Illuminated Book of Kells Celtic Art Spiritual Book Religious Bible Jesus Christ

There are over four billion books on earth, and you landed on this one; maybe you were meant to.

A stunning edition, printed and bound in Hungary, in very good condition. Lavishly illustrated with full-color plates from the original Celtic illuminated manuscripts, with art and history dating back to the 7th century AD. Please note: This is not the 1990s edition, even though they share the same cover. This is a large-sized edition (11 in x 8½ in) and includes close to 100 full-page color plates.

Originally believed to be a book created by angels rather than humankind, the Book of Kells is one of the most beautiful spiritual manuscripts in the Celtic world. The Book of Kells is the richest and most copiously illustrated book in the Celtic-Saxon style that still survives. However, despite its rarity and fame, little is known about it. It was originally plundered from the Abbey of Kells. This guide reveals the hidden meanings in the illustrations and opens our eyes to their history. This version details the intricate pages of this mysterious book and explains why it is the most exemplary work of Celtic art ever produced. One of the pages, called the Chi Rho page, is considered the most famous page in medieval art.

"The Book of Kells is what we call a gospel book. It contains the four gospels, which are part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book itself is very precious to us, the manuscript of the Book of Kells, because it comes from an era in Ireland, a time of great learning, from the eighth and ninth centuries."

Insular illumination refers to the production of illuminated manuscripts in the monasteries of Ireland and Great Britain between the 6th and 9th centuries.

This wonderful book charts the history of illumination from Roman times to the school of Andrea Mantegna at Mantua, the last great school of illuminated manuscripts.
In this span of time, there are certain famous names: St Columba and the monks of Iona, who, it is claimed, produced the Book of Kells; St Aidan and his community at Lindisfarne; and the monks responsible for the Durham manuscript.
The art of illumination was largely practiced in the religious communities, but there were also great secular patrons - including Charlemagne, at whose scriptorium' the finest artists of all nations assembled, and Jean, Duc de Berri, the great French patron of the fourteenth century. There were also the famous Florentine and Siennese schools of the Renaissance, but these were the last flowering of illumination as the invention of printing, which spread rapidly throughout Europe, put an end to the hand-written manuscripts of feudal times.
The Art of Illuminating relates the history of illumination and shows how the practice can be revived and used.
There are also practical instructions showing how the wonderful effects of the medieval monks can be achieved today. Finally, the book depicts 95 examples of illumination taken from works spanning the sixth to the fifteenth century. It will be a valuable source book for all designers and artists.
11 in x 8½ in; 288 pages including 96 pages of full-color plates."

"One of the most splendid, beautifully illustrated books of the Middle Ages, The Book of Kells has fascinated generations of artists and historians. As Sir Edward Sullivan wrote in his Introduction, Its weird and commanding beauty; its subdued and colouring; the baffling intricacy of its fearless designs; the clean, unwavering sweep of rounded spiral; the creeping undulations of serpentine forms that writhe in artistic profusion throughout the mazes of its decorations... the quaintness of its striking portraiture... have raised this ancient Irish volume to a position of abiding pre-eminence amongst the illuminated manuscripts of the world.'
In this famous commentary, Sullivan traces the historical background and origins of the manuscript and dates it to the ninth century, later than the Book of Lindisfarne.
Popular legend, however, has it that The Book of Kells was produced by St Columba and the monks of the monastery of Kells about the middle of the sixth century A.D. Certainly, the manuscript survived many vicissitudes: the Abbey of Kells was sacked and pillaged during the tenth century; thieves sought its gold-studded cover. It was in the possession of the monastery at Kells at the time of its dissolution under Henry VIII on 18th November 1539, and was latterly acquired by Bishop Ussher, who was employed by King James I to collect antiquities relating to the Church. Five years after Usher's death in 1661, it was transferred to Trinity College, Dublin, where it still resides.
The late Sir Edward Sullivan, an outstanding authority, made an exhaustive study of this magnificent example of early Celtic art especially for The Studio; his historical survey and notes on the pages form the introduction to the reproductions in full color of twenty of the most beautiful pages, and the four plates of initial letters. Complementing Sullivan's text and these illustrations, this edition also includes an historical analysis of Celtic illuminated manuscripts by Johan Adolf Bruun."

The overall condition of this book is very good; the dust jacket has had some age and shelf wear over the last 40 years, but the book beneath is in lovely condition. The pages are crisp, clean, and very well-preserved. Certainly, the nicest I have ever owned nor seen.

An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services, and psalms, the practice continued into secular texts from the 13th century onward and typically includes proclamations, enrolled bills, laws, charters, inventories, and deeds.

The earliest illuminated manuscripts in existence come from the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire and date from between 400 and 600 CE. Examples include the Codex Argenteus and the Rossano Gospels, both of which are from the 6th century. The majority of extant manuscripts are from the Middle Ages, although many survive from the Renaissance, along with a very limited number from late antiquity.

Most medieval manuscripts, illuminated or not, were written on parchment or vellum. These pages were then bound into books, called codices (singular: codex). Very few illuminated fragments also survive on papyrus. Books ranged in size from ones smaller than a modern paperback, such as the pocket gospel, to very large ones, such as choir books for choirs to sing from, and "Atlantic" bibles, requiring more than one person to lift them.

Paper manuscripts appeared during the Late Middle Ages. Very early printed books left spaces for the red text, known as rubrics, miniature illustrations, and illuminated initials, all of which would have been added later by hand. Drawings in the margins (known as marginalia) would also allow scribes to add their own notes, diagrams, translations, and even comic flourishes.

The introduction of printing rapidly led to the decline of illumination. Illuminated manuscripts continued to be produced in the early 16th century but in much smaller numbers, mostly for the very wealthy. They are among the most common items to survive from the Middle Ages; many thousands survive. They are also the best-surviving specimens of medieval painting, and the best preserved. Indeed, many areas and time periods, they are the only surviving examples of painting.