Anonimo - Il Bestiario di Peterborough - 2004

Peterborough Bestiary MS 53. 1300-1310. Possessed by the Parker Library of Cambridge. Salerno, 2004. Leather binding with animal impressions. 48 pages with the reproduction of the codex entirely in color with beautiful gilded miniatures. Complete with an Italian commentary volume. In perfect condition - the plexiglass case is missing. Limited edition and numbered (our no. 390).

The Peterborough Bestiary (known as MS 53) is one of the most spectacular and richly illuminated manuscripts of the English Gothic period, dating to the early years of the fourteenth century (circa 1300–1310).

Here are the main aspects that make it unique:
Content and Structure: It is a collection of short texts describing over 100 creatures, including real animals (lions, elephants, bees) and legendary ones (unicorns, mermaids, phoenixes). Often each description is accompanied by a Christian moralization, turning nature into a spiritual lesson.
Iconographic Apparatus: It contains 104 extraordinary miniatures. The images are famous for their backgrounds in gold leaf or decorated with geometric motifs ("diapered") and for the colorful Gothic borders.
Visual Curiosities: Some illustrations are extremely rare, such as the white-faced geese hanging from tree branches, based on the chronicles of Gerald of Wales. Others show bizarre creatures like the Amphisbæna, a snake with a head at each end.
Preservation: The original manuscript is today housed at the Parker Library of Corpus Christi College in Cambridge.
Modern Editions: In Italy, the prestigious facsimile edition published by Salerno Editrice in 2004 is well known, in a limited edition.