Art exhibit: The Materiality of Medieval Manuscripts

Rare medieval manuscripts are currently on display in a must-see exhibit at the Binghamton University Art Museum.

Organized by Distinguished Professor of English, General Literature and Rhetoric Marilynn Desmond, the Materiality of Medieval Manuscripts showcases the history of pre-modern books.

The manuscripts are religious in nature and include a 13th-century Latin Bible, a 13th-century psalter, a 15th-century breviary as well as a 15th-century French religious text, among others. While most are handmade, the display also includes an early 16th-century printed Book of Hours. Many are beautifully decorated, and each attests to the importance of the book — then an emerging technology — in medieval life.

The books are currently on loan from the prominent bookseller Les Enlumineres, and are being used in multiple classes in spring 2022.

The exhibit is sponsored by the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and is free and open to the public. The gallery is located in Fine Arts Building Room 179; hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Thursday.