AoA for Kataryn Mercer called Kit

On January 8th, 2014 I was given my first ever scroll assignment. It was an AoA due at King and Queen's Arts and Sciences competition for a women I didn't know at all. But I got to view a lot of her work through facebook photos and also got to know her through what was written about her. I also had the honor of sitting next to the quite amazing woman at the event as we were stationed beside each other.

I wasn't fully certain what I was doing, but I was given a time and place(she liked doing arts in late period Italian) and worked with that. I decided I would first start with the words since the words would help me work from there.

The words which were based on various resources from Period written works (with help editing and cleaning up by Alys):

Whenever our faithful subjects propose things that are in harmony with the motive of justice and pertain to the good weal of the Kingdom, not only should they not be denied with stubborn mind, but they should be granted laudably with ready heart and benevolent mind. Further, since the memory of men is fleeting, lest those just and harmonious acts urged upon us by our faithful subjects fall away in time, such acts are and ought to be secured by writings and witnesses.  Therefore, let it be known to all present and future that we, Kenric King and Avelina Queen, for the comfort and honor of the Barony of Dragonship Haven, call upon their subject Kataryn Mercer.  We have partaken of your great generosity of gifts contrived and entrusted to the Crown and Barony. As well We have heard of the establishing of classes and your service at Our events. Thus it is that we honor, recognize, and award  unto Kataryn Mercer, known as Kit, the right to bear the arms Per pale Or and argent, in chief in fess three pine trees couped sable, the said arms to be borne without let or hindrance from any person, and do further invest and endow the said Kataryn with all the rights and responsibilities attendant upon such an elevation to this rank from this day onward.   Sealed and signed by our hand at King’s and Queen’s Arts and Sciences Championship in Barony of Concordia of the Snows on  February 22, AS 48.

 

Next I decided on the choice of illumination as well as calligraphy option. I used the Hours of Lorenzo de' Medici as my manuscript inspiration. The calligraphy was a cadel first letter with a gothica littera bastarda font for the rest of the manuscript.

 

This was also the first time I ever read a scroll in court. It was kind of a trifecta of making someone's day for me.