Book/Printed Material The Flower of Nature. Der naturen bloeme
About this Item
Title
- The Flower of Nature.
Other Title
- Der naturen bloeme
Summary
- Jacob van Maerlant (circa 1235-1300) was arguably the most important Dutch poet of the 13th century. He produced a verse translation of the Bible (the Rijmbijbel) and an adaptation, Spiegel historiael, of the Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais (died 1264), a history of the world to the year 1250. The manuscript shown here, Der naturen bloeme (The flower of nature), is an adaptation of De natura rerum (The nature of things) by the philosopher and theologian Thomas of Cantimpré (circa 1200-circa 1270). De natura rerum ultimately derives from classical sources, the oldest of which is the Physiologus, a Greek text written in Alexandria in the second century, in which some 50 animals, monsters, and minerals are described. For his Dutch translation, van Maerlant somewhat shortened the text by Thomas of Cantimpré; in 13 books, he consecutively discusses man, quadrupeds, birds, fish and other sea creatures, reptiles, insects, trees, medicinal herbs, sources, gems, and metals. The order is roughly alphabetical by (Latin) name. In this manuscript from the National Library of the Netherlands, Der naturen bloeme is preceded by a calendar for Utrecht and a number of short treatises, including De natuurkunde van het geheelal (The natural history of the universe) by one Brother Gheraert van Lienhout (flourished 1280-1320), an astrological work, and a small number of recipes. Van Maerlant's work begins on folio 38 recto. The manuscript was produced around 1350 in either Utrecht or Flanders; the precise location is difficult to ascertain. It contains some 460 miniatures besides a number of drawings of the heavenly spheres (from folio 9 recto), some of which are unfinished. The most striking illuminations are those of homines monstruosi, strange races said to live in distant lands. Among them are cannibals, the cyclops, people with only one leg, and people with feet so large they could be used as a parasol. Not much is known about the provenance of manuscript. The Dutch Academy of Sciences acquired the manuscript in 1812 from the estate of G. Th. van der Capellen and his wife F.J. d'Hangest d'Yvoy. The earliest reference to it is in the catalog of an auction held in The Hague on September 6, 1779, which shows that it was in the possession of the Hague bookseller Cornelis van Buuren. In that catalog, the manuscript is described as "very old, but clean and well-kept" and "an excellent show-piece."
Names
- Gheraert, Broeder, flourished 1280-1320 Author.
- Maerlant, Jacob van, 1235?-1300 Author.
- Thomas, de Cantimpré, approximately 1200-approximately 1270 Contributor.
Created / Published
- [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1340 to 1350]
Headings
- - Belgium--Flanders
- - Netherlands--Utrecht
- - 1340 to 1350
- - Animals
- - Curiosities and wonders
- - Illuminations
- - Monsters
- - Natural history
- - Science, Medieval
Notes
- - Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
- - "The manuscript of Der naturen bloeme is part of the extensive loan from the Koninklijke Academie van Wetenschappen (Dutch Academy of Sciences), given to the National Library of the Netherlands in 1937."--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
- - Original resource extent: 164 folios : parchment ; 278 x 208 millimeters.
- - Original resource at: National Library of the Netherlands.
- - Content in Middle Dutch (ca. 1050-1350).
- - Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
Medium
- 1 online resource.
Source Collection
- Illuminated Manuscripts from Europe
Digital Id
Library of Congress Control Number
- 2021668057
Online Format
- compressed data
- image
LCCN Permalink
Additional Metadata Formats
IIIF Presentation Manifest
Part of
Format
Contributor
- Gheraert, Broeder, Flourished
- Maerlant, Jacob Van
- Thomas, De Cantimpré, Approximately 1200-Approximately 1270