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Illuminated manuscripts

Europe tradition · 5 examples · indicative market tier: $50k–1M (high collector)

An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers and liturgical books such as psalters and courtly literature, the practice continued into secular texts from the 13th century onward and typically include proclamations, enrolled bills, laws, charters, inventories, and deeds. The earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts are a small number from late antiquity, and date from between 400 and 600 CE. Examples include the Vergilius Romanus, Vergilius Wikipedia →

Types & examples

Leaf from a Greek Psalter and New Testament
Leaf from a Greek Psalter and New Testament, 1084
Cleveland Museum of Art
Leaf from an Antiphonary: Coronation of the Virgin
Leaf from an Antiphonary: Coronation of the Virgin, 1400s
Cleveland Museum of Art
Leaf Excised from an Antiphonary: Initial Q with Saints Peter and Paul
Leaf Excised from an Antiphonary: Initial Q with Saints Peter and Paul, c. 1325
Cleveland Museum of Art
Leaf from a Book of Hours: Office of the Dead: Angel Chasing a Devil (recto)
Leaf from a Book of Hours: Office of the Dead: Angel Chasing a Devil (recto), c. 1460
Cleveland Museum of Art
Leaf from a Psalter and Prayerbook: Initial E with Ornamental Border Containing a Seated Satyr and a Bird Eating Grapes (recto) and Ornamental Border with Flowers and Squirrel (verso) (2 of 3 Excised Leaves)
Leaf from a Psalter and Prayerbook: Initial E with Ornamental Border Containing a Seated Satyr and a Bird Eating Grapes (recto) and Ornamental Border with Flowers and Squirrel (verso) (2 of 3 Excised Leaves), c. 1524
Cleveland Museum of Art

Where to buy

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Each link opens a live, image-rich search for this craft on that marketplace. Listings rotate constantly; authenticate significant pieces independently — attribution quality varies widely outside museum collections.