[Vwoolf] What do you think these are?

[Denise Marshall]

What about a Kaleiscope?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope#History
 the painting could be a historical ref which Woolf certainly would have
been familiar with.

Denise Marshall
Reference
Fairleigh Dickinson University

On Mon, Sep 29, 2014 at 7:50 PM, Caroline Webb <
caroline.webb at newcastle.edu.au> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I'm not actually convinced that the larger object is a
> telescope/spyglass.  Is this an accepted identification?  Telescopes were
> very new indeed (Wikipedia says 1608, but Gribbin's History of Science says
> it was developed by Leonard Digges in the 1550s but not publicised for a
> long time).  That's not in itself necessarily a problem--nobles were
> patrons and made a point of getting new things--but this one looks
> seriously small, even if what we're seeing is the eye-piece; in fact there
> seems to be indentation just past there, which wouldn't make sense for a
> telescope.  It looks to me to be a recorder, a very popular instrument at
> the time--we're seeing the bottom end of it.  The boy is being shown as a
> musician, a respectable amateur activity for a noble; Henry VIII (yes, that
> was earlier) owned 76 recorders, apparently, and was a composer himself.
>
> In any case I don't think the pale objects are felt pads.  In this sort of
> painting the details are important/symbolic, and I don't see these
> particular accessories (to telescope or recorder) being seen as worthy of
> inclusion.  Game counters seem much more likely.
>
> Caroline
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vwoolf [mailto:vwoolf-bounces at lists.osu.edu] On Behalf Of Danell
> Jones
> Sent: Tuesday, 30 September 2014 3:37 AM
> To: 'Jeannette Smyth'; VWOOLF at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] What do you think these are?
>
> How about pieces from a board game? One for each boy--suggesting they are
> players in some large game or intrigue?
>
> If  you know where it is/who owns it, I am sure you could write to the
> curator and ask what they are.
>
> When you find out, let us know!
>
> Danell
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vwoolf [mailto:vwoolf-bounces at lists.osu.edu] On Behalf Of Jeannette
> Smyth
> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 11:23 AM
> To: VWOOLF at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: Re: [Vwoolf] What do you think these are?
>
> They pixelate when zoomed on. I think they look like lens caps, not
> separate lenses, as I first thought. I do think they are accessories for
> the telescope and not felt pads. Would not a nobelman's telescope in 1610
> have its own fitted case, and not be left lying out on the cocktail table?
>
> I suspect, that in 1610, when Galileo himself was discovering Jupiter's
> moons through a telescope, young Edward's telescope symbolizes everything
> Renaissance/heliocentric/humanist that could be symbolized. Lens caps off!
> Yet, it revolves!!! (Galileo was not declared a heretic until 1616, I
> think.
> But there was Copernicus to deal with.)
>
> Jeannette Smyth
>
> On Sep 29, 2014, at 8:20 AM, Vandivere, Julie wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > The first edition of Orlando had this as one of its illustrations.
> > What
> do you think the little white circles are on the table?
> >
> > I know the illustration was done at Knole by an unknown artist and is
> > of
> Edward Sackville West "The Two Sons of Edward, 4th Earl of Dorset by
> Cornelius Nule in about 1610. In Orlando, the painting appears in black and
> white, but here I am including the colored one because I would love
> speculation on what the two white dots on the table are. They look like
> felt pads.  I know this might seem a bit silly, but I'm using the painting
> to make an argument.
> >
> > They look like felt pads and might be to guard the glass on the
> > telescope
> that is lying on the table. But I'd hate to make that argument without
> some input. Necco wafers?
> >
> >
> >
> > <ORL_13585127053.jpeg>
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