The Magic of Gold. Vibrant colours.

The Royal Psalter of Sainte-Chapelle, kept in the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal in Paris under the shelfmark of MS 1186, was created 1230 presumably for Blanche de Castille, the mother of King Louis the Saint. Inspired by the luminosity of gothic cathedral windows, this codex with its ornate miniatures and luxurious gold decoration is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful creations of French book illumination. Fol. 1v shows an astronomer with his scribe and a computist, a very untypical motive in a psalter.

Gold had an imminent importance over the centuries in old manuscripts: it was not only decoration, but had a high value in its symbolism: gold stood for the timelessness of God’s word, of wealth and of power. To match these high standards of the originals in First Editions, most modern techniques are used to reproduce the gold using foil gold or even real gold, in some cases adding patina to fit the character of the original.

Gold and Purple for Charlemagne - the great emperor’s personal prayer book is an outstanding example of the art of the Carolingian Court School. Today it is kept in the Bibliothèque nationale in Paris under the shelfmark Ms. Nouv. Acq. Lat. 1203; it was created around 780 in Aachen/Germany.

Glowing Colours of the Middle Ages.

Brilliant colours and radiant gold or silver, bonded to paper with the most advanced technical methods, show the same characteristics as the original; every page is border-cut true to the original. But also holes in the original’s parchment or paper, exfoliations or remarks attached during the manuscript’s living history as well as faults have to be included.

The Mainz Gospels are written completely in gold. Unique for its time is the virtuoso picture cycle which illustrates the complete life of Jesus in gold and vibrantly glowing colours. The original has been created around 1250 in Southern Germany.