Syrin, Bird-of-Paradise


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Unknown artist of the mid-XIX century

Northern Dvina Centre.

Syrin, Bird-of-Paradise

Paper, ink, tempera. 34,4 х 41,8. The sheet has losses on the corners


Inscription on the top of the picture: <...>яже глаголю райскую птицу, иже кто глас ея<...> и во след ея идет и вся здешняя зобывает<...> не мог, пад умирает.

SHM. Inv. 43499/ИIII хр-10046


Purchased in 1906 at the fair in Moscow.
Another bird-maid image, known in Russian art - Siren - originated from the mediaeval literature. Tales about sweet and charming songs of Siren and their influence on men are told in the following works of the XVII-century literature: Physiology, ABC books, Chronographs. Lubok artists often present the samples of the apocryphal treatment of traditional literary sources, after which Siren hates loud sounds and when people wish to scare it off, they start to ring the bells, to shoot, to blow the trumpets.






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