[Scriptoris] Fw: The Luttrell Psalter: A Facsimile

[lizdenpeters at juno.com]

Good Gentles,

How I wish I could afford this.  It is certain to be superb!


Liz and/or Fionnghuala the Fair "Nuala" and/or my evil twin, Cedric
"A book is a mirror; if an ass peers into it, you can't expect an apostle
to look out."     G. C. Lichtenberg

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ian.stevens at dbbcdist.com
To: lizdenpeters at juno.com
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2006 10:06:37 -0700 (GMT-07:00)
Subject: The Luttrell Psalter: A Facsimile
 
Occasionally something special turns up...
 
We have been asked by the British Library to be their exclusive sales
agent in North America for their recently published facsimile of The
Luttrell Psalter.
 
This is such a special book for us to offer that we asked David Brown
(yes, there is one!) in our Oxford office to write a few words. This is
what he had to say:
 
 
The Luttrell Psalter ..... how about a facsimile?
 
Everybody knows the 'Luttrell Psalter': all those nice pictures of
everyday life in the Middle Ages... just what you need to illustrate your
next book on cooking, or travel, or costumes, or farming, or whatever
else you are writing about in the middle ages!
 
But, do you know why it's called Luttrell? No, it's not some pension fund
that coughed up for its purchase by the British Library. Luttrell - none
other than Sir Geoffrey Luttrell, of Irnham, in Lincolnshire -
commissioned this extraordinary book, and it is quite possible that it
was made, written, illustrated on his manor at Irnham. That makes it
almost uniquely unusual in not being the work of a monastic scriptorium.
 
And that is probably why it is so interesting, for over and above the
very handsomely written and decorated text of the psalms are
illustrations galore. Scenes from everyday life at Irnham (or wherever),
the comings and goings, and the doings of the Luttrells and their
retinue... and also of many fabulous and fantastic beasts.
 
An explanation of the context of the Psalter, why it was created, and by
whom and when, and the scenes and symbolism of the illuminations is
provided by Michelle Brown, who provides a lucid and informative
Introduction of some fifty pages. This includes discussion of the date of
creation, the historical background, the artists, and a page by page
description of the decorative scenes.
 
The Luttrell Psalter is a big book, nearly fourteen inches by nine and a
half, and it contains 312 folios. That means it has 624 pages… and all of
them are illuminated…well, that's not quite true because there are a few
pages at the end with music on them, but that in itself is pretty
decorative. Otherwise the basic text of the psalms is stylishly written
with illuminated capitals to each psalm and decorative capitals to each
verse and lots of decorative line fillers. And the borders of more than
half the folios are decorated with the distinctive scenes that give the
book its extra character. It is safe to say that there are more of these
illuminations than you will have ever seen illustrated elsewhere, and
that their variety is breathtaking.
 
Here is a treasure house of the greatest interest: a rich vein of gold by
no means yet worked out ... and it is available in a complete and
full-size facsimile, published in exemplary style by the British Library.
We are delighted to have been invited by the British Library to offer
this extraordinary book to. It is a book to get excited about!
 
David Brown
 
 
 
This facsimile is available now! It will cost $750.00 next year (if there
are any left then!). But you can get one now at the introductory price of
$650.00. That's $650 for 624 illuminated pages
 
 
We hope you will be as thrilled about this piece of publishing as we are.
The books are here and looking for homes.
 
With regards,
 
Ian Stevens
The David Brown Book Company
Tel: 1-800-791-9354
        
 
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'The Luttrell Psalter: A Facsimile' - with an introduction by Michelle P
Brown  
List Price: US$ 750.00 * Our Price: US$ 650.00 *
Link: http://www.oxbowbooks.com/bookinfo.cfm?ID=48244&MID=25300