This bachelor thesis focuses on the research of the knight and snail combat motif, which is a common sight in the margins of medieval manuscripts. It researches the meaning and variations of the motif in the context of medieval England, especially Eastern England and East Anglian School of illumination. The first chapter explores the emergence of manuscript marginalia in general, when and where it first appeared and how it developed over time. What follows is the explanation of the snail as a motif in visual arts, followed up by the knight and snail combat motif, which appeared in the 13th century. In the fourth chapter the history and activity of the East Anglian School of illumination is presented, alongside its significance and influence in later art. To exemplify the different possible interpretations of the motif and the importance of the context, three manuscripts attributed to the East Anglian school of illumination are presented. The motif of the knight – snail combat is individually interpreted.
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