On bookbindings, ancient and modern / edited by Joseph Cundall.

  • Joseph Cundall
Date:
1881
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On bookbindings, ancient and modern / edited by Joseph Cundall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    expected to be called upon to beautify and adorn the interior of the work, and to the bookbinder belonged in reality only the fastening of the leaves, and the adjusting of the wooden covers. A book of the Gospels, translated in a.d. 370 by Ulphilas, Bishop of Moesia, is an example of the costly style in which books were adorned in early times. It was bound in massive silver, and called the ‘'Silver book of Ulphilas.’5 It was mag¬ nificence such as this that called forth the exclamation of St. Jerome: “Your books are covered with precious stones, and Christ died naked before the gate of His temple.’5 In the early days of the Christian Church there was no more popular gift from a patron than an illuminated manuscript. Princes and prelates alike bestowed such marks of their favour upon their favourite monasteries and churches. Leo III., on becoming Pope in 795, gave splendidly-adorned “Gospels55 to various churches; and the Emperor Michael, about 855, sent a “ Gospel55 decorated with pure gold and precious stones as a present to St. Peters. Such cherished gifts were placed upon the high altar. Very often, the upper side of a binding was enriched with precious stones, and covered with silver plates inlaid with gems, while the inner side was plain, and made simply of wood or stretched skin. The manuscripts themselves were in many M cases well worthy of their outward adornment. One instance of the immense labour of a transcriber is to be found in the British Museum, in the copy of a Bible written by a monk in the eighth century, who spent over twenty-two years in the performance of his task. This work was intended, when completed, for the Emperor Charlemagne. To preserve such valuable possessions from theft, many expedients were resorted to. It was usual to chain them to
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