central panel is the most interesting per this blog's equestrian theme. We have a cornucopia of horse tack, saddles and riding equipment - very interesting for further study. 

enjoy

valete

XV century cavalry charge ..at Brandenburg Castle, Lauchröden

 Salvete Omnes,

a quick post - but amazing video and event

scan from the video recording by Iron Crown Workshop

Ecuyer and chivalry reenactor  Arne Koets and many fine reenactors of the European Medieval chivalry gathered at Lauchroden, Germany and it resulted in this recording: a XV century cavalry charge reenacted.

The camp was called Feldlager at the Brandenburg, Lauchröden and many reenactors from Poland also came, what is why you are seeing the flag -White Eagle on the red field - of our Polish Masovian Piast dukes in the second row of the charging knights. 

XIV century Armorial de Gelre, foilio 52 shows our king's Louis of Hungary coat of arms and some of our Polish Piast dukes coats of arms, including the White Eagle of duke Siemowit IV of Mazowsze (Mazovia) - he was prince of the Rawa Land, my country...and he should have been our king and not the Lithuanian pagan  aka Wladyslaw Jagiellon.  Nota bene duke Rupert of Legnica was married to Jadwiga of Zagan, the widow of our king Kazimierz Wielki and mother of his 3 daughters who were not allowed to inherit our Kingdom, and the dukes Ruper and Jadwiga  had 2 daughters. 

Photographer Jan Stabl has an album on his page where you can see and admire the reencators from this 2023 Feldlager. Also Bertus Brokamp made some very fine photos available - nota bene on Bertus' page you can see the reconstruction of the leather bard ( horse armor) and many finest points of chivalrous reconstruction and reenactment, like jousting. Burgine site also has photos to beheld and enjoy.

Hail to the chivalry and reenactors! 

Enjoy

Jean Le Tavernier - a Burgundian miniaturist

 Salvete Omnes,

2023 Dog Days of the Summer are in full swing - albeit not for Franch cities, Ukraine, Sudan and some other places in this world. 

I would like to bring to your attention to this manuscript - 'Advis directif pour faire le passage d'oultre mer[...]' via Gallica, French National Library - by Jean le Tavernier ( ) , a Burgundian artist, who worked for the Burgundian rulers and died in Oudenaarde circa  1462AD. This manuscript, originally by Bernard de la Broquiere,  was translated from Latin into French by Jean Mielot.

Bertrand de la Broquiere , the author of the translated manuscript 

detail of the page showing Bertrand presenting a copy of the Koran to duke Philip  

 

duke on a caparisoned horse with lords and retainers, armored lancers

armored lancers & horse trumpeters 

plate armored lancers and a windmill , wheelbarrow etc 

and the famous view of the siege of Constantinople by the Ottoman forces 

coat of arms of duke Philip III of Burgundy

beauty of the illuminations 

Valete