EnlargeThe blacksmith in the middle of the picture has a bad hand and cannot work, so the woman on the right is doing his work instead. She makes nails by holding the iron in pincers and hammering it into shape on an anvil. Behind her is the furnace which has a tall chimney. There are bellows hanging up beside it. This is possibly the earliest accurate picture of a forge.
This is an illustration from the 'Holkham Bible Picture Book', which was created in England between 1327 and 1335. It was commissioned for an unknown Dominican Friar. It is written in French and has many beautiful illustrations of scenes from the Old and New Testament.
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