Given the freezing rain today and twenty degree weather tomorrow I’m not shooting so I thought I would post on a topic that is of absolutely no use to anyone. I’d like to clear up a few things about Perazzi engravings. First engraving number 112 shown below:
The creatures shown have been referred to variously as “gargoyles”, “dragons” or “gryphons “. They are none of the above. These are wyverns. Wyverns are two-legged dragon-like creatures with long pointed tails that were often used in heraldry hence their use here. They do not spit fire but can spit noxious substances. Next engraving 25:
PSA has described this as a Griffon. It is not. Griffons (or giffins or gryphons) have the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. This is the winged lion, symbol of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. It is fitting that flowers are spewing from its mouth because it was a symbol of both war and peace. The bottom side of the engraving shows angels holding dead game which I did not think could happen until I came upon the following scholarly work by Larson:
I hope this clears things up.
The creatures shown have been referred to variously as “gargoyles”, “dragons” or “gryphons “. They are none of the above. These are wyverns. Wyverns are two-legged dragon-like creatures with long pointed tails that were often used in heraldry hence their use here. They do not spit fire but can spit noxious substances. Next engraving 25:
PSA has described this as a Griffon. It is not. Griffons (or giffins or gryphons) have the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. This is the winged lion, symbol of Saint Mark, the patron saint of Venice. It is fitting that flowers are spewing from its mouth because it was a symbol of both war and peace. The bottom side of the engraving shows angels holding dead game which I did not think could happen until I came upon the following scholarly work by Larson:
I hope this clears things up.