ID: 700009497 Page link: http://vocab.getty.edu/page/cona/700009497	Record Type: Movable Work
Images: 1 2

Lindisfarne Gospels (undetermined (information indicator); scribe: identified as Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne (Engli...; late 7th century; British Library (London, Greater London, England, United Kin...)

Note: Manuscript of the four Gospels, in Latin, written and illuminated on parchment in the monastery on the Northumbrian island of Lindisfarne at the end of the 7th century. Condition: intact. Materials: parchment. Dimensions: approximately 365 × 275 mm. Foliation: ff. 259 (+ 5 unfoliated parchment flyleaves: 2 modern flyleaves at the beginning (ff. [i-ii]), 1 early modern flyleaf (f. [iii]), and 2 modern flyleaves at the end; f. 1 is an early modern flyleaf). Binding: Messrs Smith, Nicholson and Co. of Lincoln’s Inn, London, 1853. Contents: This manuscript contains: prefaces, ff. 3r–9r; canon tables, ff. 10r–17v; Gospel of Matthew, ff. 18v–89v; Gospel of Mark, ff. 89v–130r; Gospel of Luke, ff. 130r–203r; Gospel of John, ff. 203v–259r; a colophon (added in the 3rd quarter of the 10th century), f. 259r.According to the colophon on f. 259r, this manuscript was written by Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne from 698 until his death in or around 721. There has been considerable debate whether Eadfrith wrote the Lindisfarne Gospels before or after he became bishop. An Old English gloss was added by Aldred, provost of Chester-le-Street (fl. c. 970), who was responsible for adding the colophon on f. 259r. The decoration includes: five carpet pages, ff. 2v, 26v, 94v, 138v, 210v; incipit pages, ff. 3r, 27r, 95r, 139r, 211r; canon tables, ff. 10r–17v; a Chi-rho page, f. 29r; Evangelist miniatures, ff. 25v, 93v, 137v, 209v; and decorated initials. The names of the craftsmen responsible for this magnificent book are preserved in a colophon that was added during the third quarter of the 10th century. This records that the manuscript was produced in honour of God and of St Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne (d 687). The scribe was Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne himself in May 698. The original binding (destr.) was provided soon after 698 by Ethelwald, Prior of Melrose and Eadfrith’s successor in 721. Ornaments of jewels and precious metals were added to the covers by Billfrith the Anchorite, probably later in the 8th century. Both Eadfrith and Ethelwald had been members of the Lindisfarne monastic community during Cuthbert’s lifetime. It is likely that the book was made to honour the translation of the saint’s relics in 698. The colophon itself was written by the priest Aldred, afterwards Provost of Chester-le-Street, probably soon after the middle of the 10th century. Aldred added an interlinear translation of the Gospels into Anglo-Saxon, the earliest surviving version of this text in any form of the English language.

Titles:

Lindisfarne Gospels (preferred,C,U,English-P,U,U)

Anglo-Saxon Gospel-Book (C,U,undetermined,U,U)

Cotton MS Nero D IV (C,U,undetermined,U,U)

Catalog Level: item

Work Types:

undetermined (information indicator) [300379012] (preferred)

..... (Associated Concepts Facet, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name), multidisciplinary concepts)

Classifications:

not applicable (preferred)

Creation Date: late 7th century

Creator Display:

scribe: identified as Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne (English, died 721); Old English gloss was added by Aldred, provost of Chester-le-Street (fl. c. 970) [preferred]

designer Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne (English scribe and illuminator, died 721) Qualifier: attributed to [500054858]

scribe Aldred, Provost of Lindisfarne (British scribe, active 970) Extent: addition [500054969]

Locations:

Other: Creation: Holy Island [7009989] Northumberland (county), England (country), United Kingdom (nation), Europe (continent), World (facet) (Geographic)

Current: British Library (London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom) [500301700] Corporate Bodies (Corp. Body)

Display Materials: parchment

	parchment (animal material) [300011851]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by origin>, biological material, animal material, processed animal material)

	ink [300015012]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, coating (material), <coating by form>)

	pigments [300013109]
	.......(Materials Facet, Materials (hierarchy name), materials (substances), <materials by function>, colorant (material))

Dimensions: approximately 365 × 275 mm.

Cultures:

Islamic (preferred)

Style/Period/Group/Movement:

	Insular (British Isles Medieval style) [300021018] (preferred,style)
	.....(Styles and Periods Facet, Styles and Periods (hierarchy name), <styles| periods| and cultures by region>, European, Medieval styles and periods, Medieval (European), Medieval regional styles, Northern European Medieval styles, British Isles Medieval styles)

General Subject:

text (preferred)

religion and mythology

Specific Subjects:

	Gospels, the [901001625]
	.....((Bible, New Testament, Bible, Literary works: Philosophy, Religion, Named written and performed works, Literature and Performing Arts)) (ICON)

	Old English (Anglo-Saxon language) [300387838]
	.....(Associated Concepts Facet, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name), language-related concepts, <languages and writing systems>, <languages and writing systems by specific type>, <temporary alphabetical list: languages and writing systems>, English (language)) (AAT)

	Latin (language) [300388693]
	.....(Associated Concepts Facet, Associated Concepts (hierarchy name), language-related concepts, <languages and writing systems>, <languages and writing systems by specific type>, <temporary alphabetical list: languages and writing systems>) (AAT)

	Insular majuscule [300210143]
	.....(Objects Facet, Components (hierarchy name), components (objects parts), <components by specific context>, information form components, <script and type forms>, scripts (writing), <scripts by form>, <Latin and Greek alphabet scripts>, Insular scripts) (AAT)

List/Hierarchical Position:

..... Movable Works

.......... Movable Works by class: drawings, paintings, prints, other two-dimensional media

Sources and Contributors:
Lindisfarne Gospels	........ [VP]
	........ British Library [online] (2000-)
	........ Grove Art Online (2008-)
Anglo-Saxon Gospel-Book	........ [VP]
	........ British Library [online] (2000-)
Cotton MS Nero D IV	........ [VP]
	........ British Library [online] (2000-)

Subject: ....... [VP]

Note:
English	..... [VP]
	..... Grove Art Online (2008-) Janet Backhouse, accessed 2 July 2018
	..... British Library [online] (2000-)