From The Book of Kells to Boccaccio€s Decameron and from the Vienna Genesis to Dante€s Divine Comedy, to open Codices illustres is to open the door into a precious, private world. Now in a new format, this radiant book brings you face€“to€“face with 167 of the most exquisite and important manuscripts of the medieval age.

Presented in brilliant large-format reproductions, these paradigms of miniature painting and illumination from the 4th century to 1600 were once the property of some of the greatest power players in history. Now art-historical treasures, they are worth many millions and typically tucked away in private collections or closely-guarded archives€"until now.

Although the focus of this collection is on European manuscripts, examples from Mexican, Persian, and Indian tradition illustrate the refinement and intricacy of manuscript illumination in non-European cultures. An informative synopsis for each manuscript orients the reader at a glance, while a 36€“page appendix contains biographies of the artists, as well as an extensive bibliography, an index and a glossary for technical terms.