Medieval illuminated manuscript with colorful illustrations and text, next to two closed leather-bound books.

The Rothschild Canticles  

A treasure of inestimable value is kept in the venerable Beinecke Library at Yale. An extraordinary Gothic illuminated manuscript, created around 1300 in the diocese of Thérouanne on the border between Flanders and France, fascinates readers with its unconventional design and profound mystical character.

Medieval manuscript page with Latin text and illuminated decorative elements, featuring an illustration of a seated figure wearing a pointed hat. The page includes colorful floral and vine motifs with a rabbit and a snail in the margins.

Radiant Imagery from the Middle Ages

Illuminated c.1300 and now believed to have been made for a nun of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Winnoc in Bergues, this is an illuminated manuscript unlike any other.

The pages glow with rich illumination intended to inspire mystical study and contemplation. The abundance of mystical imagery is a prime example of the intersection between art and faith during the Middle Ages. The accompanying commentary volume helps the modern reader begin to unlock the mysteries contained within the two volumes.

The Rothschild Canticles stands in the tradition of important mystical and visionary works of the Middle Ages, such as the writings of Hildegard of Bingen and Mechthild of Magdeburg

Medieval manuscript illustration depicting scenes of people in colorful robes, with some figures dancing and others interacting on different levels, bordered by ornate designs.
Two brown leather-bound books standing upright.

The Facsimile Edition

The original manuscript is in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University MS 404, 2 volumes.

The facsimile is produced as an edition strictly limited to 480 hand-numbered copies worldwide, made with the co-operation of the Beinecke Library.

Faithful to the original, the two volumes are bound in goatskin leather, with hand-stitched pages and headband. The format is approx. 11.8 × 8.4 cm.

 There are 46 full-page miniatures, 160 smaller miniatures, 41 historiated initials and 23 ink drawings. In addition, there are countless drolleries and marginal figures to discover on the 384 pages/192 folios.

The commentary volume by Jeffrey F.Hamburger and Barbara Newman and facsimile and commentary are presented in a hand-made linen case.

‘..not only one of the most richly illustrated manuscripts of the late Middle Ages – it is also one of the most unusual’

The Illuminated Text

Person digitizing a small book using professional photography equipment

The Rothschild Canticles are notable for their intricate decoration and the inclusion of both liturgical and non-liturgical texts. They are organised into a complex spiritual compendium in two parts. The first part presents itself as a mystical florilegium, a bouquet of short text fragments compiled from biblical, liturgical and theological sources. Excerpts from the Bible, the liturgy of the hours and the works of St. Augustine dominate. It gives the impression that the author has drawn from a flow of mystical insights and commentary to create a highly personal collection .

The second part is more conventional in combining longer excerpts from various texts but remains true to the manuscript's larger mystical intent. There are longer extracts from the Bible and didactic works, including sayings from the Church Fathers. Passages from the Book of Wisdom are particularly prominent: the Song of Solomon, the Book of Proverbs and the Book of Ecclesiastes together deal with morality and the natural world. In the mystical tradition, these texts were often read allegorically, and the imagery was intended to be an equally important source of spirtual insight.  

Whimsical medieval illustration with a bird holding a letter, an elephant with a castle, a person pulling the elephant's trunk, a knight on a snail, and a figure reading a book on a vine.

Your opportunity to own The Rothschild Canticles

In this beautiful facsimile edition the vivid decorative journey unfolds before your eyes. Whoever conceived this manuscript, compiled the text and designed its miniatures must have had profound insight into mystical experience. The margins teem with comical creatures and scenes.  You can feel the joy of its makers on every page.

You will discover the illustration of many seers in the manuscript, some of whom guide you to the next page, others who like you sit at a reading desk. The monks and artists who created this intriguing manuscript surely took great pleasure in doing so.