Early Christian Manuscript Flashcards

Question

folio

Answer 1

1 page in a manuscript

Answer 2

double page in a manuscript

Answer 3

- paper not widely used in Europe until 15th c, animal skin most popular material - Used calfskin/vellum - Use of vellum advantage - smooth, tough + durable in damp Irish climate - Prep of calfskin - extremely time consuming

Answer 4

- Skin dipped in lime to looser hair from hide - scraped w/ knife - skin stretched on frame, craftsman picked out hair - bifolio cut out of vellum to equal scale - marks cut w/ point of knife along edges of pages to assist ruling of pages - pages ruled w/ ruler made of wood/bone. Layout worked out using implements (set-squares, dividers, compasses, templates)

Answer 5

The Cathach - copy of book of psalms from old testament Book of Durrow + Book of Kells - copy of new testament

Answer 6

``` diminuendo red dot capital letter deco snake peacock lion fish interlace framed pages of interlace la tene mtoifs geometric patterns ```

Answer 7

technique at beginning o sentence,letters of a word gradually decrease in size

Answer 8

letter/word/image surrounded w/ small dots of red pigment

Answer 9

letters richly decorated, often take form of animal/zoomorphic deco

Answer 10

symbol of everlasting life

Answer 11

symbol of everlasting life

Answer 12

symbol of the resurrection

Answer 13

letters of word fish in Greek can make up Jesus/Christ/the son/saviour

Answer 14

extensive use of interlace (plain + zoomorphic) (found throughout manuscripts from 7th century)

Answer 15

used as it was believed that decorated fram protected image within

Answer 16

curvilinear forms + trumpets, peltas, triskeles

Answer 17

found in later manuscripts such as Book of Kells

Answer 18

written in Latin alphabet + in calligraphy style half-unical script unical script insular

Answer 19

- first Irish manuscripts written in Irish 'half-unical' script - Has descenders + ascender - small books written in 'miniscule' script (lower case)

Answer 20

- a majuscule script (capital letters) | - large manuscripts illuminated in colour written in solemn 'majuscule' script

Answer 21

- developed in Ireland in 7th century - related to unical - Has British + Continental traditions and strong elements of Irish Celtic traditions

Answer 22

- date: 6th century - script: Celtic half-unical - material: vellum - language: Latin - colours: black, red brown

Answer 23

- copy of book of psalms, used for daily singing by monks | - decorated nature suggests - for use of abbot + head of order

Answer 24

- 'Cathach' means battle book, refers to legend about St/ Colmcille - Colmcille copied a book lent to him by St. Finnian -> earliest disputes about copyright (disagreement about ownership of copy) - Dispute ended w/ battle (claimed lives of many) - St Colmcille exiled to Iona

Answer 25

- Not as lavish in deco/colour as later manuscripts - Use of red dots surrounding letters seen on many initials - Use of diminuendo seen at beginning - No decorative interlace, number of capitals decorated w/La Tene motifs of spiral + curvilinear forms, trumpets, peltas - Use of zoomorphic motifs - Main colours: black, white, small amounts of red

Answer 26

letter 'g' | letter 'i'

Answer 27

The Carpet Page The Man Symbol The Chi Ro Page The 'Initium' Page

Answer 28

- date: 7th century - script: insular majuscule - material: vellum - height: 26cm - language: Latin - colours: black, red, green, yellow, brown - location: Trinity College, Dublin

Answer 29

- copy of the four gospels - used during high mass for reading from lectern - size, rich colouring + decoration indicates -> used for display + decoration

Answer 30

1. opens w/ 2 decorated pages, carpet page, divided cruciform page w/ symbols of the 4 evangelists (matthew, mark, luke, john) 2. then follows the canon tables surrounded w/ decorative interlaced frame 3. at beginning of each gospel -> framed page w/ symbol of individual evangelist against bg of bare vellum followed by carpet page 4. text of each gospel begins w/decorated capital

Answer 31

page solely made up of deco

Answer 32

history of the church

Answer 33

``` Chi Rho Portrait of St. John Temptation of Christ The Virgin and Child The Arrest of Christ The Four Evangelists page ```

Answer 34

- date: late 8th century - Insular majuscule - material: vellum - height: 33cm - pages: 339 pages (some missing) - language: Latin - colours: black, red, green, yellow, brown, blues, purples, oranges, pinks, white lead - location: Trinity College Dublin

Answer 35

- altar book for special occasions - size, rich colouring, deco indicates used for display + devotion - copy of the four gospels - like Book of Durrow, includes canon tables

Answer 36

- opens w/ cruciform patterned carpet page followed w/ canon tables - follows page of the symbols of four Evangelists followed by four gospels - each gospel has page of symbols of Evangelists - opening words of each gospel highly decorated + dominate entire text - every page has extensive deco

Answer 37

- believe produced at monastery of Iona in Scotland - Iona suffered VIking attacks, never to recover - Kells founded in 804AD, mother church after fall of Iona - book completed/begun on island of Iona, brought to Kells + completed

Answer 38

idk whatever

Answer 39

goldsmith portrait painter illustrator & storyteller

Answer 40

- credited w/ the eight circles carpet page, the chi Rho page, opening words of gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, other smaller pieces of deco - responsible for metalwork effects + microscopic details such as in Chi Rho page - colours he uses: silver, blue, soft green, yellow, purple, red - uses abstract design, strapwork, spirals, twisted bodies + beasts to decorate - given his name bc of metallic colours he used + similarity of his designs to Irish metalwork - Chi Rho Page, Eight Circle Carpet Page

Answer 41

- responsible for portraits of Christ, Matthew, John - interested in basic shapes - anatomy far from accurate - uses curves in material + hair to camouflage lack of knowledge - introduced variety of pattern into hairstyles + clothes - work shows concern for symmetry - Portrait of St. John

Answer 42

- responsible for zoomorphic + humanforms decorating text at random - sense of playfulness to his work - liked bright colours + washes of blue and green - responsible for figures such as virgin and child page - borders and frames were outlines to present his figures - The Temptation of Christ, The Virgin and Child, The four Evangelists page, The Arrest of Christ

Answer 43

- richness + complexity of design displayed, not seen in Book of Durrow - interlace distinguished by finesse + complexity of design - plain interlace made up of fine threadlike ribbons - direct comparison between intricate deco of Tara Brooch + Book of Kells - text decorated w/ decoration of capital letters + complete lines of script using colour, diminuendo, red dot, small images - some pages dedicated to simply one sentence of deco text (folio 34r Chi Rho Page) - New techniques such as marbling, found primarily in border frames of illustrated pages - number 3 is referred to regularly

Answer 44

- main body of text written in 'Insular Majuscule' (capital letter) - wide rounded letters, vertical ascenders + descenders - Triangular serifs (ends) on ascenders - written mainly in lower case miniscule - 4 diff scribes

Answer 45

wrote plainly w/ dark brown ink

Answer 46

- wrote w/ coloured inks + in fancier style | - exaggerated length of his descenders

Answer 47

- used miniscule script w/ brown ink | - decorated between lines w/ small cartoon-like drawings

Answer 48

- 3rd page of book (folio 3v) is a carpet page - shows extensive use of La Tene decoration incl triskeles, trumpet forms, peltas, spirals - framed w band of broad ribbon interlace - design outlined w areas of baclk to allow decoration to appear bold

Answer 49

- Folio 21V depicts 'the man symbol' at beginning of gospel of St Matthew - framed w protective panels of broad ribbon interlace treament of figure: - area around figure undecorated so attention drawn to figure - features symmetrical, drawn w aid of template - nose extended from eyebrows with large oval eyebrows + segment mouth - hairstyle like a monk's - feet drawn freehand, show no knowledge of perspective/anatomy - cloak covered in small multicoloured squares likened to effect of millefiori glass

Answer 50

- appears in St Matthews gospel at point in text when Christ born - Greek letters X, P I are first three letters of Greek word meaning 'Christ' - monogram takes up about 4 lines of text - 'X' is decorated with La Tene motifs + extensive use of red dot - red curvilinear lines in between each paragraph - 'P' decorated with panels + La Tene motifs, rest of text highlighted with red dot - Treatment likened to stipling effect on Ardagh Chalice that highlights names of apostles - word Joseph is decorated w red dots + diminuendo at bottom

Answer 51

- Packed with detail - last and finest page of book - heralds birth of Christ in text - monogram dominates entire page, decorated with minute detail + rich colouring - Surrounding 'X' - disks of coloured La Tene design, on left side are stylised decorative angels - 'P' decorated with continuous interlace + bright red border, curve ends with stylised human head - Beneath 'P' - otter w/ fish in its mouth - Left of that, image of cats + mice w/ eucharist in their mouth - Tiny details make it so memorable

Answer 52

- Portrait painter - St John's role as evangelist indicated by long quilt in right hand, book in left hand, horn ink well at right foot - Double halo behind head - Alternating use of red, yellow, blue frames - Empty negative space behind figure gives him commanding presence - Two hands extend out towards at both sides, two feet appear at bottom, shoulders + head appear at top - Perhaps symbolise divine inspiration/Christ on the cross

Answer 53

- Colours incl blue, green, brown, red - frame of interlace surrounds image - dominated by depiction of a building believed to be early wooden church - figure in doorway believed to represent an abbot - above building - stylised figure of christ, symbolically largest figure on page - at head of Christ - 2 angels - To right of Christ - winged figure of satan in black - Bottom: may represent monks of the order - Left of Christ: some of apostles - figures - highly stylised, no concern for anatomy

Answer 54

- Made by Illustrator - Earliest known representation of the Virgin - Mary - 3/4 pose holding Jesus - Head much larger than Child Jesus's - Style + pose may derive from a Mediterranean icon - not a common subject during the period

Answer 55

- Man = Matthew, Lion = Mark, Ox = Luke, Eagle = John, - colours blue + purple dominate composition - frame border treated w/ marbling effect - each of symbols treated in highly stylised fashion, elaborate wings - correct perspective/anatomy not concern - use of white lead for faces + features of symbols

Answer 56

- enclosed in arch representing garden of Gethsemane - 2 figures grab Christ - at top, two fierce monsters snarl facing each other, suggesting violence + evil of occasion - Jesus portrayed as calm + solemn w/ arms outstretched in surrender - red gown, face, hands, hair perfectly symmetrical - scene stylised, no attempt made at realistic human depiction