Jugglers and Juggling

	Jugglers
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Depictions of jugglers from before the 17th century. In addition to jugglers from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, there are a few here from Antiquity, too. See also Research in Juggling History and these links for more information on the history of juggling, and how to juggle. Another excellent source is The Art of Iugling or Legerdemaine, written by Samuel Rid in the early 17th century, which describes some tricks and techniques for juggling (as well as many of the other sleight-of-hand tricks which jugglers of his time were known to do). Plate spinning is now on its own linkspage. Lekythos with a female juggler with three balls, made in Piraeus towards the end of the 5th century BC Statuette of a juggler (also here), Thebes (Boetia?), 4th century BC A circular ceramic lid with jugglers, 6th-7th century Mesopotamia Ethan juggles, while King David and his musicians play, The Tiberius Psalter (Brit. Lib. Cotton Tiberius C. VI, fol. 30v), c. 1050 Jugglers on fols. 107v and 112v of a tonary (BNF Latin 1118), first half of the 11th century A juggler from a tonary (Brit. Lib. Harley 4951, fol. 298v), late 11th century A juggler from a limestone relief, Berry, 12th century A juggler, Legendarium austriacum (Heiligenkreuz Stiftsbibliothek MS 11, fol. 71v), c. 1185-1195 A juggler on an illuminated initial "D" in a psalter (St. John's College, MS K.30, fol. 49r), 12th-13th century A juggler in an illuminated initial "B" in a psalter (Brit. Lib. Lansdowne 431, fol. 11), first quarter of the 13th century Tile with a juggler, Aisne, 13th century A knife-juggler, psalter (British Library Lansdowne 431, fol. 11), first quarter of the 13th century A rabbit juggles knives, Bible (PML G.42, fol. 263r), c. 1265 A man juggles with sticks and plates, Lancelot Cycle (Ashmole 828, fol. 43v), beginning of the 14th century A man juggles two swords, psalter (Douce 5, fol. 99r), c. 1320-1330 Apes juggling with sticks and a basin on fols. 6r and 6v, Sermologium (Douce 185), second quarter of the 14th century Fols. 40r, 64r, 78v, and 90r, The Romance of Alexander (Bodl. 264), 1338-1344 Musicians and an acrobat, Smithfield Decretals (Brit. Lib. Royal 10 E IV, fol. 58), c. 1340 A young woman juggles three balls, a missal (ÖNB 1850, fol. 4v), c. 1411-1419 Lead token of a juggler and a trained dog, France, 15th century Three leather balls, second half of the 15th century The juggler and the woman by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1495-1503 A young woman, wearing trousers, juggles swords from Melancolia in the Garden of Life by Matthias Gerung, 1558 Juggling Man by Adriaen de Vries, c. 1610-1615

Jugglers

Le jongleur de Notre Dame: Contes chretiens du Moyen Age

Depictions of jugglers from before the 17th century. In addition to jugglers from the Middle Ages and Renaissance, there are a few here from Antiquity, too. See also Research in Juggling History and these links for more information on the history of juggling, and how to juggle.

Another excellent source is The Art of Iugling or Legerdemaine, written by Samuel Rid in the early 17th century, which describes some tricks and techniques for juggling (as well as many of the other sleight-of-hand tricks which jugglers of his time were known to do).

Plate spinning is now on its own linkspage.

Lekythos with a female juggler with three balls, made in Piraeus towards the end of the 5th century BC
Statuette of a juggler (also here), Thebes (Boetia?), 4th century BC
A circular ceramic lid with jugglers, 6th-7th century Mesopotamia
Ethan juggles, while King David and his musicians play, The Tiberius Psalter (Brit. Lib. Cotton Tiberius C. VI, fol. 30v), c. 1050
Jugglers on fols. 107v and 112v of a tonary (BNF Latin 1118), first half of the 11th century
A juggler from a tonary (Brit. Lib. Harley 4951, fol. 298v), late 11th century
A juggler from a limestone relief, Berry, 12th century
A juggler, Legendarium austriacum (Heiligenkreuz Stiftsbibliothek MS 11, fol. 71v), c. 1185-1195
A juggler on an illuminated initial "D" in a psalter (St. John's College, MS K.30, fol. 49r), 12th-13th century
A juggler in an illuminated initial "B" in a psalter (Brit. Lib. Lansdowne 431, fol. 11), first quarter of the 13th century
Tile with a juggler, Aisne, 13th century
A knife-juggler, psalter (British Library Lansdowne 431, fol. 11), first quarter of the 13th century
A rabbit juggles knives, Bible (PML G.42, fol. 263r), c. 1265
A man juggles with sticks and plates, Lancelot Cycle (Ashmole 828, fol. 43v), beginning of the 14th century
A man juggles two swords, psalter (Douce 5, fol. 99r), c. 1320-1330
Apes juggling with sticks and a basin on fols. 6r and 6v, Sermologium (Douce 185), second quarter of the 14th century
Fols. 40r, 64r, 78v, and 90r, The Romance of Alexander (Bodl. 264), 1338-1344
Musicians and an acrobat, Smithfield Decretals (Brit. Lib. Royal 10 E IV, fol. 58), c. 1340
A young woman juggles three balls, a missal (ÖNB 1850, fol. 4v), c. 1411-1419
Lead token of a juggler and a trained dog, France, 15th century
Three leather balls, second half of the 15th century
The juggler and the woman by Israhel van Meckenem, c. 1495-1503
A young woman, wearing trousers, juggles swords from Melancolia in the Garden of Life by Matthias Gerung, 1558
Juggling Man by Adriaen de Vries, c. 1610-1615