Annunciation Illumination Holiday Cards

DESCRIPTION

The lovely image reproduced on these holiday cards depicts an Annunciation scene from a lavishly illustrated fifteenth-century manuscript. Greeting: “And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’” —Luke 1:28

Produced in cooperation with The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

20 cards and 20 envelopes per box. 4 7/8'' x 6 1/4''.

ART HISTORY

Before the invention of mechanical printing, books were handmade objects, treasured as works of art and as symbols of enduring knowledge. Indeed, in the Middle Ages, the book became an attribute of God. Every stage in the creation of a medieval book required intensive labor, sometimes involving the collaboration of entire workshops. Parchment for the pages had to be made from the dried hides of animals, cut to size and sewn into quires; inks had to be mixed, pens prepared, and the pages ruled for lettering. A scribe copied the text from an established edition, and artists might then embellish it with illustrations, decorated initials, and ornament in the margins. The most lavish medieval books were bound in covers set with enamels, jewels, and ivory carvings.