A Century of Irish Illumination 1070 - 1170.

Henry, F. ; Marsh-Micheli, G.

Published by Hodges, Figges & Co., Dublin, first edition, 1962, 1962

About this Item

Later cloth-backed boards, original printed wrappers bound in, 28 cm, [101]-164 pp, 44 plates. An offprint from Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Volume 62, Section C, No. 5. From the introduction: "The decoration of the Irish manuscripts of the late eleventh and twelfth centuries has attracted very little attention in recent times, though in the nineteenth century some of their initials were reproduced by Westwood and Gilbert, and were used extensively as ornamental letters in archaeological publications. Without question they are less spectacular than, say, the Book of Kells or even the St. Gall Gospels, but several of them are, nonetheless, outstanding in decorative feeling and technical skill. The two manuscripts belonging to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, Rawlinson MS. B.502 in the Bodleian Library, and the psalter in the British Museum (Add. MS. 36.929) all have an illuminated decoration of a remarkable quality. And if the two manuscripts of the Liber Hymnorum in the Libraries of Trinity College, Dublin, and the Franciscan House of Studies, Killiney, are now little more than ruins, they are the ruins of what were obviously very beautiful books. In addition these manuscripts are of cardinal importance for the history of Irish ornament. They represent a parallel series to the metal and stone work of the same period, complete the chronological data given by the other techniques and help in many ways to the understanding of the transmission and evolution of patterns. The manuscripts we are going to study number twenty. They are very varied as far as their texts are concerned and fall into three general categories: religious books, treatises or texts intended for teaching, and compilations of miscellaneous historical or literary matter." Inscription in Greek of the collector Hugh L. Courts on front inside wrapper, abrasion to upper fore-edge corner of front board, otherwise Near Very Good. . Seller Inventory # ABE-45922

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Century of Irish Illumination 1070 - 1170.

Publisher: Hodges, Figges & Co., Dublin, first edition, 1962

Publication Date: 1962

Binding: Hardcover

Edition: 1st Edition