Instalment One

The Gold of Prayer
Medieval Bibles and Prayer Books

They are among the most beautiful manuscripts preserved in the Kórnik Library. Adorned with gold, deep blues, and vivid reds, they recall a world in which text was prayer and the book itself an object of contemplation. Today, without losing anything of their original purpose, they remain precious monuments of writing and book art.

Some of them take on exceptionally sophisticated forms. Colourful initials, elaborate borders, and intricately painted miniatures testify to the fact that prayer could be presented with the utmost care and artistic grandeur. This visual richness was not merely a sign of status – it was also an expression of reverence for the word regarded as sacred.

A

BK 44
Zwiastowanie
Drzeworyt umieszczony na wyklejce Kancjonału kórnickiego z XVI w.

B

BK 27
Godzinki
Francja XV w.

C

BK 44
Kancjonał kórnicki
1550-1555

D

BK 27
Miniatura św. Jerzego zdobiąca Godzinki
Francja XV w.