Book of Kells, Illuminated manuscript in Dublin, Ireland
The Book of Kells is a Latin Gospel manuscript of 340 calf-vellum folios, now bound in four volumes measuring 330 by 250 mm. Its pages carry Insular majuscule script in iron gall ink, ten full-page illustrations and initials filled with Celtic knots, interlaced bands and animal figures; one page shows a purple cross panel, round spiral medallions and gold letters spelling BIDERAT.
The manuscript was created around 800 AD, possibly on the island of Iona in Scotland. It was moved to Kells in Ireland for safety during Viking raids and later kept at Trinity College Dublin since the 17th century.
The manuscript was kept at Kells through the Middle Ages as the gospel book of St Colum Cille, and a poem added to folio 289v in the 15th century treats it as a relic of the saint. In the late 11th and 12th centuries, blank pages and margins on folios 5v–7v and 27r were used to record property transactions of the monastery at Kells. The Annals of Ulster call it "the chief treasure of the western world".
The manuscript is displayed in a case in the library, showing two pages at a time that are rotated regularly. Visitors can also view a digital version online for a closer look at the details.
The book was stolen in 1006 for its precious cover, which was never recovered. It is now bound in four volumes and only a small portion is shown to the public at any time.
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