The Quedlinburg Treasury Page: 22
30 p. : ill. ; 31 cm.View a full description of this pamphlet.
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--i I.here. The jeweled cover of the Gospel is probably later than the
manuscript itself; the same is true of the cover on the valuable
10th century Gospel that belonged to Adelaid, the sister of Otto III
and Abbess of Quedlinburg, which is still at the church today.
That cover, also blazoned with semi-precious gems and goldsmith
work, incorporates Byzantine ivory reliefs.
The long tradition of valuable manuscripts in the treasury at
Quedlinburg ends with a 16th century Gospel, the Evangelistar of
1513 (No. Io), made in the first great days of printed books. This
manuscript ends a medieval tradition of hand-drawn texts going
back to late Roman times. It is also notable for having the only
surviving jeweled cover of this period. Like the Reliquary box and
the other reliquaries of Quedlinburg, Christian medieval man-
uscripts of the Bible were rare treasures, to be sumptuously
housed and ornamented.
CHRISTIAN RELIQUARIES
From the earliest period of Christianity, physical mementos of
Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Holy Saints were treasured by the
faithful. Among the earliest relics brought to Rome were objects
associated with Christ's circumcision and His Passion. By the
third century, such relics were already venerated as miraculous.
Since the essential mystery of Christianity was the Eucharist,
in which bread and wine became the body and blood of Christ the
Redeemer, it was natural for people to see divine meaning in
scraps of hair, bone or cloth associated with holy figures. In the
year 327, St. Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, was
believed to have discovered the True Cross of Christ's crucifixion
in Jerusalem. In the years following this event, fragments of the
True Cross were displayed as relics all across Europe.
22 The conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity also
greatly expanded pilgrimages to holy sites, especially in
Jerusalem, Egypt and Asia Minor. It was customary for pilgrims to
bring home relics as memorials of these voyages. The ownership
of relics enhanced the importance of a church, increasing its
desirability as a destination for pilgrims.7 r"
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_ .Opposite:
No. 9, FIG. 1
Samuhel Gospel, Cover
10th century
wooden core; gilt silver; precious
and semi-precious stones; pearls
37.2 x 27.9 cm
Next two pages:
No. 9, FIG. 2
Samuhel Gospel
10th century
left: St. Luke, The Evangelist,
fol. 102 v
right: Initial page, fol. 103 r
colored pigment, gold and silver
on parchment-N. -., .- ',-
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Dallas Museum of Art. The Quedlinburg Treasury, pamphlet, 1991; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth307669/m1/26/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Museum of Art.