This magnificent Book of Hours (Use of Paris) was executed for Prigent de Coëtivy (1400-50), who was Admiral of France and, next to the Duc de Berry, one of the greatest book-collectors of the period. The 148 miniatures are mainly attributed to the 'Master of the Duke of Bedfo
A Sense of Freedom Coëtivy, Prignet de, 1400-1450 Illumination of books and manuscripts Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint Jesus Christ Religion Christianity
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In twenty scenes, this painted handscroll tells the Tale of Oriole (Yingying zhuan), one of the the most famous love stories in Chinese literature. Set in the late eighth century, it centers around the romance of Oriole (Yingying), the beautiful seventeen-year old daughter of
A Sense of Freedom Arts Love stories Literature Chinese literature
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Scenes of royal life were a popular subject for depiction in parabaik folding books at the Burmese court of Mandalay during the late nineteenth century. These openings show the training of hunting elephants and other mounted exercises.
A Sense of Identity Courts and courtiers Animals Elephants Manners and customs Hunting
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The historiated initial ‘I’ marks the beginning of the Book of Genesis: In Principio creavit Deus caelum et terram, or ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’. Each line of text is written in decreasing size, a decorative technique known as diminuendo. The in
A Sense of Place Creation Biblical cosmology Sacred books Religion Christianity Bible Bible. Genesis Adam & Eve Illumination of books and manuscripts
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Chester Beatty's collection of bindings from eighteenth-century Europe includes many virtuoso examples. This binding, identified as the work of Edward Beatty, formerly known only as Parliamentary Binder B, is one of the most important Irish bindings to survive from this period. T
A Sense of Place Arts Bookbinding Fine bindings
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This folio from a vellum codex contains the Coptic version in the Sahidic dialect of a collection of rules relating to church discipline ascribed to St Basil. Basil the Great (born c.300), bishop of Caesarea, was an important early theologian as well as one of the fathers of comm
A Sense of Identity Basil, Saint, Bishop of Caesarea, approximately 329-379 Religion Christianity Monasticism and religious orders Illumination of books and manuscripts
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The Chester Beatty papyrus codex of the Pauline Epistles is the earliest book of Paul’s letters in existence. The original manuscript would have consisted of 100-104 leaves, of which 86 survive, split between the Chester Beatty and the University of Michigan. The codex was formed
A Sense of Identity Saint, Paul Bible Bible. Epistles of Paul Bible. Romans Bible. Philippians Bible. Colossians Sacred books Religion Christianity
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In 1765, the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-95) commanded Jesuit artists residing at his court to design pictures commemorating recent military conquests of foreign territory. Shortly thereafter, a set of sixteen drawings of these battles was sent to the Parisian engraver Charles Coc
A Sense of Place History Wars Battles Engraving
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The woodblock print designer Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) is one of Japan’s most celebrated artists. During a hugely productive artistic career, he created an astonishing range of works, including prints of beautiful women, landscapes, flowers and animals, as well as illustrat
A Sense of Place Religion Fuji, Mount (Japan) Mountains Temples Honganji Temple Kites
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This painted scroll of Scenes from a Noh Play (Manzai no Tsutsumi emaki) dates to the Edo period and was created during the middle of the seventeenth century. Noh is a fourteenth-century form of theatre originally patronised by Japan’s samurai warrior class. It became a court en
A Sense of Identity Arts Theatre Stage Drama Japanese drama Nō plays
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Western knowledge of many works of the greatest thinkers of ancient Greece, including Euclid, was lost during the so-called Dark Ages (the period from about the late fifth century AD to the year 1000). However, between the late eighth century and the tenth centuries, most of t
A Sense of Freedom Mathematics Geometry Euclid Translations
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This folio is from an album compiled for the Mughal emperors Jahangir (r. 1605-27) and Shah Jahan (r. 1627-58) between about 1612 and 1640. In his memoirs, Jahangir, whose mother was Hindu, describes Holi, the exuberant Hindu festival: ‘Thursday is the Holi, which in their [th
A Sense of Place Manners and customs Religion Hinduism Festivals Holī (Hindu festival) Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan, 1569-1627
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