Page f83v
[f83r] [index] [f84r]
Identification
Title: ???
Page: f83v = MR (Rene) = p162 (Stolfi)
Folio: f83
Panels: f83v
Bifolio: bM2 = f76+f83
Quire: M (Rene) = XIII (Beinecke)
Attributes
Language: B (Currier)
Hand: 2 (Currier)
Subsets: B (Rene), bio (Stolfi)
Subject: biological
Colors: red,green,blue (Reeds)
Description
The page contains two blocks of text, separated by a figure. The
top block (unit P1) has 7.5 lines in one paragraph, justified
against the left, top, and right margins. The bottom block (unit
"P2") apparently has two paragraphs of 9.8 and 12.8 lines, both
left-justified; the first paragraph is right-justified, the second
one runs into a figure at right, and ends about one inch above the
bottom margin. The second paragraph seems to be spaced more
openly than the other two.
There are three figures on the page, showing four naked women
("nymphs") altogether. Each nymph is standing knee-deep inside a
"funnel": a tub about two feet wide (in proportion to the nymph),
smoothly connected at the bottom to a tapering horizontal drain,
about half a foot wide. These funnels are not unlike smoking
pipes. The mouth of each funnel has a flat edge, as if cut away.
The first figure (unlabeled?) is squeezed into the top left corner
of the margin, almost flush against the panel's edge. It shows a
single nymph with shoulder-long hair. Her funnel is decorated with
three thin scalloped rings, and its narrow end is attached to the
side of another vertical tube, about half a foot wide. The upper
part of this second tube, above the joint, is decorated with a
line of small circles along its length; it loops once around the
funnel's narrow end, then rises up and bends towards the nymph,
who is holding both hands into the tube's opening. The lower part
of the tube, below the joint, is very short; it splits into three
wavy tapering "roots" dark-painted, with long sprays of dots
coming out from their tips. Alternating with these three roots are
two short pipes, straight smooth, with dark openings at the bottom
but no sprays. A third piece of tubing rises from behind the
nymph, presumably attached to the back side of the funnel or to
the second tube; it has a spray coming out from the top.
The second figure sits between the two text blocks, spanning the
width of the page. It consists of two similar halves that overlap
in the center. The left half shows a nymph standing in a funnel,
with long hair (reaching down to her lower back). The funnel is
decorated with longitudinal rows of dots. Its drain points to the
left, and ends with a bunch of wavy lines, from which falls down a
spray of dots. To the right of the nymph is a large smooth globe,
apparently four feet in diameter, painted dark blue-green.
Attached to the globe, at about 10:00, is a "stalk" or tube of the
same color, about two feet long, that ends with a sharp cut. The
nymph is holding both hands into the open end of this stalk, and
is facing into it. On the opposite side of the globe, at 04:00, is
attached some sort of appendix, light-colored, covered by
transverse wrinkles or rings of scales. This appendix is about
four feet long and one foot wide, flaring out at the attachment
point. It extends out and down, and ends with a short bundle of
parallel curved lines, resembling a liquid flow, and a spray of
dots.
The right half of this drawing is almost a mirror image of the
left half, with several intentional differences. The nymph has
short hair, with curled locks over the ears, held by a headband.
Her funnel is pointing left too (thus breaking the symmetry of the
figure) and is decorated with smooth longitudinal lines. The
"stalk", attached to the globe at 02:00, is 6-8 feet long; it
arches over the nymph's head (who is holding it up with her head
and both hands), then bends down behind her. It ends with forked
brush of wriggly "hairs" and a spray of dots, half of which is
hidden behind the nymph's funnel. The wriggly appendix attached to
the othes side of the globe, at 08:00, crosses in front the
appendix of the other globe, and ends with a spray of small
circles instead of dots.
Each half of this drawing bears a label (unit X), apparently
associated to the nymph or to the funnel.
The third figure lies next to the bottom right corner of the text
area. The nymph has short hair, possibly covered by a "bath cap",
with some sort of flap hanging down over her left ear. Her
funnel is larger than the others in proportion; its dark-painted
"drain" forks after a couple of feet, and the two branches turn
sharply away from each other, ending abruptly after 3-4 feet.
From the end of each drain there comes out a bundle of wiggly
lines, suggesting a liquid flow. Another C-shaped tube, also a
foot wide and decorated with longitudinal lines or grooves,
branches out from the left side of the tub, and ends by the nymphs
head. The nymph is holding her right hand into this tube's
opening, from with comes forth a spray of short lines and dots.
The figure bears two labels (unit Y), one above the nymph's head
another below the tub.
Comments
References
[1] Smythe, Frank. "A Script Full of Secrets" and "The Uncrackable
Code" in "Mysteries of Mind, Space & Time: The Unexplained", pp.
3062-3069. H. S. Stuttman, Inc., Westport, Connecticut, USA.
Copyright 1992 by Orbis Publishing, Inc. [Originally published in
"The Unexplained" in the UK.]
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