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Topic: manuscripts
339,153 media by topic ∙ page 1 of 3392

Decorated letter from BL Harley 7586A, f. 2

Detail of the Hebrew letter ~shin~ decorated with foliate motifs, which served as a book plate of the patron Shabbetai ben Mattatya of Rome (see Narkiss, 1984). Image taken from f. 2 of Guide of the Perplexed (... more

Boethius from BL Harley 4335, f. 1

Miniature of Boethius in his library and decorated initial 'S'. Image taken from f. 1 of Le Livre de Boece de Consolacion (index Consolation of Philosophy; De Consolatione Philosophiae) (Book 1). Written in Lat... more

Tudor Rose from BL Royal 11 E XI, f. 2

Detail of an allegorical miniature of a bush of the Tudor rose incorporating a Latin poem celebrating the House of Tudor, with a scroll reading 'Salve, radix varios producens germine ramos, / Quos inter ramus s... more

Triumph of Death from BL Harley 2953, f. 20

Full-page miniature of the Triumph of Death (probably added). Image taken from f. 20 of .

Christ and John from BL Royal 15 D II, f. 109v

Detail of a miniature of Christ dictating to John. Image taken from f. 109v of La lumiere as lais; Apocalypse (the 'Welles Apocalypse'). Written in French.

Grotesque from BL Royal 15 E IV, f. 295v

Detail of a grotesque, from the margins of the folio. Image taken from f. 295v of Anciennes et nouvelles chroniques d'Angleterre, volume 1. Written in French.

Moses from BL Royal 20 B IV, f. 152

Detail of a miniature of Moses and family kneeling in praise of Christ. Image taken from f. 152 of Meditationes vitae Christi (Le Livre doré des meditations de la vie de nostre seigneur Jesu Christ). Written in French.

Death from BL Harley 2936, f. 84

Detail of a miniature of Death, at the beginning of Matins in the Office of the Dead. Image taken from f. 84 of Book of Hours, Use of Rome. Written in Latin.

Jerusalem from BL Eg 1070, f. 5

Full-page miniature of Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock Image taken from f. 5 of Book of Hours, Use of Paris ('The Hours of René d'Anjou'). Written in Latin, calendar and rubrics in French.

Wild man from BL Royal 15 D I, f. 18

Detail from the full border of a wild man holding a shield and a banner bearing the royal arms of England. Image taken from f. 18 of La Bible Historiale, part 4 (Bible Historiale of Edward IV). Written in French.

Presentation of the text from BL Harley 2278, f. 6

Detail of a miniature of the presentation of the text to the king, or alternatively, the admission of the king and leading courtiers into the confraternity of St Edmund, an event described in the poem, and ill... more

Border from BL Royal 10 E IV, f. 3

Detail of medallion scenes within the lower border of the folio. Image taken from f. 3 of Decretals of Gregory IX with glossa ordinaria (the 'Smithfield Decretals'). Written in Latin.

Birds from BL Royal 15 E III, f. 11

Detail of a peahen and another bird among flowers, from the border. Image taken from f. 11 of De proprietatibus rerum in French (Livre des proprietez des choses). Written in French.

Border from BL Royal 15 D IV, f. 38

Detail of a man doing a handstand amongst the foliage in the lower border of the folio. Image taken from f. 38 of Historia Alexandri (Quinte Curse Ruffe des faiz du grant Alexandre). Written in French.

Boccaccio and Petrarch from BL Royal 14 E V, f. 391

Detail of a miniature of Boccaccio and Petrarch reading books, with an inscription on the wall, 'Josne et joyeulx', at the beginning of book 8. Image taken from f. 391 of De casibus virorum illustrium in French... more

Pope Eleutherius from BL Eg 3028, f. 4

Drawing of Lucius's messenger received by Pope Eleutherius. Image taken from f. 4 of Roman de Brut, a verse epitome (begins imperfectly) with continuation to Edward III; Destruction de Rome; Fierabras. Written in French.

Manuscript Leaf Fragment

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Manuscript Leaves Fragment

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Manuscript Leaf Fragment

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Manuscript Leaf Fragment

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Pope Felix, Simplicius and Faustina from BL YT 49, vol. 2, f. 27v

Unfinished miniatures of Pope Felix and of Simplicius and Faustina, with illuminated initials and partial foliate borders, at the beginning of their legends. Image taken from vol. 2, f. 27v of La légende dorée ... more

Leaves from a Coptic Manuscript

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Leaf from a Coptic Manuscript

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Leaves from a Coptic Manuscript

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Leaves from a Coptic Manuscript

Made in Byzantine Egypt

Pope Vigilius from BL Royal 16 G VI, f. 38

Miniature of the arrest and ill usage of Pope Vigilius. Image taken from f. 38 of Chroniques de France ou de St Denis. Written in French.

Pahlavi Letter

Attributed to Egypt

Fragment of a Letter

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from the "Tashkent Qur'an"

Magnificent in size, this folio comes from one of the oldest surviving Qur'an manuscripts in existence. It is written in an early version of the kufic script with no diacritical marks to distinguish the letters... more

Fragment of a Non-Illustrated Single Work

Continuing a longstanding tradition, papyrus was used in Egypt as a substitute for expensive vellum before paper became widespread around the 10th–11th century. Papyrus was used for documents, letters, and comm... more

Fragment of a Non-Illustrated Single Work

Coming from a longstanding tradition, papyrus continued in use in Egypt as a substitute for the expensive vellum before paper became widespread around the 10th–11th century. Papyrus was used for documents, lett... more

Fragment of a Letter

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

This eighth- or ninth-century Qur'an was written in a script that is characterized by a rightward slant and by the shape of the vowel ya' in the terminal position, which turns backward to underline the letters ... more

Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Fragment of a Letter

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

While the earliest surviving Qur’ans were copied in a tall, streamlined script known as hijazi on a vertical parchment support , such preferences were abandoned during the Umayyad period as scribes developed th... more

Fragment of a Non-Illustrated Single Work

Continuing a longstanding tradition, papyrus was used in Egypt as a substitute for expensive vellum before paper became widespread around the 10th–11th century. Papyrus was used for documents, letters, and comm... more

Calligraphic Fragments

Attributed to Egypt

Bifolium from a Qur'an

This double folio was once bound in a multivolume Qur'an manuscript. The calligrapher wrote in bold kufic script with black ink using a broad‑nibbed reed pen. Red and green dots indicate the vowels. Verse marke... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

This small-scale Qur'an was used as an intimate personal object, probably worn or carried as an amulet during travel. Despite its diminutive size, it shares many features with other early Qur'ans, which were of... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

The angular kufic script of this page is moderated by the roundness of many letters that resemble large black dots, their inner blank spaces reduced almost to a needle point. The colored marks help the reader t... more

Section from a Qur'an Manuscript

Like many early Qur’an folios, this example is written in parchment in black ink using a broad-nibbed reed pen. The emphatically elongated letters seen here are characteristic of early kufic Qur’ans on parchmen... more

Illustrated Single Work

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

The tradition of dyed manuscripts developed in Byzantium for making valuable books, such as the Gospels. The technique continued into the early Islamic period, with the Blue Qur’an as its most spectacular manif... more

Qur'an Manuscript

This is the second volume of a thirty-part Qur’an meant to be read over the course of a month. It is typical of early Qur’ans, but includes some embellishments not found in earlier, more austere copies, such as... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Like many early Qur’an folios, this folio is written in parchment in black ink using a broad-nibbed reed pen. The horizontal, rounded letters seen here are characteristic of early kufic Qur’ans on parchment, an... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Like many early Qur'an folios, this one is written on parchment in black ink with a broad-nibbed reed pen. The horizontally elongated letters seen here are characteristic of early kufic Qur'ans on parchment, an... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

The tradition of dyed manuscripts developed in Byzantium for making valuable books, such as the Gospels. The technique continued into the early Islamic period, with the Blue Qur’an as its most spectacular manif... more

Folios from a Qur'an Manuscript

These two leaves from an early Qur'an are written in kufic script in dark brown ink, with vowel markings in red. The chapter heading, with two ornate arabesque leaves in the margin, is richly gilded. The text i... more

Paper Cut-Out

Made in Egypt

Talismanic Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Made in Eastern Islamic Lands

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Attributed to Eastern Islamic lands

Paper Cut-Out

Made in Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

This folio features a number of decorative elements that were meant to assist the reader by rendering the text of the Qur’an more legible. The kufic letters are written in brown ink, with the words’ vowels indi... more

Paper Cut-Out

Made in Egypt

Page of Calligraphy

Made in Egypt

Illuminated headpiece and initial from BL Harley 5598, f. 56

Headpiece with geometric and foliate decoration and inscribed with title in display capitals, and illuminated initial. Image taken from f. 56 of Gospel lectionary with Menologion and Gospels for special service... more

Cruciform text from BL Harley 5598, f. 248v

Cruciform text of the Greek Gospels. Image taken from f. 248v of Gospel lectionary with Menologion and Gospels for special services (Covel Gospel). Written in Greek.

Illuminated headpiece and initial from BL Harley 5598, f. 142

Headpiece with geometric and foliate decoration and inscribed with title in display capitals, and illuminated initial 'T'. Image taken from f. 142 of Gospel lectionary with Menologion and Gospels for special se... more

Folios from a Qur'an Manuscript in Floriated "New Style" Script

This folio, copied in floriated "new style" script, exhibits a striking balance of rigorous discipline and exuberant imagination. The fourth line of text is much larger than the rest and its vertical letters en... more

"Hare", Folio from the Mantiq al-wahsh (Speech of the Wild Animal) of Ka'b al-Ahbar

This page from a zoological manuscript contains lines of text and two drawings of wild animals, a lion (recto) and a hare (verso). Although fragmentary pages with drawings are not uncommon from the Fatimid peri... more

Pair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist Deities

This pair of painted wooden manuscript covers shows a series of Buddhist deities seated on lotus thrones before aureoles, interspersed with cauri-fans hanging above and ritual utensils below. Above are nine bod... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript in Floriated Script

The manuscript to which this page once belonged, copied in floriated "new style" script, exhibits a striking balance of rigorous discipline and exuberant imagination. The calligrapher pushes the boundaries of t... more

End Paper

Made in Egypt

Talismanic Scroll

Talismanic scroll in block-print was rolled and stored in an amulet box Made in Egypt

Talismanic Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

This folio from a Qur’an is written on paper in black new style script, with vocalizations in red, diacritical marks in gold, and other orthographical signs in blue and black. The golden medallions are verse ma... more

Talismanic Scroll

Centuries before block printing was introduced in Europe, the technique was used in the Islamic world to produce miniature texts consisting of prayers, incantations, and Qur'anic verses that were kept in amulet... more

Talismanic Scroll

Centuries before block-printing was introduced in Europe, the technique was used in the Islamic world to produce miniature texts consisting of prayers, incantations, and Qur’anic verses. These were kept in amul... more

Talismanic Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Fragment from a Talismanic Scroll

Only the upper left corner of this page has survived. The text, which includes a passage reading "the heart of the one who wears it," together with the evidence of folds on the paper point to its original use a... more

Pair of Manuscript Covers

These covers once protected the palm-leaf folios of a religious text. The interior surface has traces of original paint. The outer surfaces are clad in copper sheet with a repoussé foliate meander design and gi... more

Pair of Manuscript Covers with Buddhist Deities

This pair of wooden covers protected the palm-leaf folios of a Buddhist sacred text. One cover has the nine Buddhist goddesses, each holding a staff surmounted by the wish-fulfilling jewel (cintamani), while th... more

Manuscript

Found Egypt

Talismanic Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Talismanic Scroll

Attributed to Egypt

Bifolium from the "Nurse's Qur'an" (Mushaf al-Hadina)

This double-page from a Qur'an comes down to us with the fascinating information that the nursemaid to one of the Zirid rulers of North Africa commissioned it for donation to the Great Mosque of Qairawan. It is... more

Anthology of Persian Poetry (Safina)

Long, narrow books bound on the short edge are known as 'safina', a word meaning 'boat'. They were a popular form for collections of works by different poets. This 'safina', dated 1681 and 1685, contains poem... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

These two pages almost certainly come from a dispersed Qur'an dated A.H. 485/A.D. 1092 in "new style" script. This script was used mainly in the eastern Islamic lands after paper replaced parchment as writing m... more

Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

This page almost certainly comes from a dispersed Qur'an dated A.H. 485/A.D. 1092 in "new style" script. This script was used mainly in the eastern Islamic lands after paper replaced parchment as writing materi... more