This manuscript originated between 1253 and 1270 and was written at the climax of gothic illumination in France. The Psalter was commissioned by St Louis IX, the Holy, a man as famous for his sense of justice, as for his statesmanly qualities. The Psalter has 260 pages with 78 full page illuminations nine of which have been reproduced in this series. The Psalter of St Louis is one of the most prized possessions of the Bibliothèque Nationale since it was the personal property of this holy king.

The Bedford Hours is one of Britain's major treasures. An outstanding example of late medieval manuscript art. It was written and illuminated for John, Duke of Bedford, younger brother of King
Henry V. Expertly planned and executed, the Bedford Hours is celebrated for the enormous range of its pictoral scheme, with many superb full page miniatures in brilliant colour.

Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry is without doubt the most sumptuous and splendid book ever created. About the year 1410, The Duke of Berry entrusted Paul Limbourg and his brothers with the illumination of the Très Riches Heures. Never before had a calendar been illuminated with such magnificent full page miniatures, depicting scenes in the life of the court and the surrounding countryside. 75 years were spent on producing this unique piece and the Duke himself did not live to see the completion of his book.

The Golden Haggadah is one of the outstanding works among The British Library's world-renowned collection of Hebrew manuscripts. It was written and illustrated in Northern Spain, possibly Barcelona, in around 1320. The haggadah contains the liturgy used in Jewish homes on the Passover to tell the story of, and to give thanks for, the divine deliverance of the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage. The Golden Haggadah contains illustrations of Old Testament incidents. Each page is divided into four panels. The ravages of time have caused the brilliant colours of this priceless work to fade slightly. This facsimile faithfully reflects its current condition.

This particular Livre de la Chasse is one of the most important manuscripts of its type. It depicts, as no other, the practice of hunting in the 15th Century. The author, The Duke of Foix, demanded a very high standard of realism and documentary detail from his artists. Hence, this particular work must count as one of the most fascinating relics from the 15th Century.

The Lindisfarne Gospels is one of the most important relics of early Christianity in Britain, and now one of the country's greatest treasures. By any standards an outstanding masterpiece of early medieval book painting, it is one of the few early gospel books to have survived complete, comprising 258 folios. The Lindisfarne Gospels was written and illuminated, in the Northumbrian island monastry from which it takes its name, at the end of the seventh century. The manuscript's history can be traced almost without interuption from its production to the present day. One of the proudest treasures of Durham Cathedral from the tenth century until the Reformation, it later belonged to Sir Robert Cotton, passing with his library into the British Library upon its foundation in 1973.

An air of mystery surrounds the origins of this 15th century Book of Hours (a service book made for a lady). It is predominately written in Latin but the calendar and some prayers are in French. All the evidence suggests that this was once the treasured possession of a wealthy Parisian lady. This Book of Hours came into Canterbury Cathedral Library in 1887 with the collection of Archdeacon Benjamin Harrison (1808-87).