Page 79 - EXPOTIME!Sept2017

Fakes and forgeries — Illicit traffic of looted heritage

women are depicted, all of the same type and drawn in
similar poses like in a process of mass-production. Pedi-
gree reconstruction experiments can not be verified; be-
fore 1912, the alleged year of recovering, the book does
not appear in any known library. All this together are
the first indications that something might be wrong with
this manuscript. The best overview can be found here:
http://www.voynich.nu/folios.html

Today, the manuscript is bound in a more recent cover.
The actual older cover would probably have contained
wood, since the first layers contain traces of woodworms,
which were mainly interested in wood, not parchment. 3

Fig. 4: Johannes Marcus Marci, copper engraving by
Johann Balzer (1772). Source: Wikimedia Commons

Fig. 2: The later cover, probably Jesuit, 18 century. "Reverend and Distinguished Sir, Father in Christ:
th
Source: http://www.voynich.nu/extra/sp_descr.html#binding This book, bequeathed to me by an intimate friend, I des-
tined for you, my very dear Athanasius, as soon as it came
into my possession, for I was convinced that it could be
The book does not have a title page, nor is there a back- read by no one except yourself.
plate on its spine; an ex-libris of the Jesuit General Pierre The former owner of this book asked your opinion by let-
Jean Beckx has not yet been tested for authenticity; may- ter, copying and sending you a portion of the book from
be it is missing already in the meantime. But even if it is which he believed you would be able to read the remain-
genuine, it could have been mounted on a fake as the der, but he at that time refused to send the book itself. To
only genuine part. Likewise not yet examined critically its deciphering he devoted unflagging toil, as is apparent
under the aspect of source criticism and with scientific from attempts of his which I send you herewith, and he
methods for authenticity was an added letter of the lat- relinquished hope only with his life. But his toil was in
er (supposed) owner of the work called Johannes Marcus vain, for such Sphinxes as these obey no one but their
Marci. This Czech doctor, actually Jan Marek Marci (1595- master, Kircher. Accept now this token, such as it is and
1667) is a known person to historians: he was ennobled long overdue though it be, of my affection for you, and
for his Prague defense against the Swedes with a student burst through its bars, if there are any, with your wonted
group as "of "Kronland"and he is known as an anti-Jesuit success.
for being a close friend to Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680). Dr. Raphael, a tutor in the Bohemian language to Fer-
4 This certainly does not prove anything, because a clever dinand III, then King of Bohemia, told me the said book
counterfeiter of the document could have made use of belonged to the Emperor Rudolph and that he presented
known historical facts. to the bearer who brought him the book 600 ducats. He
believed the author was Roger Bacon, the Englishman. On
The letter was added to the 18 cent. cover and is ad- this point I suspend judgement; it is your place to define
th
dressed to Marci's friend Athanasius Kircher. Written in for us what view we should take thereon, to whose favor
quite modern diction, it awakes the impression that the and kindness I unreservedly commit myself and remain
book had been forwarded with the letter to Kircher, At the command of your Reverence,
from where it would have been easy to transfer it to a Joannes Marcus Marci of Cronland
Jesuit library later: [quotation in English]: Prague, 19th August, 1665 (or 1666)"

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EXPOTIME!, issue August/September 2017