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Illuminated manuscript
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Portrait of the high admiral Alexius Apocaucos, illuminated manuscript page from the Hippocrates Manuscript, c. 1342; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. Magnificat Romulus and Remus October, illuminated manuscript page from Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry by the Limburg brothers, c. 1416; in the Condé Museum, Chantilly, France. (Fol. 10v) 29 × 21 cm. 15th-century German Bible illustration showing Moses leading a group of Israelites between parted green waves of the Red Sea, with Hebrew text above. Bible Decorated initial for the story about the unicorn in a late 12th-century Latin bestiary (Harley MS. 4751, folio 6v); in the British Library Illuminated manuscript by Liberale da Verona showing Jesus in blue and red robes before the gates of Jerusalem, surrounded by ornate floral and gold decorations and musical notation. Illuminated manuscript showing Marco Polo departing Venice by ship in 1271, with ornate medieval buildings, bridges, and figures along the city's canals and waterfront. feudalism
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Portrait of the high admiral Alexius Apocaucos, illuminated manuscript page from the Hippocrates Manuscript, c. 1342; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.
Portrait of the high admiral Alexius Apocaucos, illuminated manuscript page from the Hippocrates Manuscript, c. 1342; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

Illuminated manuscript

art
Also known as: manuscript illumination
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•History

Illuminated manuscript, handwritten book that has been decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colours, or elaborate designs or miniature pictures. Though various Islamic societies also practiced this art, Europe had one of the longest and most cultivated traditions of illuminating manuscripts. A brief treatment of illuminated manuscripts follows. For full treatment, see painting, Western: Western Dark Ages and medieval Christendom. The term illumination originally denoted the embellishment of the text of handwritten books with gold...

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