AUTHOR: PRESUMABLY THE MONKS WULFHELM, CEOLHARD, NICLAS, AND EALHHUN

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 750 AD

PAGE #: 392

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN

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HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: CODEX AUREUS IS ONE OF THE MOST OPULENT OF ALL SURVIVING ENGLISH MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS. IT WAS PRODUCED AROUND THE YEAR 750 IN THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND, PROBABLY AT CANTERBURY. THE MANUSCRIPT WAS WRITTEN ON ALTERNATE PURPLE AND UNCOLORED LEAVES IN UNCIAL SCRIPT IN BLACK, RED, WHITE, GOLD, AND SILVER INKS. TWO OF THE FOUR FULL-PAGE PORTRAITS OF THE EVANGELISTS HAVE SURVIVED, MADE IN ANGLO-SAXON STYLE WITH STRONG BYZANTINE AND ITALIAN ELEMENTS. THE UNCIAL SCRIPT, ARRANGED ON CERTAIN PAGES IN PATTERNS KNOWN AS CARMINA FIGURATA (FIGURE POEMS), THE MINIATURES OF THE EVANGELISTS, AND THE USE OF PURPLE PARCHMENT ALL EMULATE THE SPLENDOR OF IMPERIAL MANUSCRIPTS FROM LATE ANTIQUITY. THREE OF THE LEAVES ARE MUTILATED; HALF OR THE MAJOR PART OF EACH HAS BEEN CUT AWAY, BUT WITHOUT ANY MISSING TEXT. THE MANUSCRIPT ORIGINALLY HAD AT LEAST A FURTHER FIVE, AND PROBABLY MORE, LEAVES. ONE ENDLEAF IS AT THE FRONT, ADDED PERHAPS AFTER MEDIEVAL TIMES; THE BACK ENDLEAF IS MISSING. ACCORDING TO AN ANGLO-SAXON INSCRIPTION FROM THE NINTH CENTURY, THE CODEX AUREUS WAS CARRIED OFF BY VIKINGS DURING A RAID, BUT ABOUT A CENTURY LATER IT WAS RESTORED TO CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL IN CANTERBURY. IT IS PRESUMED THAT THE CODEX SUBSEQUENTLY REMAINED AT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AGES. ITS POSTMEDIEVAL HISTORY IS UNKNOWN UNTIL ALMOST THE END OF THE 17TH CENTURY, WHEN JOHAN GABRIEL SPARWENFELD (1655‒1727), SWEDISH ENVOY AND DISTINGUISHED LINGUIST AND PHILOLOGIST, BOUGHT THE MANUSCRIPT IN MADRID IN 1690 FROM THE FAMOUS LIBRARY OF GASPAR DE HARO, SEVENTH MARQUÉS DEL CARPIO (1629‒87). SPARWENFELD DONATED THE CODEX AUREUS TO THE ROYAL LIBRARY (NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SWEDEN) IN 1705.

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.