Key Points on Manuscripts and Illuminated Art

Dedication and Manuscripts

• Blanche of Castile's manuscript for Louis IX is a luxurious, handwritten Bible.
• Manuscript = hand-written book (from Latin "manus" for hand and "script" for writing).
• Illuminated manuscripts feature painted decorations with pigments and precious metals (gold, silver).

Illuminated Manuscripts

• Examples: Golden Haggadah, Bible of Blanche of Castile, Book of Hours.
• Written on parchment (animal skin), not paper.
• Parchment is durable and expensive due to the labor required for preparation.

Materials Used

• Gold leaf: hammered gold used for illumination.
• Ultramarine pigment: expensive blue from lapis lazuli, imported from Afghanistan.
• Book of Hours: Christian devotional book containing prayers, texts, and a church calendar.

Duke of Berry and Manuscript Culture

• Duke of Berry was a major patron of manuscripts and owned a vast library.
• Illuminated manuscripts became status symbols among the elite, especially during the medieval period.

Calendar Pages

• Calendar pages depict monthly labors, illustrated with zodiac signs and scenes of aristocracy/peasantry.
• Notable example: January page shows a royal banquet, indicating courtly life and luxury.

Elements of the Royal Banquet

• Decor includes fine foods, gold objects, and tapestries.
• Tapestries serve as decoration and insulation in drafty palaces.
• Gift-giving tradition includes illuminated manuscripts and jewels, especially during New Year's.