AUTHOR: MULTIPLE WRITERS

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 1190

PAGE #: 30

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: CREATED IN ENGLAND, IN THE LATE-12TH CENTURY, THIS MANUSCRIPT WAS INTENDED TO BE A SCIENTIFIC TEXTBOOK FOR MONKS. THE MANUSCRIPT IS BRIEF, JUST NINE FOLIOS, AND WAS DESIGNED AS A COMPENDIUM OF COSMOGRAPHICAL KNOWLEDGE, DRAWN FROM EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITERS SUCH AS BEDE, AND ISIDORE, AS WELL AS THE LATER ABBO OF FLEURY. IN TURN, THOSE WRITERS DREW ON CLASSICAL SOURCES, SUCH AS PLINY THE ELDER, FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE. BUT THEY ADAPTED IT TO BE UNDERSTOOD THROUGH THE FILTER OF CHRISTIANITY. THE 20 COMPLEX DIAGRAMS ACCOMPANY, AND HELP TO ILLUSTRATE, THE TEXTS IN THE PAMPHLET; THEY INCLUDE VISUALIZATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND EARTH, SEASONS, WINDS, TIDES, AND THE ZODIAC, AS WELL AS DEMONSTRATIONS OF HOW THESE THINGS RELATE TO MAN. MOST OF THE DIAGRAMS ARE ROTAE (WHEEL-SHAPED SCHEMATA), FAVORED THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AGES FOR THE PRESENTATION OF SCIENTIFIC, AND COSMOLOGICAL IDEAS. THIS WAS BECAUSE THEY ORGANIZED COMPLEX INFORMATION IN A CLEAR, ORDERLY FASHION, MAKING THIS MATERIAL EASIER TO COMPREHEND, LEARN, AND REMEMBER. MOREOVER, THE CIRCLE, CONSIDERED THE MOST PERFECT SHAPE AND A SYMBOL OF GOD, WAS SEEN AS CONVEYING THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF TIME, AND THE CREATION, AS WELL AS THE LOGIC, ORDER, AND HARMONY, OF THE CREATED UNIVERSE.

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.