Authorship : the importance of good planning and efficient use of resources
In talking about the authorship of the Book of Kells, one cannot ignore the extensive planning and level of expertise that went into its creation. This is apparent from examining both the illustrated and textual components of the manuscript. Strict planning was required in order to specify how many lines of text were to fit on each page, and whether the ornamented lettering was to be located in the margins, in the body of the text or bordering the text. The decision also had to be made as to where and how much, if any, space was to be left for decorative illustrations to be added in at a later point in time. All of this took time and collaboration.
Furthermore, with respect to the materials used to create the manuscript, it is worth noting that vellum was expensive and hard to come by. The process of preparing calf-skins for use as manuscript material was a lengthy process. (This process is discussed in detail in the 'Manufacture of the book' section of this website. It can be accessed by clicking on the link.).
The creation of the pigments used to illuminate the manuscript also took time. Most pigments comprised of multiple ingredients. While some of the ingredients could be sourced locally, in this case I am thinking specifially of the iron gall used for the manufacture of brown ink, some could not. This meant that these ingredients had be sourced elsewhere, which took time. One could speculate then, that those authoring the Book of Kells needed to be well trained in the art of calligraphy and in illumination, so much so, that mistakes would be minimal and that care would be taken by those involved in using these materials in the most effective way possible.
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Information relating specifically to those responsible for authoring the manuscript i.e. illuminators and scribes and the relationships between the two, can be found via the sub-menu on hovering the cursor over 'Authorship'.
Furthermore, with respect to the materials used to create the manuscript, it is worth noting that vellum was expensive and hard to come by. The process of preparing calf-skins for use as manuscript material was a lengthy process. (This process is discussed in detail in the 'Manufacture of the book' section of this website. It can be accessed by clicking on the link.).
The creation of the pigments used to illuminate the manuscript also took time. Most pigments comprised of multiple ingredients. While some of the ingredients could be sourced locally, in this case I am thinking specifially of the iron gall used for the manufacture of brown ink, some could not. This meant that these ingredients had be sourced elsewhere, which took time. One could speculate then, that those authoring the Book of Kells needed to be well trained in the art of calligraphy and in illumination, so much so, that mistakes would be minimal and that care would be taken by those involved in using these materials in the most effective way possible.
______________________________
Information relating specifically to those responsible for authoring the manuscript i.e. illuminators and scribes and the relationships between the two, can be found via the sub-menu on hovering the cursor over 'Authorship'.