2-999-320 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The Mondsee Gospels and Treasure Binding with the Evangelists and Crucifixion, 11th-12th century with later additions and alterations. This Gospel Lectionary was made in Regensburg, Germany. The cover is a rare survival and a rich example of Ottonian art. Bound in silver, it displays an impressive mastery of filigree, segments of which have been gilded. A variety of textures and substances, including niello bosses in the corners, ivory plaques depicting the four Evangelists, gemstones (now lost), and a golden image of the Crucifixion beneath a polished rock crystal, give the cover an opulence rarely seen in medieval bookbinding.