Recommended Reading: A Selected Scribal Bibliography

These are some of the books and other sources that I consulted for my scribal project for Kingdom Arts and Sciences, and that I recommended as part of the classes I taught recently. Take a look, hopefully you’ll find something helpful. I have put my top picks in bold:

Alexander, Jonathan J. G. Medieval Illuminators and Their Methods of Work. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.  

Asplund, Randy. “Making a 15th C. Style Illuminated Manuscript Book Using Authentic Historical Materials and Techniques.” Home Page of the Artist Randy Asplund. <http://www.randyasplund.com/pages/article/schiff1.html>  

Baker, Amy. “Common Medieval Pigments.” The Cochineal (December 2004). University of Texas at Austin. Web. <https://pacer.ischool.utexas.edu/handle/2081/1378>  

Baranov, Vladimir. “Materials and Techniques of Manuscript Production: Ink.” Medieval Manuscript Manual. Department of Medieval Studies at Central European University (Budapest). <http://web.ceu.hu/medstud/manual/MMM/ink.html>  

Cennini, Cennino D’Andrea. Trans. Daniel V. Thompson, Jr. Il Libro dell’Arte (The Craftsman’s Handbook). New York: Yale University Press, 1933. Web. <http://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Cennini/Contents.htm>  

Chowdry, Anita. “Precious Pigments and Gold with Staff from the Bodleian Library.” Journeys with Pattern and Colour. Anita Chowdry, 02 July 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <https://anitachowdry.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/precious-pigments-and-gold-with-staff-from-the-bodleian-library/>.  

Chowdry, Anita. “How to Paint with 24 Carat Shell Gold.” Journeys with Pattern and Color. Anita Chowdry, 23 Feb. 2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <https://anitachowdry.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/how-to-paint-with-24-carat-shell-gold/>.  

De Hamel, Christopher. The British Library Guide to Manuscript Illumination: History and Techniques. Toronto: University of Toronto, 2001. De Hamel, Christopher. A History of Illuminated Manuscripts. London: Phaidon, 1994.

Grimmer, Rachel. “The Medieval Palette: Medieval Pigments and Their Modern Equivalents.” Lochac Virtual Collegium. 2011. Web. <http://www.sca.org.au/collegium/notes/the%20medieval%20palette.pdf>  

Helm-Clark, Catherine. “Azure.” Tharasia’s SCA Webpage. 2001. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.rocks4brains.com/~cat/azure.pdf>.  

LeMay, Marie-France. Medieval Manuscripts: Some Ink and Pigment Recipes. London: Bernard Quaritch, 2010. Special Collections Conservation Unit of the Preservation Department of Yale University Library.  

Reissland, Birgit, and Frank Ligterink. The Iron Gall Ink Website. Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, 13 Feb. 2011. <http://irongallink.org/igi_indexd7ce.html>  

Rose, John. Pigments and Their Chemical and Artistic Properties. <http://www.jcsparks.com/painted/pigment-chem.html>  

Watson, Rowan. Illuminated Manuscripts and their Makers: An Account Based on the Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. V&A Publications, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York, 2003  

Williams, Elizabeth. “Medieval Inks.” Pen and Parchment: Drawing in the Middle Ages. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. <http://blog.metmuseum.org/penandparchment/2009/07/14/medieval-inks/> West, Vicky, and Christina Duffy. “Recreating the Medieval Palette.” Collection Care Blog. British Library, 06 May 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2015. <http://britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/collectioncare/2014/05/recreating-the-medieval-palette.html>.

Author: eulalia

I'm a foodie, medievalist, crafter, and gardener living in beautiful Portland, Oregon. View all posts by eulalia