#   Three concentric rings of text (units "R1" through "R3", inner to
#   outer), each bounded by a pair of faint, mechanically drawn
#   circles.
#
#   Just outside the innermost ring of text there is a narrow band of
#   abstract decoration (Greek-like meanders, notched strips,
#   hatching, etc., and "notched square" motifs), delimited by another
#   mechanical circle.
#
#   One can see a small portion (the Northwest quarter, mostly) of
#   another mechanical circle, just inside the middle ring of text.
#   This arc of circle appears to bound, and even clip, the "nymph"
#   drawings inside it (see below).
#
#   In the centre of the diagram there are two fish, the top one
#   facing West, the bootom one facing East. Each fish has a long,
#   smooth, pointed snout (vaguely like a tapir's) and horizontal
#   mouth (the top fish is smiling, the other is sad). The body is
#   slender like a sturgeon's, with four rows of coarse scales. 
#   To the body are attached a triangular tail, pectoral and ventral fins
#   (presumably paired), and two short dorsal fins (one just behind
#   the head, one 2/3 of the way to the tailfin). The tailfin is lobed
#   and divided into "feathers", like a bird's tail.
#
#   Rene reports [04 Apr 1999] that the fishes are drawn in the same
#   ink as the text; while the "month name" is in slightly darker ink.
#
#   There is a seven-pointed star above the fish, with a Voynichese
#   label (unit "C"); and another one below, unlabeled. Between the
#   two fish there is a word in non-Voynich script, whose strokes
#   seem thicker and more angular than the Voynichese label above.
#
#   Two thin threads connect the fishes' mouths to the top star. The
#   threads merge just below the star, and connect to it between its
#   two lower rays. Both threads run clockwise; the lower one passing
#   below the fishes, thickens shortly after leaving the fish's mouth,
#   and at its lowest point it sends off a branch that connects to the
#   highest ray of the bottom star.
#
#   Between the inner and middle rings of text there is a broad band
#   containing 10 human figures or "nymphs", each coming out of a
#   horizontal cylinder, painted green. These cylinders look like
#   sections of drainage pipe, with flanges at both ends (cf. f78r).
#   All cylinders, except the one at 11:00, open counterclockwise, and
#   the nymphs face in the same direction. The nymphs have most of
#   their legs inserted horizontally into the "pipes", but bend quite
#   unnaturaly, bacwards or sideways, so that their torso is upright
#   (i.e. radial, with the head outwards).
#
#   Between the middle and the outer text rings are 19 (not 20)
#   nymphs. All are standing (radially, with the head outwards); all
#   are in frontal view, or slightly turned towards the clockwise
#   direction. Each of these nymphs is inside an upright barrel or
#   basket, reaching up to her waist (with only a couple of
#   exceptions). In proportion to the nymph, the barrel is about two
#   feet wide, and has a "lip" a couple of inches wide. All barrels
#   are decorated with various abstract patterns---stripes, hatchings,
#   circles, waves, etc.. The base of the barrel is hidden by the text
#   band. The four nymphs at the top, between 11:00 and 01:00 are
#   smaller and more cramped than the rest (and so are their barrels).
#
#   All figures are naked, and seem to be female: all have (or may
#   have) full breasts, and many have visible nipples. (But the inner
#   nymph at 09:00 seems to have nipples below her breasts.)
#
#   There is a star (or flower) next to each nymph, supported by a
#   wire-like tail---sometimes straight, sometimes S-shaped. All inner
#   nymphs except 10:00, 09:00, 08:00 are holding their stars by the
#   "tails". All other nymphs have their hands hidden inside the
#   barrels, and the star tails are coming out of the containers or
#   cylinders.
#
#   Each of the 29 figures is labeled with a ``word'' or phrase of
#   Voynich text (text units "S1" and "S2", inner and outer bands).
#   The spacing suggests the label is always placed at the right (i.e.
#   clockwise) of the corresponding nymph.
#
#   The following table summarizes the nymph attributes. The "spos"
#   column says whether the star is placed clockwise ("cw") or
#   counterclockwise ("ccw") of the nymph; for inner nymphs that is
#   also the direction where the tube is open. The "hold" column says
#   whether the nymph is holding the star (by a ray, or by the tail if
#   present). The "brst" column tells whether the nymph has visible
#   female breasts.
#
#     band  label place brst spos tail hold notes
#     ----- ----- ----- ---- ---  ---- ---- ----------------------
#     inner S1.1  11:30 ?    cw   no   yes  
#     inner S1.2  00:15 ?    ccw  no   yes  right arm raised     
#     inner S1.3  01:30 ?    ccw  yes  yes? 
#     inner S1.4  03:00 yes  ccw  yes  yes  
#     inner S1.5  04:15 yes  ccw  yes  yes  
#     inner S1.6  05:30 yes  ccw  no   no   
#     inner S1.7  06:15 yes  ccw  no   yes  
#     inner S1.8  07:30 ?    ccw  no   ?    on top of fold  
#     inner S1.9  09:00 yes  ccw  yes  no   nipples under breasts?
#     inner S1.10 10:15 ?    ccw  yes  no   
#
#     outer S2.1  11:30 no   cw   yes  no   smaller
#     outer S2.2  11:45 no   cw   yes  no   smaller
#     outer S2.3  00:15 yes  cw   yes  no   smaller
#     outer S2.4  00:30 yes  cw   yes  no   smaller   
#     outer S2.5  01:00 yes  cw   yes  no        
#     outer S2.6  01:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.7  02:00 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.8  02:45 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.9  03:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.10 04:15 no   cw   yes  no   male?
#     outer S2.11 04:45 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.12 05:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.13 06:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.14 07:00 no   cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.15 07:45 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.16 08:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.17 09:30 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.18 10:15 yes  cw   yes  no   
#     outer S2.19 10:45 yes  cw   yes  no   
#
# Last edited on 1999-04-06 07:44:03 by stolfi
