Illuminated manuscripts in classical and mediaeval times, their art and their technique

A systematic survey of written and decorated books from ancient Greece and Rome into the medieval era, describing formats such as rolls, codices, wax tablets, metal and gold plates, and the materials used—papyrus, parchment, inks and pigments. It explains scribal tools and techniques, processes like palimpsesting and gilding, and the manufacture of writing supports and inks. The work traces continuities between classical and medieval practices, presents illustrative manuscript examples and regional schools, and considers practical aspects of production, preservation and stylistic development alongside technical procedures employed by illuminators and bookmakers.