The floral silk fabric that once protected the Psalter of Blanche of Castile is among the three surviving medieval embroidered bindings in France. When I saw it for the first time, I couldn’t believe someone could ever produce something so detailed.
This is the story of how I got to lay my hands on the original leaves of the Psalter of Blanche of Castile. I knew that the manuscript Müller & Schindler is planning to publish in facsimile is a piece of world history, but I wasn’t expecting such a holy experience.
If you think you have already seen the strangest outfits in the world, check out these medieval clothes and accessories, some of which were considered “inventions of the devil” by the Church.
Altough tremendously distinct from all other bestiaries, the five manuscripts of the Third Family (England; 13th century) have received much less scholarly attention than the bestiaries of other families. Ilya Dines discusses their features and origin.