The Benedictional of St Aethelwold: A Masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon Art [Facsimile] [Hardcover]

Andrew Prescott (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2002

"The Benedictional of St Aethelwold", a book of ceremonial blessings made for St Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester from 963-984, is one of the most lavishly decorated manuscripts to have survived from Anglo-Saxon England. St Aethelwold was one of the leaders of the movement of ecclesiastical and cultural renewal in 10th-century England, which led to the foundation of new monasteries, the building of great cathedrals and the production of magnificent works of art, initiating the "Golden Age" of Anglo-Saxon art. The benedictional is the most important surviving artistic product of these movements. This facsimile reproduces the complete manuscript in full colour (with special gold), and to actual size, for the first time. In this introduction, Professor Andrew Prescott explores the historical and liturgical context of this remarkable manuscript, and provides translations of some of the blessings.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: The British Library; Facsimile edition (May 3, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0712347550
• ISBN-13: 978-0712347556
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,861,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Benedictional of St Aethelwold, November 3, 2008

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Terry M. Beaty "Terry Beaty" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Benedictional of St Aethelwold: A Masterpiece of Anglo-Saxon Art (Hardcover)

[...]
I received this book in Oct 2008. It is beautifully bound and the pictures are fantastic. The only problem I found was that the ink on some of the pages bleed through to the backing page. This seems to have occured only with the green ink.
The book is a wonderful example of ancient calligraphy, historical graphic design and images.
The book would probably be of interest to the following individuals:
Calligraphers, Historians of ancient manuscripts, Historians of the development of our alphabet, Reglious Historians and Theologians.
Because the book is no longer in print, it is difficult to find a copy for sale and the price is often over [...].