The Smithfield Dec rétals, a manuscript from the 13th century, uniquely combines papal letters and ecclesiastical law with whimsical illustrations. Originally published in the 1230s, it features a blank margin for future annotations. By around 1340, the manuscript came into the possession of an individual in eastern England who commissioned additional illustrations, resulting in elaborate borders and images of fantastical creatures and humorous scenarios. Such vivid artwork transforms the text from a dense collection of legal documents into an engaging visual narrative, highlighting the creativity of medieval illustrators.
"At some point before around 1340, however, the Smithfield Dec rétals fell into the possession of someone in eastern England... who paid a group of illustrators to add even more extensive illustrations to the text."
"The margins of the text were deliberately left blank by the original French scribes so that future owners of the text could add their own notes and annotations."
#smithfield-decretals #medieval-manuscripts #papal-letters #ecclesiastical-law #historical-documents
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