The Luttrell Psalter Folio Society Limited Edition Number 1261
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:7004708 | Publisher: Folio Society |
| Special Attributes: Limited Edition |
The Luttrell Psalter Folio Society Limited Edition Number 1261
Wrapped in thick blue Nigerian goatskin with embossing and coloured highlights.
This very heavy book is an exquisitely produced facsimile of England’s premier 14th century Illuminated manuscript.
The psalter is copiously illustrated on almost every page, and the vitality and humour of these illuminations, depicting the minutiae of medieval life from farming to fashion, have made this one of the most popular of al...l manuscripts.
Nowhere else is the reality of medieval life depicted with such vitality. With over 600 richly adorned pages the sheer number of illustrations is awesome, and their quality breathtaking.
In medieval times, the creation of magnificent illuminated manuscripts was both a demonstration of piety and a symbol of the great wealth and power of the lords who commissioned them. Sir Geoffrey Luttrell (1276–1345) was a knight and baron whose wealth, dynastic alliances and military record placed him firmly among the English elite. His family psalter, begun in the year 1332 and the work of over ten years, became a priceless legacy.
There is a sense of delight and humour in the pictures which is unparalleled (two men sling a hammock from the very text of the Psalms), while decorative borders are formed by acrobats and stilt walkers. Grotesque creatures stalk the margins. Bizarre hybrids of man and beast, body parts rearranged to parody or praise Creation, plunge into the deepest recesses of the medieval imagination. Much of our knowledge of medieval games, festivities and farming practices comes directly from this work, making it one of the most important of historical resources.
This copy is number 1261 from a limited edition of 1480, measures 14 x 9¾ inches and the facsimile has 624 pages. The leather-bound book is bound is blocked with a design by David Eccles using gold, silver and coloured foils. The binding design using motifs from the Psalter and the Luttrell coat of arms of six martlets argent. It is housed in a hand-made solander box, with a leather label, and is accompanied by Professor Michelle P. Brown's fascinating 206 page scholarly commentary which gives a page by page description of the facsimile.
Wrapped in thick blue Nigerian goatskin with embossing and coloured highlights.
This very heavy book is an exquisitely produced facsimile of England’s premier 14th century Illuminated manuscript.
The psalter is copiously illustrated on almost every page, and the vitality and humour of these illuminations, depicting the minutiae of medieval life from farming to fashion, have made this one of the most popular of al...l manuscripts.
Nowhere else is the reality of medieval life depicted with such vitality. With over 600 richly adorned pages the sheer number of illustrations is awesome, and their quality breathtaking.
In medieval times, the creation of magnificent illuminated manuscripts was both a demonstration of piety and a symbol of the great wealth and power of the lords who commissioned them. Sir Geoffrey Luttrell (1276–1345) was a knight and baron whose wealth, dynastic alliances and military record placed him firmly among the English elite. His family psalter, begun in the year 1332 and the work of over ten years, became a priceless legacy.
There is a sense of delight and humour in the pictures which is unparalleled (two men sling a hammock from the very text of the Psalms), while decorative borders are formed by acrobats and stilt walkers. Grotesque creatures stalk the margins. Bizarre hybrids of man and beast, body parts rearranged to parody or praise Creation, plunge into the deepest recesses of the medieval imagination. Much of our knowledge of medieval games, festivities and farming practices comes directly from this work, making it one of the most important of historical resources.
This copy is number 1261 from a limited edition of 1480, measures 14 x 9¾ inches and the facsimile has 624 pages. The leather-bound book is bound is blocked with a design by David Eccles using gold, silver and coloured foils. The binding design using motifs from the Psalter and the Luttrell coat of arms of six martlets argent. It is housed in a hand-made solander box, with a leather label, and is accompanied by Professor Michelle P. Brown's fascinating 206 page scholarly commentary which gives a page by page description of the facsimile.
