AUTHOR: UNKNOWN

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 8TH CENTURY

PAGE #: 94

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: "THE ST CUTHBERT GOSPEL", ALSO KNOWN AS THE STONYHURST GOSPEL, OR THE ST CUTHBERT GOSPEL OF ST JOHN, IS AN EARLY 8TH-CENTURY POCKET GOSPEL BOOK, WRITTEN IN LATIN. ITS FINELY DECORATED LEATHER BINDING IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN WESTERN BOOKBINDING TO SURVIVE, AND BOTH THE 94 VELLUM FOLIOS, AND THE BINDING, ARE IN OUTSTANDING CONDITION FOR A BOOK OF THIS AGE. WITH A PAGE SIZE OF ONLY 138 BY 92 MILLIMETRES (5.4 IN × 3.6 IN) THE ST CUTHBERT GOSPEL IS ONE OF THE SMALLEST SURVIVING ANGLO-SAXON MANUSCRIPTS. THE ESSENTIALLY UN-DECORATED TEXT IS THE GOSPEL OF JOHN IN LATIN, WRITTEN IN A SCRIPT THAT HAS BEEN REGARDED AS A MODEL OF ELEGANT SIMPLICITY.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.