V. Contemporary Artefacts Illustrated in Late Saxon Manuscripts
Martin Carver
How far do the pictures in early medieval manuscripts reflect contemporary life? Are busy and attractive figures which populate many Carolingian or Late Saxon illuminations reflections of their painters patrons, are they ghostly survivors Roman Empire, fossilized a scribal convention? For some archaeologists, course, question authenticity has never arisen, relevance being cheerfully assumed; but it to be stated at outset that odds generally set against such optimism. That painted books were usually copied from other is clear continuity image, picturecycle design, all having roots Antique period. Thus drawing life, even abstract invention, where occurred, will not obvious probably only detectable by process elimination
Archaeologia ;