The presence of gold, silver, and other metals is a hallmark of decorated manuscripts, the very characteristic that makes them “illuminated.” Medieval artists often used metal pigment and leaf to depict metal objects both real and imagined, such as chalices, crosses, tableware, and even idols; the luminosity of these representations contrasted pointedly with the surroundingContinue reading “New Publication: ‘Illuminating Metalwork: Metal, Object, and Image in Medieval Manuscripts,’ edited by Joseph Salvatore Ackley and Shannon L. Wearing”