Cy sensuit histoire de cenobie royne des palumirienes · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Cy sensuit histoire de cenobie royne des palumirienes
Subject: Zenobia; Important Women; Famous Women; Hunting
Period: 1400-1450;
Geographic: Palmyra; Modern-day Syria
Description: This image depicts Zenobia, queen of the Palmyrians, walking through the forest as she hunts with her bow and arrow. She is depicted in the foreground wearing armour and reaching out towards a servant who is carrying her helmet. She is also wearing a crown to demonstrate her royal status. Zenobia was known to have abandoned womanly duties and activities to pursue hunting and more physical activities. Boccaccio explains that she was known to hunt and capture ferocious animals such as bears, leopards, and lions. Zenobia is depicted walking through the trees in the background of the engraving with a bear to the left of her and another animal (what appears to be a horse) to the right.
Image Creator: Master of Boethius (Illuminator)
Type: Text; Illumination
Identifier: mta:25593
Language: frm
Source Name: Des cleres et nobles femmes, De claris mulieribus in an anonymous French translation
Parent Collection: 1410 Paris
Image: mta_25593_OBJ.jpg