Rustic Libraries And Illuminated Manuscripts
By: Pooja Sharma
Tags: Books, Libraries, Reading, Manuscripts, Illumination

I was captivated by the rustic beauty at Old library, Trinity College Dublin.

I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library. -Jorge Luis Borges

My love for reading has always attracted me to the beautiful rustic libraries. The rare decorative book bindings, ornamental illustrations, and enchanting aroma of old books create a spell.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto

The polygon-shaped building of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library treasures several rare old books and has an enigmatic ambiance perfect for reading and writing. It was one of my favorite places to study during graduate studies, and will always be.

Fisher library holds an extensive collection of illustrated books and manuscripts on the various subject areas; the history of science and medicine, art and history of books, literature, and philosophy. Some of its unique holdings include Canadiana, the tenth-century Hebrew texts, The four gospels in Greek: Codex Torontonensis, the Victorian Natural History Collection, the Darwin Collection, the Einstein Collection, the Academy of Medicine Collection. The library hosts exhibitions on varied topics displaying books, photographs, and manuscripts. The Science Literacy Week 2020¹ exhibition displayed rare eminent works such as Euclid’s Elementa Geometria (14th Century), Newton’s The Principia (1687), Johannes Kepler’s Astronomia nova (1609). Recently, the library hosted The Discovery of Insulin Exhibition (2021)², an online exhibition in the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Insulin at the University of Toronto.

The Old Library, Trinity College Dublin

In the summer of 2018, I visited Dublin to attend a conference. Of all the beautiful places in the city and nearby, I liked most The Old Library at Trinity College Dublin. As I entered, I found a splendid display of The Book of Kells in an exhibition showcasing the most beautiful manuscript decorated with figures and calligraphy.

The illuminated manuscripts tell their story; the diligent practice of illumination, the influence of art and culture on the book cover, text, and illustrations. The original adorned manuscripts take us back into the time and sometimes represent much older artistic forms. Celtic art was derived from an ancient pagan tradition and used by the Irish Monks in the adornment of The Book of Kells more than thirteen hundred years ago.

The Book of Kells was written on the vellum or calfskin after its physical and chemical treatment³. The source of bright colors and tones in the book are inks, powders, and their mixtures³. The raw materials for ink and dye were bark, clay, minerals, and lichens³. The black ink was made of soot generated by oils and rosin³. Bistre⁴ was another carbon black compound generated by burning wood and char, used for black ink. Minerals such as gypsum was used for white, azurite and lazurite for blue³, verdigris and malachite for green, buckthorn and yellow ochre for yellow, and red lead for red³. Red was also obtained from dyes such as Orcein lichen dye⁵ and Madder, and Indigoindigotin dye was used for blue ink³.

The Book of Durrow, one of the oldest illuminated manuscripts is adorned with the symbols of evangelists, knot motifs, and designs based on jewellery³. The exhibition displays a collection of alphabets, words, animals images, and revered images; The Chi Rho page, created by intricate motifs of Celtic art.

Illumination was a time-consuming and expensive process. The use of metals, minerals, and pigments in the preparation and ornamentation of manuscripts required hard work, skills, and resources. The advent of printing in the fifteenth century thus discouraged the making of decorated books and manuscripts.

Thank you for reading this story. A brief version of this story is also available on my YouTube channel, Rustic Libraries And Illuminated Manuscripts.

Bookmark and postcard, The Chi Rho page from the Old Library, Trinity College Dublin.

References