Ship Volant

Son of Witz · 17 Feb 2009, 17:44 · from 2009-February.txt.gz

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From: sonofwitz at butcherbaker.org (Son of Witz)
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:44:27 +0000
Subject: (urth) Ship Volant
Message-ID: <W91940964109691234892667@webmail36>

more illustration related questions:

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Shadow 2:
For my part, I had already adopted as my own the device graved in bronze above
the door of a certain mausoleum. They were a fountain rising above waters, and a
ship volant
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Shadow 3:
At last I turned my treasure over, and then indeed I caught my breath; stamped on the reverse was just such a flying ship as I had seen in the arms above the door of my secret mausoleum.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

This is another situation where I'm conflicted as to how one would represent the Ship Volant.

What makes a ship look like it's flying?
Does the flying ship have masts?

We've seen masts on Tzadkiel's ship, thousands, which I assume would look like a cubist nightmare clipper, then the masted shuttle that takes Sev and Bergundofora down to Urth, but other than that, the fliers seem to be mastless, and very sleek. I picture them more or less like speedboats. sleek. no masts.

A flying ship for Severian would seem Tzadkiels. I assume it's the same for the Autarch (Appian) who also went to Yessod, presumably on the same ship.

Ok, so the Ship Volant would look like Tzadkiel's ship, but who, without having seen such a ship, would even think to call it a ship?  But then if I pictured a mastless ship, it would just look like a boat, not a ship?

I know, these are silly concerns, and not crucial to understanding the books, but these details get tricky when trying to draw it out.

one more:
"A fountain rising above waters"
I've always pictured this as a spray of water. a plume.
does anyone picture it as a sort of literal, garden fountain. sculptural, I mean?

any comments appreciated.
~witz

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