Cambrai Channsonier,  MS. 126B fol. 132v,  Bruges 1542   Bibliothèque Municipale,

When you look through this 16th-century songbook made for a Bruges aristocrat you see it’s filled with artistic, decorative daily life images. But it also includes many that are bluntly bizarre or crazy.

It’s the Cambrai Chansonnier, MS 0128 dated 1543. Its fun pictures are delicately drawn in pen and ink then enhanced with color washes.

I love the clever images you see worked through a music staff. And those useing the staff lines as a panorama picture frame.

While it’s decorative versals may be creative floral combinations, many you see are just weird, like this anthropomorphic versal.

I get the scribe created the unique posture to make a capital “A”. But why dream up the weird behavior? And this is one of the kinder weird images. Some are too inappropriate for even my blog.

If you’re curious have a look. There are so many images to recreate you can be selective. Consider the intended recipient’s values and your pictures purpose.

Above all have fun, because the original artist did. Or the perplexing images wouldn’t have been created.

Related Prior Post:
You can see others in my series Perplexing Pictures In Manuscripts: 1, 2, 3.