Wow, you are right about all that gold - it dazzles. Seems like no expense was too great to create these staggering pieces and Ms pages. Amazing, thank you for introducing beautiful things I never was aware of
I'm always amazed at what has survived the ravages of time, war, revolution, reformation, infestation, and weather. I just wish more of these items were being used as originally intended, though. I understand why they are locked away now, given their antiquity and rarity, but museums (no matter how well done) cannot convey the purpose or context of things. Last summer, for instance, I saw a ceramic 4th century Syrian prosphora seal ("prosphora" is Orthodox communion bread - ours is a leavened bread, and it is stamped with a seal before baking) in a museum in Toronto. As one of my church's prosphora bakers, I wished I could have rescued that seal and put it to use - it would have made for a tangible connection with 2000 years of fellow Christians (especially as many in my parish are Syrian). I think much the same with these manuscripts - it would be good if they could somehow be given an occasional liturgical use, and that way connect us all with our brethren of past centuries.
I'm not surprised about painters still using Lead White or other pigments on the sly. I've never understood the EU's near total unconditional ban on lead - handled properly (as people have been doing for millennia now), lead is darn useful (this is a sore spot for me given my day job).
Wow, you are right about all that gold - it dazzles. Seems like no expense was too great to create these staggering pieces and Ms pages. Amazing, thank you for introducing beautiful things I never was aware of
Fabulously, gloriously, fascinating and edifying.
I'm always amazed at what has survived the ravages of time, war, revolution, reformation, infestation, and weather. I just wish more of these items were being used as originally intended, though. I understand why they are locked away now, given their antiquity and rarity, but museums (no matter how well done) cannot convey the purpose or context of things. Last summer, for instance, I saw a ceramic 4th century Syrian prosphora seal ("prosphora" is Orthodox communion bread - ours is a leavened bread, and it is stamped with a seal before baking) in a museum in Toronto. As one of my church's prosphora bakers, I wished I could have rescued that seal and put it to use - it would have made for a tangible connection with 2000 years of fellow Christians (especially as many in my parish are Syrian). I think much the same with these manuscripts - it would be good if they could somehow be given an occasional liturgical use, and that way connect us all with our brethren of past centuries.
I'm not surprised about painters still using Lead White or other pigments on the sly. I've never understood the EU's near total unconditional ban on lead - handled properly (as people have been doing for millennia now), lead is darn useful (this is a sore spot for me given my day job).