Jots & Tittles

Illuminating Rituals

Books of the liturgy used by priests and monks in Christian religious services—especially during the Middle Ages—contained more than rituals and texts. They are famed for their splendid illuminations, which include some of the most stunning paintings from that period (readers will be familiar with many examples used in our pages).

Ritual Splendor: Illuminated Liturgical Manuscripts, an exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California, explores the liturgy of the Middle Ages through 17 beautiful books. Manuscripts are grouped by theme, such as church activities, biblical stories and holy days. Books of liturgy emphasized religious experience for the faithful, illustrating in brilliant colors and shining gold the rituals worshipers shared and the stories they knew. Elizabeth Teviotdale, associate curator of manuscripts at the Getty Museum, notes, “These books … contributed to the visual splendor of religious rituals.”

Pictured above is the elevation of the Host, a key moment in Mass, taken from a late-14th-century work. The inset, which shows the Nativity, is from the Stammheim Missal, created in a German monastery in the late 12th century. In addition to images from Bible stories and liturgy, some manuscripts included miniatures to introduce feast days or to honor saints.