the waste land
agnostic. lesbian. fangirl. multishipper. intj. inconsistent as fuck. impulsive and fickle follower. does not work or play well with others. old enough to know better. overeducated and underpaid.
Bahram Gur’s Combat with the Dragon, Shah-nama (book of kings), Shiraz, 1370. Topkapi Museum
![gorgonetta:
[Illuminated page from a book of hours]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mem4e5VVvy1r5las7o1_500.jpg)
[Illuminated page from a book of hours]
Calligraphic muraqqaʻ, unknown artist, employing verses of Anvari, etc. with interspersed figurative illustrations of lions, dragons, stags, bulls, etc. as well as vegetal motifs, all embossed in white paper likely with the fingernail, a technique known as khaṭṭ-i nākhunī ( خط ناخنی / khaṭṭ-e nākhonī). Nastaʻlīq with occasional thuluth script, Persia, XIX century.
(via ancient-serpent)
Pages from the Book of Kells, (Irish: Leabhar Cheanannais), an illuminated manuscript created by Celtic monks around 800 AD. Its name is derived from the Abbey of Kells in County Meath, Ireland, where it was kept until the 1650s. It’s origins are widely debated, with theories stating that it may have originated at Iona Abbey in Scotland, Lindisfarne in Northern England, an unknown monastery in Northern Scotland, or at the Abbey of Kells.
The manuscript is written in Latin, and contains the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and part of the Gospel of John. It also contains a fragmentary list of Hebrew names, Gospel summaries, short biographies of the Evangelists, and Euesbian canon tables.
The book is famous for its decoration, which includes full-page miniatures, smaller illustrations, and intricate initials.
(via fjalar)
Chi Rho Iota Page from the Book of Kells - made in Iona, Scotland, late 8th or early 9th century.
(via rhaegartargaryen)
The Lisbon Bible is the most accomplished dated codex (that is, a manuscript in book form rather than a scroll) of the Portuguese school of medieval Hebrew illumination. Completed in 1482, the Lisbon Bible is a testimony to the rich cultural life the Portuguese Jews experienced prior to the expulsion and forced conversions of December 1496.
On British Library’s online gallery you can view it in detail using the handy tool showed above.
The Theodore Psalter is one of the most famous illuminated manuscripts to survive from the Byzantine Empire. Completed in Constantinople in February 1066, the Psalter consists of 208 folios which include 440 separate images, making it the most fully illuminated Psalter to come down from Byzantium.
(via rhaegartargaryen)
The Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish illuminated manuscript dating back more than 650 years, has survived everything from the Spanish Inquisition to the siege of Sarajevo, which began 20 years ago. Now it is threatened once again — this time, by the lack of funding for Sarajevo’s cultural institutions. RFE/RL looks at the book’s history as Jews around the world celebrate Passover, the holiday when the Haggadah is read.
I really liked what the curator said, “This country is a multicultural country. There are several religions. I see all of them as my tradition, as traditions of my country.”
This museum is in serious danger of closing so I wish there was a donation link I could pass on, but I can’t find one.
Folio 27v from Kells by summoning_ifrit on Flickr.
A sample from the Book of Kells. This particular photo shows Folio 27v, containing symbols of the Four Evangelists, Matthew (a man), Mark (a lion), John (an eagle), and Luke (an ox).
(via rhaegartargaryen)
