The Apotropaic Function of Celtic Knotwork in the Book of Kells
Early Irish ornament very rarely occurs without interlace, in either of its two different varieties, which are the plait and the knot. Such ornamental knotwork and interlace patterns as they appear in the full-page portraits and illustrations of the Book of Kells will be the concrete object of study of the following pages, their possible apotropaic function, their particular focus.
What type of tremor did the medieval ‘Tremulous Hand of Worcester’ have?
Scholars have recognized for some time that a prolific 13th century scribe had a tremor. He has become known as ‘the Tremulous Hand of Worcester’, or simply ‘the Tremulous Hand’, ‘hand’ being a metonym for ‘scribe’.
10 Beautiful Images from the Book of Kells
The Book of Kells is thought to be the work of a number of unknown genius-artists living in the monastery of Iona around the year 800.
Manuscript fragments bear ‘striking resemblance to The Book of Kells’
Fragments of a medieval manuscript hidden in the spine of a book for hundreds of years could shed new light on Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure, The Book of Kells.
If Books Could Talk: Medieval Manuscripts in Iowa
The paper, bindings, bookplates, repairs, stains, handwritten notes, stamps and markings all leave traces that give clues to how they were made, where they have been, and can even tell about the lives of the people who have read them. We’re finding clues and following up with research to find out more.
Yale University acquires ‘treasure trove’ of medieval manuscripts
Otto F. Ege, an Ohio-based scholar and book dealer, made a controversial practice of dismantling medieval and Renaissance manuscripts and selling the individual leaves for profit during the first half of the last century.
Exploring Medieval Manuscripts: An Interview with Erik Kwakkel
‘I love that something quirky and nerdy like the medieval book is becoming mainstream.’
A Needle’s Breadth Apart: The Unexplored Relationship Between Medieval Embroidery and Manuscript Illumination
I am currently exploring records showing that there is evidence that some individuals were involved in both. In particular, mention of two nuns who were known as embroiderers and illuminators.
Medieval Manuscripts in Living Colour
How did medieval people get such magnificent colour, and how can it still be so brilliant a thousand years later? Here’s a five-minute look at colouring manuscripts.
Top 10 Most Beautiful Medieval Manuscripts
Giovanni Scorcioni gives us his list of the most beautiful manuscripts of the Middle Ages
Medieval iconography of watermelons in Mediterranean Europe
With the objective of obtaining an improved understanding of watermelon history and diversity in this region, medieval drawings purportedly of watermelons were collected, examined and compared for originality, detail and accuracy.
Top 10 Medieval Book Curses
Christ’s curse upon the crook who takes away this book.
Simon Fraser University unveils its first medieval manuscript
Written in Latin on parchment, and dated to 1269, it features student notes scrawled in the margins, as well as amusing decorative drawings.
High tech tools used to understand medieval manuscripts
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Gunnerus Library are developing new high-tech tools to unlock the secrets hidden in old parchment.
Touching the Past: The Hand and the Medieval Book
Touching the Past: The Hand and the Medieval Book invites visitors to get in touch. Well, not literally since we’re discussing medieval manuscripts, but the exhibition wants viewers to consider the tactile side of books and manuscripts
What is a Psalter?
Because they didn’t contain the entire Bible, psalters were nice and portable, making good girdle books for the devout – or those concerned with showing off – to carry with them.
Image and Meaning in the Floral Borders of the Hours of Catherine of Cleves
The Book of Hours of Catherine of Cleves, produced in the Netherlands in the early 15th century, is one of the most beautiful and complex manuscripts of the late Middle Ages.
Qur’an manuscript discovered in England could be over 1400 years old
Experts at the University of Birmingham believe they have discovered a manuscript of the Qur’an that is at least 1370 years old, making it the oldest known copy of the Islamic Holy Book.
Exhibit: Magna Carta Through the Ages at the Society of Antiquaries of London
If you’re passing through London and want something to do that is very quick, free, and historical, check out this great little Magna Carta exhibit at Burlington House hosted by the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Medieval Parchment: Sewing Lines and Growing Surfaces
Talks about growing a medieval parchment by stitching in items to it.
How to travel to the physical and heavenly Jerusalem without leaving home
By the fifteenth century numerous accounts of the holy places circulated in Western Europe, many of them in Latin, a few in various vernaculars such as French and Middle Dutch.
Rothschild Prayer Book comes to Australia
One of the most remarkable books from the Renaissance period, the Rothschild Prayer Book, can now be seen at the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
Ruralia Commoda – 14th century gardening manual on display in London
Written in Latin between 1304 and 1309 by Petrus de Crescentiis, a wealthy lawyer from Bologna in Italy, Ruralia Commoda was the only publication of its kind during Henry VIII’s reign.
The Bible moralisée of Naples
The Bible moralisée of Naples (c. 1340-1350, Naples, Italy) is housed in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris.