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.
