Gospel Book with Commentaries: Portrait of Luke, c. 1000-1100. Each of the four gospels in this book opens on a page with brilliantly illuminated borders depicting the author of the text as well as birds-principally peacocks, symbols of the immortality of the soul-and fountains, representing the fountain of life and the salvation of the soul. This volume consists of 428 leaves with texts in Greek. Its level of sophistication suggests that it was probably written and decorated in a monastery in Constantinople.

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Photo credit: © Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: 11th, art, binding, byzantium, century, cleveland, constantinople, gold, heritage, ink, leather, manuscript, museum, tempera, unknown, vellum