This lavishly designed book introduces the reader to the world of medieval miniature painting & illumination presents c. 170 of the most beautiful & important medieval scripts from the 4th century to 1600. Many miniatures are reproduced in their original size, some on double-pages. No other review of this subject has ever contained such an abundance of brilliant, large-format reproductions. Although the focus is on European handwriting (French, Dutch, German, Italian, English & Spanish) examples have also been selected to illustrate the refinement & intricacy of handwriting from non-European cultures (Mexican, Persian, Indian, Ottoman etc.). The scripts are presented in chronological order & described in full. Trouble has been taken not to overwhelm the reader with technical terminology, so that the book will also serve to edify the interested amateur.

At the head of each sample of script there is a synopsis providing information such as age, origin, format, length, language, textual content, patron, artist etc. These synopses should help to orientate the reader at a glance. No such summaries have been provided by any comparable publications! A 32-page appendix contains short biographies of the artists as well as an extensive bibliography, an index and, most importantly, a glossary of technical terms in which any term used in the book can quickly be found.