Iconographic elements in medieval household miniatures (The specifics of the image of the maternity room in the book illumination of the 14th–15th centuries)
Abstract
The article studies book illustrations of the 14th–15th centuries depicting everyday life in the maternity room. Book illumination depicting the birth of the Virgin Mary, John the Baptist and other saints was chosen as the object of analysis, because, due to the lack of strict dogmatic and necessary correlation with the Holy Scripture, illuminators were feeling freer to depict objects of life. Miniatures depicting scenes of the nativity of saints are visual sources on medieval life, because they represent various interior items, the process of childbirth itself, and traditions of caring for a newborn and his mother. The miniatures mostly depict household items and furniture of the room. The main element of these miniatures is a four-poster bed. In addition, the illuminated manuscripts depict cabinets with expensive dishes, chests, and various types of stools and chairs. Miniatures give information about the process of childbirth and the role of midwives and handmaidens. There were always maids around the woman in labour, offering her food to restore her strength after a difficult birth. These images are intertextual, as they always refer to the Nativity scene. Despite the fact that events represented on the miniatures cover a long period of time, the scenes are depicted without significant changes.
