Six faint, mostly concentric, mechanically drawn circles delimit three rings of text. The outer ring runs right up to the binding gutter on the right. There may be a wider word gap at 09:00 (but the image is very poor there). A radial stroke cuts across the middle ring at 08:30 (may be a modern scribble).
The two circles that delimit the inner ring of text are quite irregular.
Inside the inner ring there is a two-plate balance scale, slightly offset to the right. The beam is a narrow rectangular ruler, with a darker stripe running down its middle. The pivot is not visible, but seems to be fixed at the bottom of an upright rectangular frame, with a:andle or ring on top (partly:idden under the innermost text ring). A narrow triangular pointer rises from the beam's midpoint up to the top of the supporting frame. An object resembling a sliding counterweight seems to be resting over the beam, a little to the left of the pivot. Each end of the beam has a thin:orizontal extension, from whose tip there:angs a hemispherical cup with thick walls, supported by three or four straight threads or wires.
Below the scale there is a single word in non-Voynich script, apparently "oct~ebre" in lowercase Latin cursive (with a tilde or macron over the "te").
Between the bands of text, there are two bands of naked figures ("nymphs"), 10 in the inner one, 20 in the outer one. Most of them are clearly female (visible breasts, long:air). All nymphs are naked, mostly in 3/4 view (between frontal and facing clockwise).
A:ole in the vellum, less than 5mm across, covers a small segment of the middle ring. at 03:00. The preceding word runs up to the hole, but is apparently whole. A nymph in the inner band, at 03:15, also:as the:air squeezed against the:ole.
The outer nymph at 12:15 wears a crown, consisting of a ring of flaring triangular points, each with a dot; and a dome with double outline, topped by a spike or cross (too small to tell).
Each nymph is:olding or pointing to a star.
There is a Voynichese label just clockwise of each nymph.
Comments:
The scale is the standard symbol for the sign of Libra. Libra is from ??? to ???.
The stroke at 08:30, if original, suggests that the text should be read starting from there.
The way f72v3 overlaps f72v2 indicates that they were drawn in that order.
The drawing of the balance is very accurate in all details, in spite of the relatively crude perspective and technique. It looks as if the author was very familiar with the instrument. I suspect that the model may be more appropriate for a druggist than for a grocer.
The details of the drawings around the:ole suggest that the hole was already there when the drawing was made.
Paragraph: R1 outer text ring Last edited on 1998-12-19 19:15:33 by stolfi
No obvious starting place; Transcribed clockwise from unreadable area at left
1: !!!!!otar air chpaly oteody okchesal otear alshey oleealy sh*etey oteos alal dals alchol ytolaiin ydaiin chotar ytal oto shoty otey okchedyly shdary sar ote!dy oto r!ar shedy !opshey!tey opairaly choshydy otar cheedy otalaiin cheeky okalar ysr*y s ok*s*t* oteos alar
Paragraph: S1 Labels on stars, Libra, outer ring Last edited on 1998-12-09 18:59:32 by stolfi
Numbers by John Grove
Weirdos:
1: oeeoty
2: octhy
3: oteoly
4: okeoly
5: oeees
6: ocf{&F}shy
7: oees
8: okeeoly
9: odal
10: aiinod
11: odody
12: oteod
13: yteod
14: okchedy
15: okyl
16: ytaly
17: ocheos
18: oteofy
19: cheoepy
20: ykee!dy
Paragraph: R2 middle ring of text Last edited on 1998-12-09 18:57:41 by stolfi
No obvious starting place. Transcribed clockwise from radial stroke at 08:30 (which may be a modern scribble...)
