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Shepherds Purse: Genre Catalog -- Other Biblical Scenes

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Shepherds are sometimes found as background scenery, not involved in the focal event of the scene. When prominent biblical figures are portrayed as shepherds, their iconic attributes generally come from a narrow selection -- typically a staff, and perhaps a lamb being carried (in addition to background sheep), but generally not by means of a Shepherds Purse or with bagpipes. For example, John the Baptist is often portrayed as a shepherd, but I never found any examples of him wearing a pouch of any type. The only scenes of David (as a shepherd) that I found tended to be from relatively early manuscripts. So, while Shepherds Purses are strongly associated with shepherds, they do not appear to be the most important identifying feature of that occupation. One may be a shepherd without wearing a Shepherds Purse, but one is unlikely to wear one if one is not a shepherd.

Shepherds Purse

Misal Rico of Cardinal Cisneros (Christmas liturgy)

Bedford Hours (Noah's Ark)

The vigilance of the Good Shepherd

Pursuit of St. Barbara (swineherds)

Non-Shepherds Purse

Souvigny Bible

Hours of Isabella Stuart

Maciejowski Bible (David)

Abraham and Hagar

Ottheinrichsbibel (swineherd)

No Pouch of Any Kind

Vision of Joachim

Gospel Lectionary of the Sainte-Chapelle


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