Echternach Gospel Lectionary

The illumination of this early 11th century lectionary is a late example of the Ottonian tradition of book illumination. The manuscript features 292 golden majuscule initials, 30 initials in gold, and five decorated text pages, as well as a full-page initial and a miniature of Christ in Majesty. The 16-line introductory poem on folio 1 verso is written in gold rustic capitals on purple ground. On the opposite page is a depiction of Christ in Majesty: Christ making the sign of blessing sits enthroned within the mandorla, accompanied by the symbols of the Evangelists located in the corners of the frame. The manuscript is assumed by many to have been written in the abbey of Echternach (in present-day Luxembourg), however, its origin remains disputed among scholars. After a period of private ownership, the manuscript was acquired in the 18th century by Provost Franziscus Töpsl for Polling Abbey and was transferred to the Munich court library in 1803. (World Digital Library)