A Must-Have For Any Collector! Monastery of Iona (United Kingdom) – Ca. A UNESCO World Heritage document and arguably the most famous. Manuscript in the world: intricate interlace and Celtic knots in a masterpiece of insular illumination. Limited to just 199. Bound by a master bookbinder/old medieval manuscript expert with 40 years of expertise in book restoration. 800 – Monastery os St Columba, Iona (Scotland) by unknown Irish Monks. Monastic community of Kells; Archbishop Ussher, crown possession under Charles II. Eusebian canon tables; Jerome’s Vulgate gospels with Argumenta and Breves Causae; additional readings in Old Latin. A4, 210 x 297cm, 8.3″ x 11.7″. The Book of Kells, also known as the Codex Cenannensis or Leabhar Cheanannais, is an illuminated manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament. Crafted in a Columban monastery, it likely began on the Isle of Iona in Scotland in the early 8th century. After a Viking raid, it was moved to Kells, Ireland, where it may have been completed in the early 9th century. The book’s lavishly decorated pages feature intricate Christian iconography, Celtic knots, and vibrant colors, making it a pinnacle of Insular illumination. Manuscript contains the four Gospels of the New Testament. It was likely produced in a monastery on the Isle of Iona in Scotland during the early 8th century. After a Viking raid, the book was relocated to Kells, Ireland, possibly in the 9th century. The manuscript showcases remarkable early-medieval miniatures, including full-page illustrations of Christ, Mary with Child, and the Evangelists. Elaborate typefaces and finely patterned initials adorned with luminous colors demonstrate the masterful technical expertise behind its creation. Notably, the Book of Kells features unconventional materials: orpiment, a rare arsenic sulfide mineral, replaces gold, and lapis lazuli, exclusively found in Afghanistan at the time, contributes to its vibrant blue hues. The manuscript’s charm extends to whimsical depictions, such as a letter “N” formed by two small men tugging each other’s beards and a mouse pursued by a cat after stealing a communion wafer. Please note that “Gold ink” is not used in our facsimiles to reproduce illuminated manuscripts.
