Medieval Treasure Bindings

The most valuable medieval books were bound in bindings that were themselves great treasures. This is the T’oros Roslin Gospels, an Armenian manuscript from 1262.

Gospel cover from the monastery of St. Gall in Germany, c. 760-790.

The Codex Aureus (golden book) of St. Emer, c. 870.

The Lindau Gospels, also dated to c. 870.

Gospel book of Otto III, 10th century.

Spanish gospel cover, 11th century, incorporating a Byzantine ivory icon of the 10th century.

Mondsee Gospels, German, 12th century.

Sion Gospel, German, c. 1140-1150.

Pericopes of Henry II, 12th c.

German gospel cover, c. 1200.

This unusual book comes from monastery of Pawłoskan in Cilicia, and bears the date of 1193.

In the thirteenth century the enamel artists of Limoges made many book covers.

And one Gothic masterpiece, from Austria, c. 1260.