Browse Exhibits (2 total)
Inscribed Illuminations and Inspirations: Manuscripts at Bridwell Library
Originally exhibited August 8, 2016 – December 16, 2016
The Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Galleries
Introduction
Surveying the wide range of manuscripts in Bridwell Library Special Collections representing the Christian, Judaic, and Islamic traditions, this exhibition includes items produced between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries in numerous locations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. The array of texts, languages, letterforms, illuminations, and illustrations provides evidence of both known and unrecorded scribes, artists, readers, and owners as well as insights into the cultural, historical, bibliographical, and aesthetic contexts in which these manuscripts were created.
These works both complement and supplement printed holdings in significant collecting areas for Bridwell Library including scripture and worship, devotion, theology and church history, and religious instruction and study. Focusing on these genres, Bridwell Library continues to build a diverse and instructive collection of manuscripts, many of which demonstrate how handwritten books and documents remained essential facets of religious and intellectual life following the introduction of printing in Europe in the mid-fifteenth century.
Manuscripts in the Islamic Tradition
Originally exhibited September 4 – December 13, 2013
Entry Hall
Introduction
Islamic manuscripts comprise an important part of Bridwell Library’s representation of the world’s religions. Dating from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, the exhibited manuscripts include magnificent copies of the Quran and later collections of prayers that long have been central to the religious lives of Muslims. Featuring fine paper, beautiful calligraphy, colorful paintings, rich illuminations, and ornamental bindings, these books also reflect the outstanding craftsmanship that has characterized manuscript production within the Islamic tradition.