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Illuminated Manuscripts
Illuminated manuscripts were hand-made books, usually on Christian scripture or practice, produced in Western Europe between c. 500-c. 1600. They are so called because of the use of gold and silver which illuminates the text and accompanying...
Article
Twelve Greatest Illuminated Manuscripts
Illuminated manuscripts are, as their name suggests, hand-made books illumined by gold and silver ink. They were produced in Western Europe between c. 500 and c. 1600 CE and their subject matter is usually Christian scripture, practice, and...
Article
Buddhist Illuminated Scripts of Ancient Korea
The Goryeo (Koryo) kingdom ruled ancient Korea from 918 CE to 1392 CE, and it oversaw a flourishing of the arts, literature, and architecture. One of these developments was the production of finely crafted illuminated Buddhist texts. Painted...
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Illuminated Manuscript of the Rubaiyat
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (l. 1048-1131 CE), illuminated by William Morris.
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Illuminated Sutra from Jingoji Temple
This illuminated sutra is from Jingoji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and it dates to 1179 CE, which corresponds to Japan's Heian period. It is made of gold and silver on indigo paper. (Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford...
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Illuminated Pages from the Romaunt of the Rose
Pages from an illuminated manuscript of the Romaunt of the Rose, c. 1440 - 1450 CE. This poem is thought to have been translated by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 - 1400 CE) from an earlier 13th Century CE French composition. This manuscript...
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A Short History of the Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts
Illuminated manuscripts are handwritten books that are highly decorated in precious materials like gold or silver. The use of metallic materials like gold and silver is what gives these texts their name ‘illuminated’, as they reflect the...
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Buddhist Illuminated Manuscript, Goryeo Period
An illuminated text of the Buddhist Lotus sutra. Goryeo period (918-1392 CE).
Gwangdeoksa temple in Chenan, Korea.
Definition
Book of Kells
The Book of Kells (c. 800) is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the Christian New Testament, currently housed at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. The work is the most famous of the medieval illuminated manuscripts for the...
Article
The Daily Life of Medieval Monks
Life for monks in a medieval monastery, just like in any profession or calling, had its pros and cons. While they were expected to live simply with few possessions, attend services at all hours of the day and night, and perhaps even take...