English Manuscript Art in the Mid-Eleventh Century: The Decorative Tradition

Gameson, Richard

doi:10.1017/s0003581500086832

Cited by 45 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The three standing figures of the Deity (5v-6v) were based on a model that was still being used at Christ Church (and there only) in the early twelfth century. 177 The crucifixion (4v) in the enigmatic first quire is stylistically akin to the work of the main artist of the Christ Church Prudentius, British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C. viii, and is iconographically related to the image of the crucifixion in the Arenberg Gospels, another possible Christ Church book. 178 Thirdly, there is the form of the decorated initial on lOv.…”

Section: Reads 'A In Nomine D[omi]ni + Am[en] Leofric[us] + Pater'mentioning

confidence: 99%

The origin of the Exeter Book of Old English poetry

Gameson

1996

Anglo-Saxon England

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143

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Exeter, Cathedral Library, 3501, fols. 8–130, the celebrated Exeter Book of Old English Poetry, preserves approximately one-sixth of the surviving corpus of Old English verse, and its importance for the study of pre-Conquest vernacular literature can hardly be exaggerated. It is physically a handsome codex, and is of large dimensions for one written in the vernacular: c. 320 × 220 mm, with a written area of c. 240 × 160 mm (see pl. III). In contrast to many coeval English manuscripts, particularly those in the vernacular, there is documentary evidence for the Exeter Book's pre-Conquest provenance. Assuming it is identical with the ‘i mycel Englisc boc be gehwilcum þingum on leoðwisum geworht’ (‘one large English book about various things written in verse’) in the inventory of lands, ornaments and books that Leofric, bishop of Crediton then Exeter, had acquired for the latter foundation, then it has been at Exeter since the third quarter of the eleventh century. This, however, is at least three generations after the book was written, and it has generally been assumed that it originated else where. Identifying the scriptorium where the Exeter Book was made is clearly a matter of the greatest interest and importance. A recent, admirably thorough monograph has put forward a thought-provoking case for seeing Exeter itself as the centre responsible, and has proceeded to draw a range of literary and historical conclusions from this. The comprehensive new critical edition of the manuscript has favoured the thesis, and it has been echoed elsewhere. If correct, this is extremely valuable and exciting – but is it correct? The matter is of sufficient importance to merit further scrutiny.

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Section: Reads 'A In Nomine D[omi]ni + Am[en] Leofric[us] + Pater'mentioning

confidence: 99%