sumptuous books in antiquity
Books have been made into luxurious objects for at least two millennia and probably since nearly the beginning of bookmaking. … Read the post sumptuous books in antiquity
illuminated manuscripts
Adam & Eve: biblical unity of male and female across millennia
The Genesis account of human creation represents unity of male and female. A Junius manuscript illumination for its Genesis poem shows that unity. … Read the post Adam & Eve: biblical unity of male and female across millennia
word and image in the Book of the Dead
Market demand for illustrations probably drove fluid inclusion of images within ancient Egyptian Books of the Dead. … Read the post word and image in the Book of the Dead
illustrating the Shahnama
A millennium ago, the Persian poet Firdawsi completed his epic poem the Shahnama. Artists instantiated this lengthy verbal text in illustrated books. Lavishly illustrated pages from Shahnamas produced for wealthy patrons from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries are displayed in the exhibition Shahnama: 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings, now at the Sackler … Continue reading illustrating the Shahnama
the big picture more important than specific text
While the lavishly illuminated Book of Kells was enormously costly to produce, the literal quality of the Book of Kell’s text is poor. … Read the post the big picture more important than specific text