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s056 6440 Valvasor1 Johann Weikhard von Valvasor Die Ehre deß Herzogthums Crain The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola Laibach-Nürnberg 1689 III band Buch IX-XI 2te unveränderte Auflage Rudolfswerth 1877-1879. Druck und Verlag v. J. Krajec Ljubljana Laybach Laibach anno 1673.

Allegorical Representation of Justice and Virtue from Valvasor's Die Ehre deß Herzogthums Crain

This copperplate engraving is an allegorical illustration from the monumental topographical and historical work Die Ehre deß Herzogthums Crain (The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola), originally compiled and published by the Carniolan polymath Johann Weikhard von Valvasor (Janez Vajkard Valvasor) in Nuremberg in 1689.

The image is sourced from the definitive second edition (2te unveränderte Auflage), published as a facsimile reprint by Jožef Krajec in Rudolfswerth (modern-day Novo Mesto, Slovenia) between 1877 and 1879. The engraving depicts a stylized, heavily symbolic figure of a knight or warrior in full plate armor, embodying an elaborate synthesis of civic virtues, heraldic motifs, and Christian iconography characteristic of late 17th-century Baroque allegory.

Iconography and Key Elements

1. The Central Figure (The Warrior/Knight)

•Armor and Stance: The central figure is a bearded, mature man standing in a resolute contrapposto stance upon a dense floral meadow. He is clad in articulated German plate armor (Maximilian-style or late Renaissance type), emphasizing military strength, structural order, and chivalric defense.

•The Rooster Crest: Atop his helmet (resembling a morion or open-faced sallet) rests a prominent rooster with a raised tail, serving as a crest. In Baroque emblematics, the rooster traditionally signifies vigilance (vigilantia), the coming of light, and triumph over spiritual or political darkness.

•The Lamb (Agnus Dei): Emblazoned on the center of the breastplate is a recumbent lamb, a direct Christian symbol representing innocence, purity, and Christological sacrifice, suggesting that physical or political might must be guided by spiritual humility.

2. The Banner and Lance

•In his right hand (viewer's left), the knight holds a massive, fluted tournament lance resting on the ground.

•Affixed to the lance is a large, flowing vexillum or heraldic banner. It features a prominent multi-layered heraldic rose (resembling the Rose of Lippe or Luther rose motifs). In European heraldry, the rose symbolizes beauty, divine grace, or confidentiality (sub rosa), indicating that council or governance is conducted with discretion.

3. The Escutcheon (Coat of Arms)

•Positioned near the knight’s right knee is an elaborately carved cartouche shield.

•Blazonry: The shield depicts a lion rampant facing sinister (to the viewer's left), surmounted by a balance scale in the chief position. The iconographic pairing of the lion (representing fortitude, sovereignty, and courage) with the scales (representing equity and the rule of law) is a classical representation of a well-governed state or free imperial city.

4. Implements of Justice and Measurement

•In his left hand, the figure holds a secondary, large set of equal-arm analytical balances suspended by chains, reinforcing the primary motif of Iustitia (Justice).

•Suspended from his belt—where a martial weapon like a sword or dagger would typically hang—are foundational stonemasonry and architectural tools, including a try square, plumb-bob, and leveling instrument. This substitution underscores the theme of civic architecture, societal construction, and the geometric precision required for stable governance and the rule of law.

5. Landscape and Foreground Florilegium

•Flora: The ground is rendered as a dense, scientifically stylized florilegium, featuring distinct local botanical varieties including lilies, asters, and deeply veined foliage. This rich flora serves as an allegory for the natural fertility, prosperity, and cultural blossoming of the Carniolan landscape.

•Background: The background is minimally rendered with faint, horizontal cloud lines, a common printmaking convention designed to isolate the central subject and elevate its symbolic readability.

Typographical Markings and Signatures

•Plate Identification: Centered directly below the bottom border line is a capital letter "B", functioning as a signature mark or plate designation used by late 17th-century bookbinders to ensure correct collation during assembly.

•Monogram: In the lower-right corner of the inner frame, a faint monogram signature is visible (associated with the master engravers active at Valvasor's proprietary graphic workshop at Bogenšperk Castle / Schloß Wagensperg).

•Bibliographical Annotation: The contemporary modern text printed outside the lower border tracks the specific archival cataloging data (s056 6440), confirming the volume (Band III, Books IX–XI) and the chronological provenance spanning from the 1689 Nuremberg archetype to the 1870s Krajec press edition.

s056 6440 Valvasor1 Johann Weikhard von Valvasor Die Ehre deß Herzogthums Crain The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola Laibach-Nürnberg 1689 III band Buch IX-XI 2te unveränderte Auflage Rudolfswerth 1877-1879. Druck und Verlag v. J. Krajec Ljubljana Laybach Laibach anno 1673.

Na priloženoj grafici (bakrorezu) prikazana je alegorijska ili povijesna figura ratnika u punom oklopu, bogata simboličkim elementima heraldike, pravednosti i kršćanske ikonografije.

Prema popratnom tekstu na dnu, grafika potječe iz znamenitog djela Janeza Vajkarda Valvasora „Die Ehre deß Herzogthums Crain” (Slava Vojvodine Kranjske), izvorno objavljenog 1689. godine u Nürnbergu, a ovdje se radi o kasnijem neizmijenjenom izdanju (2te unveränderte Auflage) koje je tiskao J. Krajec u Novom Mestu (Rudolfswerth) između 1877. i 1879. godine.

Evo detaljnog opisa svih ključnih elemenata na slici:

1. Središnja figura (Ratnik/Vitez)

•Oklop i stav: U središtu je bradati muškarac zrele dobi, odjeven u detaljno izrađen pločasti oklop (maket) karakterističan za kasni srednji vijek i renesansu. Stoji u čvrstom stavu na cvjetnoj livadi, s blago raširenim nogama.

•Kaciga i krijesta: Na glavi nosi kacigu (morion ili sličan tip vojničke kacige) na čijem vrhu, kao krijesta, stoji pijetao u ponosnom stavu s podignutim repom. Pijetao povijesno simbolizira budnost, svjetlo i pobjedu nad tamom.

•Jaganjac (Agnus Dei): Na prsnom oklopu (naprsniku) jasno je istaknut reljef ili amblem jaganjca koji leži. Ovo je snažan kršćanski simbol (Jaganjac Božji) koji predstavlja nevinost, žrtvu i čistoću.

2. Zastava i koplje

•U svojoj desnoj ruci (lijeva strana slike), vitez drži dugačko, masivno turnirsko koplje koje se oslanja o tlo.

•Na vrhu koplja vijori se velika zastava (baner). Na zastavi je prikazana velika, stilizirana ruža s više slojeva latica (heraldička ruža). Ruža u heraldici često označava ljepotu, milost, ali i povjerljivost (sub rosa). Zastava se u velikom luku savija i vijori iza viteza prema desnoj strani slike.

3. Štit i heraldički elementi

•Ispred vitezova desnog koljena nalazi se heraldički štit (grb) neobičnog, izrezbarenog oblika.

•Unutar štita prikazan je propeti lav okrenut ulijevo, dok se iznad njega, u gornjem dijelu štita, nalazi prikaz vage. Spoj lava (snaga, hrabrost, vlast) i vage (pravda) ukazuje na pravednu vlast ili simboliku određenog grada/regije.

4. Simboli pravde (Vaga i alati)

•U svojoj lijevoj ruci vitez drži još jednu, veliku vagu s dva tasa koja visi na lancu, što dodatno naglašava motiv Iustitie (Pravde).

•O pojasu mu, umjesto klasičnog mača, visi tesarski ili zidarski alat (kutnik/prevjes i visak), što može imati cehovsko, graditeljsko ili šire simboličko značenje (izgradnja poretka, stabilnost, točnost).

5. Okoliš i pozadina

•Flora: Vitez stoji na tlu koje je bogato obraslo gustim, detaljno iscrtanim poljskim cvijećem i biljem (vidljivi su ljiljani, krizanteme i razni listovi). Bilje simbolizira plodnost, prirodu i procvat zemlje (Kranjske).

•Pozadina: Pozadina iza viteza je minimalistička, s blagim obrisima oblaka na nebu, čime se fokus zadržava na detaljnoj figuri i njezinim simbolima.

6. Oznake i tekst

•Pri samom dnu grafike, točno na sredini, nalazi se veliko tiskano slovo „B”, koje vjerojatno označava redoslijed ploče ili ilustracije u knjizi.

•U donjem desnom kutu same ilustracije uočljiva je monogram-signatura umjetnika/engravera (slova JW ili slično, karakteristično za radove iz Valvasorove radionice u dvorcu Bogenšperk).

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