Carpet Page Lindisfarne Gospels

British library a dense interplay of stacked birds teem underneath the crosses of the carpet page that opens john s gospel.

Carpet page lindisfarne gospels. The lindisfarne gospels is a manuscript that contains the gospels of the four evangelists mark john luke and matthew. Lindisfarne island off the coast of northumberland in england. Lindisfarne gospels john s cross carpet page folio 210v. One bird situated in the upper left hand quadrant has blue and pink stripes in contrast to others that sport registers of feathers.

793 ce vikings pillaged the monastery but the monks were able to keep the lindisfarne gospels safe. The lindisfarne gospels begins with a carpet page in the form of a cross and a major initial page introducing the letter of st. Lindisfarne gospels john cross carpet page f 210v british library the book is a spectacular example of insular or hiberno saxon art works produced in the british isles between 500 900 c e a time of devastating invasions and political upheavals. Jerome and pope damasus i.

Each carpet page contains a different form of cross stressing the different church traditions and their ecumenical relationship. They are pages of mainly geometrical ornamentation which may include repeated animal forms typically placed at the beginning of each of the four gospels in gospel books. Time of social upheaval and devastation invasions. A carpet page from the lindisfarne gospels carpet pages are a characteristic feature of insular illuminated manuscripts.

There are sixteen pages of arcaded canon tables where parallel passages of the four evangelists are laid out.