Tangled Manuscripts

these ‘tangles’ are evidence that some of the ‘Zentangle" patterns, which I’ve understood to be copywritten, are in fact reproductions of “patterns” from hundreds to thousands of years from all over the world. how are they copywritten in today’s world?

Stunning tangles, fine lines, pristine work. Thx for sharing these Rick. Most enjoyable to see the ancients doing what we’re doing!! I wonder if they named their designs?

Just. WOW❣️

As it is written: there is nothing new under the sun

Absolutely delightful Blog. I love illuminated letters and have drooled over The Book of Kells so many times on visits to Ireland. Also the books suggested by Rick and Maria and then these stunning manuscripts. The amazing World of Zentangle and all its ramifications.

I majored in art with a special interest in art history. My favorite period was Medieval art. The illuminated manuscripts from that era were exquisite! And your photos remind me of them. In 2019 my son and daughter-in-law gifted me and her mother the gift of a lifetime – a trip to Ireland!! We got a chance to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin. The holy grail of illuminated manuscripts!! (At least in my opinion-lol!) So your post of those beautiful manuscripts brought back a wonderful memory shared with three special people!

Absolutely gorgeous and inspiring! To imagine that our hands can create patterns that pay homage to scribes from centuries ago is amazing. I also found a fragment that is similar to the angular border pattern: Graticula by Lucy Farran

I enjoy the transformation that happens when we start with the “negative spaces”, so my stepout starts, like Bosch, with alternating triangles. I’m sure there’s more than one way to deconstruct the intertwined pattern, and look forward to seeing others. Thanks for the inspiration/challenge.

Absolutely fascinating – thank you so much for these exquisite photos & the backstory. Now that is a challenge that cannot be refused – shall work on that.

um…. sorry, comment 3 to correct spelling – Benoit Furet :)

A second comment for an extra note – thanks also to Helen for the Benoit Ferret’s work referral – it is amazing!

Another interesting and inspiring BLOG, thanks for sharing! I love old hand-lettering and manuscripts too…. as well as antique hand-painted maps. I actually received the book of ‘Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta’ for Christmas, following Rick & Maria’s session and enthusiasm at zenAgain2021 (also other books shown/shared by Rick & Maria including ‘Leonardo da Vinci and the Secrets of the Codex Atlanticus’).
I followed Rick’s suggestion to ‘play along’ and have sent my step-out to Julie for that intertwining cable-like pattern identified and highlighted by Rick – thanks for the challenge Rick!

Wow, what a great coincidence! Thank you for this blog post.

I was in the middle of creating my new website – for the Zentangle workshops I am planning to give – when your mail about the new Certified Zentangle Teachers from CZT-EU #5 arrived. As I am one of them, I enjoy it very much to be officially welcomed by you!

On my website I have a chapter about The Zentangle Method, about your story and how it became the start of Zentangle. To decorate this I copied a picture of a puzzle initial from an old manuscript (from 1389!), zoomed in on a detail with Mooka’s and illustrated this with some little drawings of Flux, both Maria’s and Ricks versions, and of Mooka (the old and the new version).
I was planning to write next to it: Is this the pattern that started it all?

To read today’s blog post about exactly this subject makes it very special.

These are fantastic! And I want to eat where you guys do! 😄 Thanks so much for sharing!

Rick, those sheets are truly magnificent. However, I tjink they are much older than th 17th or 18th centuries. The writing style is Rotunda, a version ofgothic Blackletter, written in Itsly, Spain and southern France, from thev13th to the 16th centuries. By the later date, printed work had overtaken the manuscript. I believe the sheets are pages from a large book. The sheet behind Maria clearly shows a medieval, four line music stave. The size suggests they are pages from either an Antiphoner or a Gradual. Both were similar books, placed on a stand before a choir or a celebrant, to be read at a distance. But I have no Latin, so I am unableto clarify the text. Those lovely capitals are known as Lombardic. Did they originate in Lombardy or were they invented by a chap called Peter Lombard? Mystery! And now I will be pedantic! The caps are not illuminated. No gold has been used. No light is reflected. They are classed as Decorated. That doesn’t sound so grand but it does not detract from their supreme quality. Alan Quincey on Feb 09, 2022.

Thank you Jenn Braydon. Indeed I deconstructed this pattern long ago and named it Sweda. I will mail a stepout to Julie.

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful documents! Such wonderful talents! I have been fascinated with calligraphy for years, but it wasn’t until I saw Marie’s beautiful pages from her sketch book in the Lecture that was mentioned before of Rick and Marie at NMAI in Newport, RI that I started looking into illuminated manuscripts. The Book of Kells and the Gospels of Lindisfarne are so AMAZINGLY beautiful!!! What amazing talent and patience. Then I learned of “The Grandes Heures of Jean Duke of Berry” I ordered the copy from the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris by Marcel Thomas. . . It is 12 1/2 inches wide, 17 inches tall, with life size copies of the plates. It is an awe inspiring work of art with birds, angels, leaves of multiple colors, numerous historiated initials per page. . . The Duke wanted it to be the best of the best. It is a one of a kind book.
If you have shown these pages before, they are worth repeating! I’m surprised they were in a restaurant and not in a museum! Beauty is all around us if we will only open our minds to it.

Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful documents! Such wonderful talents! I have been fascinated with calligraphy for years, but it wasn’t until I saw Marie’s beautiful pages from her sketch book in the Lecture that was mentioned before of Rick and Marie at NMAI in Newport, RI that I started looking into illuminated manuscripts. The Book of Kells and the Gospels of Lindisfarne are so AMAZINGLY beautiful!!! What amazing talent and patience. Then I learned of “The Grandes Heures of Jean Duke of Berry” I ordered the copy from the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris by Marcel Thomas. . . It is 12 1/2 inches wide, 17 inches tall, with life size copies of the plates. It is an awe inspiring work of art with birds, angels, leaves of multiple colors, numerous historiated initials per page. . . The Duke wanted it to be the best of the best. It is a one of a kind book.
If you have shown these pages before, they are worth repeating! I’m surprised they were in a restaurant and not in a museum! Beauty is all around us if we will only open our minds to it.

Such precious images and words. . Thank you for putting it all together, your generosity in sharing and bringing it to so many people. 🖌✒️🖊✏️ ❤️💙🤎

How lovely to see that manuscript with such glorious precise lettering and superb decoration. I too have worked as a professional and teaching Calligrapher for over forty years and when I started with Zentangle back in 2012, I recognised many of the patterns we used as having originated in medieval times. I suspect that the ‘vellum’ it is written on is more likely to be Calfskin, in that time frame. Goat and sheep skins were also used, but were considered a bit ‘second rate’ in comparison. Calfskin is white and creamy and a dream to write on, especially with your own cut quill, like writing on a satin cushion with your fingernail. I spent years and years doing commissions using similar designs and loved every second. I still make handmade books and do some one on one tutoring, but that lovely photo took me back instantly to all those years ago. Now I am almost eighty and I spend my days pouring love into my Zentangle art work, though I still dabble with my Calligraphy skills, it’s like riding a bike, once learnt you never forget how.

These pictures of illuminated manuscript letters are amazing. Thank you for taking them and for sharing them. Tanglers always notice the patterns are everywhere and we can’t keep our eyes on the road for the patterns we see as we drive along..

I love seeing and being inspired by the illuminated manuscripts, but also enjoyed reading all the wonderful comments and suggestions in the comments. Yes, Benoit Ferret’s work is amazing too!

To Helen ~ Thanks so much for the link to Benoit Furet’s site/blog. It is well worth a visit as it expanded my thoughts of Zentangle practice. I really like the idea of gilding and am thinking of playing with metallics in my next drawings. His “embellished” capitals are lovely.

Wow! I am inspired. Thank you. And More! Rick, please. I learned italic calligraphy years ago. I’m very drawn to the letters themselves. For now I’m going to get out my Zentangle supplies and play, either a deconstructing this or just for fun.

Lovely. Whenever you and Maria refer to the history of Zentangle, I reminisce about that very special and personal adventure as my class (#3) was welcomed into your home as part of our orientation for CZT training. And how many of us bent down to pick up that “tile” off the floor? 😆 LOL