BOOKS AS TREASURE

In the Middle Ages books were highly valued for many different reasons. Sometimes, they were treasured partly for their material value and dazzling beauty. The notion of a book as treasure is one that we today can appreciate easily. The metalwork and bejeweled book cover displayed here is made of precious metals like silver and semiprecious stones.

Sometimes the contents of books were viewed as treasure, especially as spiritual treasure if the manuscript was an important religious book, such as the gospels, telling the four evangelists’ versions of the life of Christ. Such books were believed to embody the Word of God (not just refer to it). The Lorsch Gospel Book (see the facsimile of the original book on the top shelf) was a treasure in both senses, since it contained the gospels and was illuminated with expensive pigments, gold, and the royal color purple.

By the fourteenth century the book of hours, which contained special prayers to the Virgin Mary for different times of day and for special occasions, became a best seller. One reason for this was that books of hours served as guides for private devotion and increasing numbers of people were looking for more personal religious experiences than provided by the group church service. Many books of hours were small and could be held easily in the hands, its texts and images so small that they invited and even required close up contemplation.
However, books of hours were valued for other reasons as well. Wealthy individuals often paid high prices to have a book that was large and sumptuously decorated. Some of the wealthier patrons both commissioned new books of hours and collected old ones illuminated by important artists.

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