Customer Reviews

The Macclesfield Psalter: .. a Window into the World of Late Medieval England

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This renowned and sumptuous book of hours was recently discovered in the library of the Earl of Macclesfield. It was made in East Anglia in the second quarter of the 14th century. This volume reproduces all the existing folios of the psalter as well as introductory text concerning its background and contents.

The main contents (folios 9R-207V) of the psalter contains psalms from the Old Testament (as would be expected!). The standard set of 10 canticles follow the psalms. There are no translations supplied. Detailed enlargements of some of the more outstanding illustrations are also presented.

So what does this psalter look like? Most of the pages contain 16 lines of text; this would be the least interesting aspect to the modern viewer. The true attractions are the decorative aspects of the marginalia on the left side of each page. These sometime extend to the under and upper aspect of the writing.

To quote from the introductory text: "We observe the wondrous hybrids flow out of, and back into, the lush foliage, metamorphose from beast into human or from male into female, blend with one another, devour themselves, grow several heads at once, and exchange hands for feet, noses for tails or heads for bottoms". Examination of these endlessly fascinating and often amusing details is, in my opinion, the most interesting and satisfying aspect of this psalter.

I must warn the prospective purchaser of one negative aspect of this manuscript. Due to its age and less than ideal upkeep and storage, there is significant shadowing of the marginalia of one side of the page on to the other. This is presumably due to running of the pigment (I proffer my opinion as a definite non expert in this area!) This staining is not unusual in older manuscripts but it is reasonably marked in this case. It is not however bad enough to spoil the appreciation this glorious creation.

The reproductions and printing quality are excellent with the colors (particularly the gold) seeming very realistic. This classy book is strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in illuminated manuscripts.

This is an outstanding book. The Macclesfield Psalter is a spectacular medieval manuscript--colourful, detailed, filled with all the variety you would expect in such a work. Stella Panayotova provides readers with a full-sized colour reproduction of the whole manuscript, on heavy paper. I have never seen anything like it. This book is so beautiful, I'm determined to learn to read Latin, so I can follow the manuscript's text. I suggest that anyone who cherishes medieval English culture, and beautiful works of art, will love this book.

This book is simply beautiful. The presentation (including case, cover, & contents) are simply wonderful. The introduction to the Psalter is a brilliant and detailed discussion of the images and texts in the context of the period. And having the complete series of images is so worthwhile. Why can't there be more reproductions of the illuminated texts like this one?

This beautifully presented, boxed book is a superb reproduction of the Macclesfield Psalter. Despite being nearly 700 years old, the book is produced in vibrant colours including very fine, exquisite detail. The complete set of Psalms is included in Latin along with a liturgical calendar and some liturgical prayers. The accompanying explanation is well written, extensive and broad. I recommend this book to anyone interested in ancient Biblical texts as awonderful example of the loving care vetowed upon such volume that we also rarely seen by the populace,