The Aesthetics of Texts: Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts
Marek H. Dominiczak
Books, as we know them today, emerged from earlier records made successively on tablets, papyrus, and scrolls. Around the 4th century, first form of a book appeared: codex written parchment (sheepskin). A more sophisticated form, illuminated manuscript (text supplemented with decoration) created vellum (calfskin) succeeded after fall Roman Empire. It remained dominant text between years 600 1600 (1, 2). The next major change took place in 15th century: invention moveable type printing technology by Gutenberg, paper-based books manuscripts.

In 7th 8th centuries, demand for word was mostly ecclesiastical, stemming requirement exact transmission religious message during Christianization Northern Europe. Important centers production monasteries associated cult an Anglo-Saxon monk, St. Cuthbert (ca. 634–687) region today's Ireland, Scotland, England (3, 4). There, monastic culture grounded Celtic tradition, it came distinct kind art now recognized …
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