The Omnipresent Helix: Between Ink and Embroidery

The helix (chain, braid) is a term I chose to designate the category of line-fillers that appear in the form of two interwoven red threads. This is by far the most prevalent group in the MS Western 097. What drives the unusually high frequency of this perfectly ordinary decorative unit? The first answer that comes to mind is time-management. Arguably, overlapping tow waves and streteching them out two a desired length might have been the simplest and most practical way of filling out bothersome patches of empty space. Yet, a closer inspection of the helix motif shows that the ornament consists of several discrete units that would require the scribe to continuosly lift and lower his hand. This suggests that the variant might have had a certain stylistic appeal that overshadowed the impracticality of execution. The helix is thus another reminder that contemporary and medieval notions of beauty and exceptionality do not always align.

Lastly, it is worth noting that the helix line-filler exhibits a great visual affinity with a particular type of stitching called the chain stitch. The chain stitch is formed by looping one continuous thread back on itself, which results in a braided effect not too dissimilar from the interwoven sequences in the Western 097. Why draw comparisons across media as distinct as book-writing and embroidery? In the context of medieval female monasticism, the embroidery was among the most valued and practiced forms of creativity,  modeled after the example of the Virgin, who famously made a new curtain for the Holy of Holies. From this point of view, could the prominent undercurrent of needlework suggest that the manuscript served the needs of a convent?