I would consult a source on the making of book and paper in the period contemporaneous with Arcimboldo's work. I read in the Grove Dictionary online that Arcimboldo made drawings depicting silk. So he was interested in how things are made.
There may be some mention of the process of book making in the late sixteenth century in "The Book on the Bookshelf" by Petroski (2000). I'm guessing that it is a natural fiber (papyrus?) from which paper was derived in sixteenth century Italy, but that is only a guess.
Good luck,
Jean Boggs
Librarian
Hostos Community College
475 Grand Concourse
Bronx, New York 10451 Room 207G
Phone: 718-518-4298
-----Original Message-----
From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kathy Zimon
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 12:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARLIS-L] can you identify this "mustache"?
Except that doesn't fit with the fact that the whole image is made up of
books, or their parts, e.g., the ear is a ribbon that's attached to a
book. I suggested the feather end of a quill pen - it's a stretch
visually, but a writing implement is closer to books than a mussel. The
two bits in the middle could be a mouth or lips showing through? Or
could there be a clue in the book titles?
Erin Blake wrote:
>An unopened and fairly flat mussel, in profile? Definitely something with bilateral symmetry along the horizontal axis... See http://www.ocparks.com/tidepools/graphics/Mussel4.jpg for a non-profile view of a mussel shell that I could imagine turned on its side as that moustache.
>
> EB.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ART LIBRARIES SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST on behalf of K.C. Elhard
> Sent: Wed 7/20/2005 3:14 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Cc:
> Subject: [ARLIS-L] can you identify this "mustache"?
>
>
>
> Hello. I have been investigating the painting of a man made
> out of books, _The Librarian_ (1566), by Giuseppe Arcimboldo,
> and I am also interested in a modified version of the image
> by Georg Philipp Harsdörffer (1642).
>
> I would appreciate your expert assistance in identifying the
> object acting as the "mustache" (I think) in Harsdörffer's
> print. The url below should take you to this image.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/99nmt
>
> I look forward to receiving your responses--thanks very much
> for you help! --K.C.
>
>
> Ms. K.C. Elhard
> Humanities Cataloger
> University Library
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> 220 Main Library, MC-522
> 1408 West Gregory Dr.
> Urbana, IL 61801
> 217-265-6242
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Ms. K.C. Elhard
> Humanities Cataloger
> University Library
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> 220 Main Library, MC-522
> 1408 West Gregory Dr.
> Urbana, IL 61801
> 217-265-6242
> [log in to unmask]
>
> __________________________________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
--
Kathy Zimon
Co-Editor, Art Documentation
ARLIS/NA
__________________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
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Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
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