The scrolls on this page represent the works completed in the year
2009 (A.S. XLIII to XLIV). To see any of these scrolls in more detail,
click on the corresponding picture. Enjoy!

16X20. Arches linen blend art paper, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair for size. Gothic bastarda calligraphy hand, adapted against a blackletter period style; illumination of vines and leaves as well as gold leafed bars to isolate the text, as per the Schwartzes Gebetbuch, also known as Schwarze Stundenbuch, or 'Black Hours,' style of the late fifteenth/early sixteenth centuries. The gold exterior text around the body of the document is a selection in German from "Wilde Gesellen vom Sturmwind," or "Wild Comrades Blown About By the Wind," a Landsknecht marching song of the early 1500s. The award is a double Lion of An Tir (two recipients, on two different dates). More about this scroll, along with a translation and detail pictures, located here.

16X20. Pergamenta, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair for size. Yasutomo traditional sumi-I ink (imported from Japan, handmade), made from vegetable oil, lead, and soot (do not lick!). Welsh uncial calligraphy; knotwork and circular formed shapes, as per the Book of Kells (Book of Columba), circa 800 AD and the Lindesfarne Gospels (late seventh century, or early 8th century). The circular text around the body of the document is a selection from the Y Gododdin; the earliest surviving Welsh poem. The award is a Patent of Arms for the Order of the Pelican. More about this scroll, along with a translation and detail pictures, located here.

10x14. Pergamenta, gold leaf, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair for size in both pigment and gilding. Done in the general style of a 1580's grant of arms, to celebrate a Tudor reign. The hand is a standard blackletter-fractur variant. This scroll was entered into the competition at An Tir's Twelfth Night 2009, and recieved winning marks in four categories: Period Materials, Drolleries, All that Glitters (use of gold) and Best Calligraphy. The award is a Duchy of An Tir.

10X14. Pergamenta, handmade pigments. Hand-made pigments in binder made of gum arabic, honey and distilled water. Gothic rotunda calligraphy hand; illumination of vines and leaves in the style of rennaissance 1500-1550, as well as gold leafed bars to isolate the text. Handmade oak gall ink was used for the calligraphic lettering. The scroll is an Award of Arms from An Tir.

10x14. Acid-free, handmade watercolor paper, gold leaf, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair to size both pigment and gilding. Done in the general style of the Visconti Hours, as is period for the recipient. The hand is a gothic quadrata variant, modeled after the same reference. The scroll is a Baronial Award (Red Branch) from the Madrone backlog. The text was translated into medieval Italian by a friend at Duke University. The award is a Red Branch from the Barony of Madrone.

10x14. Pergamenta, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair for size. Yasutomo traditional sumi-I ink (imported from Japan, handmade), made from vegetable oil, lead, and soot. Gold lettering and sundries done in 23.5 carat gold foil, overlaid with 23.5 carat gold shell paint. The white vine (also known as 'vermiculato') decoration was used in the 11th and 12th centuries, with a resurgence in Florence in the 15th century. The hand is a natural humanist variant, modeled after the same reference. Weirdly, it's a bit warped, but that's due to the camera and not the art. The award is a Grant of Arms for the Order of the White Scarf.

10x14. Pergamenta, gold leaf, gouache pigment. Hand-made pigments and glair to size both pigment and gilding. A little simpler than I usually do, but I wanted to work on my basic layout, calligraphy and capitals. I particularly like the rich, warm colors of the scroll, and the leaf-like whitework which goes with the title and theme of the award: the red branch of a Madrone tree. The calligraphy was done in a simple fraktur hand, again, working on recovering basic skills. The award is a Red Branch from the Barony of Madrone.

8x11. Acid-free, handmade watercolor paper. Gouache and gold gouache paint; india ink with cut quill. Done in the general style of the Winchester Bible, English c1145-1170. The text hand is a 12th century Gothic script. This scroll was completed so that it could be handed out by Their Majesties, Vik and Inga, on March 14, 2009. While it's not my most "awe-inspiring" work, it was my very first scroll in An Tir, and that makes it very special to me. The award is an Award of Arms from An Tir. <3