HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1969-12-23, Page 22PAGE EIGHT
ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS — CHRISTMAS EDITION
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1969
Art, Too, Shows `Illumination'
To Light Up Christmas Scene
By ANNA MANE
Illumination.
The very word seems to
belong to Christmas, the
season of light. Like the star
that guided the wise men,
Christmas, illuminates the
spirit of roan.
In an artistic sense, illu-
mination has another mean-
ing that is also linked to
Christmas: The decoration
of books and manuscripts
with colorful illustrations, in-
itial letters and borders,
"lit" by gold or, occasionally,
silver,
Like all the arts, the an-
cient art of illumination was
often employed by man in
his efforts to capture some
portion of the wonder of
Christmas, to retell and to
picture the story of the Na-
tivity and related events.
"The Annunciation," "The
Nativity," "The Adoration of
the Magi," "The Flight into
Egypt" — these and other
scenes from the well -loved
Christmas story appear again
and again in the hand -let-
tered, individually -illustrat-
ed books known as illumin-
ated manuscripts.
* * *
When It Began
In the early Christian era,
illuminated manuscripts
were generally the products
of monasteries and cathedral
schools, The first examples
of illumination appeared,
however, centuries before the
birth of Christ.
The Egyptian "Books of
the Dead," manuscripts in-
tended for tomb burial to
serve as guides for the de-
ceased in the afterworld, of-
fer examples of gold -lit vign-
ettes dating back to 1350 B.C.
These "books," written on
papyrus scrolls, envisioned
afterlife as a continuation of
life on earth. People and ani-
mals were pictured, along
FRIENDS • FELLOWSHIP
GLAD GREETINGS
SINCERE BEST WISHES
WARM AND HEARTY THANKS
JOY OF HEARTH AND HOME
Once again, it's that wonderful time of year
when spirits soar and great merriment reigns.
We'd like to take this opportunity to serve
all our customers with the wish for a truly
happy holiday season. And thank you, most
sincerely, for your patronage.
OERR'S SUP
ERIOR
STORE
MILFORD and ELSIE DOERR
MRS. FRIEDA MOORE ALBERT CLAUSIUS
MRS. LEONA RADER ELMORE OESCH
ROI3BIE DOERR LOIS DOERR
with decorative lettering
showing swirls of gold and
sometimes silver:
* * *
To Spread Learning
The coining of Christian-
ity brought a continuing
concern with religious sub-
jects as the text for illumin-
ated manuscripts. Monaster-
ies of Egypt and Syria were
early dedicated to the crea-
tion of art, the development
of crafts, the spread of learn-
ing.
In the Western world, these
aims gained impetus with
the founding of the Benedic-
tine monasteries in the sixth
century A.D. Artists and
craftsmen worked devotedly
to preserve sacred texts
through their hand -copied,
hand -illustrated, elaborate-
ly -bound vellum manu-
scripts.
From time to time, secular
texts — scientific treatises,
for example — were also cop-
ied and illustrated.
Re -Creating the
Nativity In
Art and Song
Through the years, the mean-
ing of the manger has been en-
riched by hundreds of thou-
sands of reverent re -creations.
Both craftsmen and artists
have been inspired by the
manger, and have shared their
inspiration with many. The
Madonna and Child appear
again and again in countless
famous paintings, and the
Christmas creche in miniature,
created by the loving hands of
skilled craftsmen, is a precious
tradition in many lands, in
many homes,
In song, too, "the young Child
with Mary His Mother" lives
anew. Gathering around the
manger scene, glad voice joy-
fully
oyfully carol, "Silent Night, Holy
Night! All is calm, all is bright,
'round yon Virgin Mother and
Child , . ."
U
"MELS KALIKIMAKA"
Wishing "Mele Kalikima-
ka" is the traditional way to
say, "Merry Christmas" in
Hawaiian.
'Vat Caw
fir fitte
CHRISTMAS SEASON
`hanks to the support of friends old and
new, everyday business is a special pleasure.
Best wishes for the holiday season.
RICHARD BEDARD
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
RR 2, Zurich
tAs we rejoice in the story
of the first Christmas, may the happy
spirit of the holiday Tight
up your home with peace, good will.
Thanks to all you wonderful
people for your loyal trust and support.
BERT KLOP
Co -Operative Insurance Association
RR 3, Zurich Phone 236-4988