New York!

The focus of this trip was illuminated manuscripts.  I went to Crossing Borders: Manuscripts from the Bodleian Libraries at the Jewish Museum.  Then I spent a couple of hours at the Met.  It was an awesome day...

Crossing Borders at the Jewish Museum

There were many cross-cultural connections made among the manuscripts displayed-- Hebrew, Latin, Arabic etc.-- that were enlightening.  Christian writers were strongly influenced by Rashi, an 11th century Rabbi, and the styles of Hebrew scripts were influenced by the language of the place where they were written. 

Some highlights for me were handwritten manuscripts by Maimonides, illustrations/diagrams by Rashi, diagrams and maps incorporated into manuscripts, handwritten notes, micrography, and the scale of some of the manuscripts-- quite small, delicate, and intimate.  It made me reconsider the way I use scale.

I took LOTS of pictures, but the Jewish Museum has such a wonderful website for the exhibit (including reproductions of full manuscripts).  Here is the link:

http://bodleian.thejewishmuseum.org/

Metropolitan Museum of Art

I saw Paintings on Parchment: Italian Renaissance Illuminations from the Robert Lehman Collections

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/italian-renaissance-illuminations 

The Rylands Haggadah: http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2012/rylands-haggadah, 

The Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia:  There were exquisite manuscripts throughout (including a few in Hebrew), with beautiful designs, colors etc.

I also saw Japanese, Chinese, and Egyptian manuscripts and scrolls.  

I noticed many similarities in manuscripts across cultures-- mainly in materials (the inks and gold leaf), but also in design and composition.  It seemed to me that the connections were stronger in manuscripts than in other art forms.  

Here are a few of the many photos I took (I apologize that I do not have accurate descriptions of all the works-- the photographs of the plates are not all readable):

Shiraz, Iran, 15th Century

Sakai Hoitsu, ca. 1820 (left), and Suzuki Kitsu, mid 19th century

Poetry Screen (Waka Byobu): Six Poems by Women Poets
Konoe Nobutada  (Japanese, 1565–1614)

Scene from The Ise Stories: “Mount Utsu” (Utsu no yama)
Tawaraya Sôtatsu  (Japanese, died ca. 1640)

Xi Hu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaLois Conner  (American, born New York City, 1951), Lois Connor, 1998