Does a Golden Codex have to be golden? The results of research into the material and manufacturing techniques of early Polish codices
A modern analysis of all the material aspects of historical objects is one way of properly recognising them for the purposes of art history and evaluation for conservation purposes. The paper will present the results of the latest material research carried out on early Polish codices using non-destructive techniques as part of the ‘Liturgica Poloniae’ project, as a basis for assessing their material prestige and for revising the definition of ‘codex aureus’, ‘codex pretiosus’, as well as a starting point for further research on luxury manuscript of the 11th-century Europe.
The Mathilda Codex as a Material Object – Implications of Expertise for Historical Research
There is no doubt about the undeniable importance of the so-called Matilda Codex in literature. The copy of the Liber officiorum, kept in Düsseldorf and thoroughly studied by a team led by Prof. Brygida Kürbis, is considered to be a unique document of the politics and culture of the 11th century, associated with Mieszko II. The lost miniature, which shows Matilda of Swabia as the donor and the enthroned Polish ruler, became part of the permanent repertoire of iconography in early Piast Poland, reproduced in every history manual. However, the aspects related to the materiality of this object have not yet been fully analysed: the materials used, the care taken in its production, its artistic quality (the Liturgica Poloniae project has provided opportunities for such research). The results of the analysis will be crucial in assessing the extent to which this inconspicuous book can indeed be considered a Codex Pretiosus, a deliberate diplomatic gift to the sovereign on the occasion of his
