AUTHOR: SUPPOSEDLY THREE MASTERS IN AN OXFORD WORKSHOP

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 1200-1225

PAGE #: 350

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 7.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE GOLDEN MUNICH PSALTER IS ONE OF THE MOST LAVISHLY ILLUMINATED PSALTERS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. IT INCLUDES 91 FULL-PAGE MINIATURES, MOST OF WHICH CONTAIN GOLD, IN FIVE PICTURE CYCLES THAT GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SCENES OF THE BIBLE. AMONG THESE, SEVERAL VERY UNUSUAL MOTIFS, CONCERNING HEROIC WOMEN, ARE ESPECIALLY NOTEWORTHY. WITH ITS CALENDAR, THE TEXTS OF THE PSALMS, 15 CANTICLES, AND TEN PRAYERS, THIS BOOK WAS INTENDED FOR THE PRIVATE USE, AND DEVOTION, OF AN IMPORTANT NOBLE LADY. ALTHOUGH ITS ENGLISH PROVENANCE HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN, IT WAS ONLY RECENTLY THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE MANUSCRIPT COULD BE DETERMINED MORE PRECISELY. THE MANUSCRIPT REACHED THE BAVARIAN STATE LIBRARY BY THE 1620S. DYNASTIC LINKS BETWEEN THE HOUSE OF WITTELSBACH-STRAUBING-HOLLAND, AND MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH ARISTOCRACY, IN THE 13TH AND EARLY 14TH CENTURIES, COULD EXPLAIN THE MANUSCRIPT'S MIGRATION TO CONTINENTAL EUROPE. IT'S ORIGIN WAS ONLY RECENTLY ABLE TO BE DETERMINED MORE PRECISELY, DUE TO CLOSE PARALLELS WITH ANOTHER DATED CALENDAR OF KNOWN ORIGIN. IT NOW SEEMS PROBABLE THAT THIS BOOK WAS COMMISSIONED, AT AN OXFORD WORKSHOP, AS A PRESENT FOR MARGARET DE BRIOUZE, IN HONOR OF HER MARRIAGE TO THE NOBLEMAN WALTER DE LACY II IN 1201.

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.