A Silver Mantle in the style of a book of artifacts

It's been my goal for a while now to create scrolls that are both historically accurate in both look and size, as well as decidedly different than what we usually see for scrolls in the East Kingdom. 

I had an excellent chance with the Silver Mantle for Cathain Reiter. 

The source is a Heiligthumsbuch - that is, an itemized record of artifacts in Bamberg Cathedral circa 1508. It is a beautiful book that shows mantles with the arms of various donors and noble families and Saints, as well as semi-detailed watercolors of the actual pieces themselves. I chose two pages that were not connected to create a scroll that encompassed all the elements I wanted to display. 

f.2r: The banners and mantle 

                

f.13r: The reliquary containing a horse and rider

I stayed faithful to the lining and calligraphy style though I admit the calligraphy was the very hardest part. I used a #6 Mitchell nib and even still felt that was too large for the spacing I had - it turned out well, but it was very frustrating to finish. I practiced the calligraphy more for this scroll than any other I've ever done. For the sake of sanity I omitted the ink blotches and bleed through that is seen in the original. 

I used the arms of the East and of the recipient for the banners, and created a Silver Mantle mantle out of the mantle with arms. I'm coming to find I really absolutely love to include fabric on a scroll because I find great pleasure in painting fabric. Most important when you're painting a pattern on fabric that is folded is to follow the direction of the fabric - the mantles that are on the part folded over the bar at the top are upside down. Though the recipient's arms are fieldless, I drew inspiration from a heraldic dress she is wearing in a photograph to create her banner. 

The reliquary in the original shows a horse with rider, and a person kneeling next to the horse. I omitted the people from that imagery and focused instead on the horse. It's shown wearing a drape, as her horse has a drape in the photo from which I drew her banner inspiration. 

Many, many thanks to Mayken van der Alst and Alys Mackyntoich for their help in a, translating the original German for me and b, helping smooth phrasing. 

gouache and Pelican ink on pergamenata

Behold, the standard of the East Kingdom born by the Consules of the East, Magnus Tindal and Alberic von Rostock, come to bestow honors on Herrin Cathain Reiter. 

Behold, the arms of Cathain Reiter, a Champion of Horse, a Champion of Archery, to wit: a drawn Horsebow endwise knocked with a Needle threaded Or.

Behold, the badge of the Order of the Silver Mantle, given for prowess in equestrian arts, first given by our Royal Ancestors Brion III and Anna III in the 51st year of the Society.  

Behold, for her unquestionable skill on horseback and unfailing dedication to this martial pursuit, the Consules do by these present letters bestow and endow Cathain Reiter with the Silver Mantle, this gift to be proclaimed to the world in their Second Ethereal Court in the 55th year of the Society.