Opera varia mit sogenanntem Bamberger Schreiberbild - Staatsbibliothek Bamberg Msc.Patr.5

Staatsbibliothek Bamberg

Description

The famous Bamberg scribe's picture is on the back of one of the subsequently pre-bound double page manuscripts with various texts by the Church Father Ambrose. This full-page pen drawing is a contemporary self-portrayal of the Michelsberg scriptorium. In the centre you can see the patron saint of the monastery, the archangel Michael. He is standing on a pediment from which the abbot is looking up at him praying. Three monks in praying position symbolise the rest of the monastery. To the right, the illuminator, recognisable by his paint bowl and brush, has immortalized himself. Ten medallions are arranged around this frame, documenting the individual steps in the production of a medieval book: the tips of the nib; presentation of the finished codex; correction of the handwritten text; production of the book block on the binder's drawer; marking of lines and type area; teaching of faith and knowledge to the next generation using the finished codex; production of the wooden book cover; preparation of the parchment; design of the text on the wax board. The Bamberg scribe's picture is only loosely related to the text in the subsequent manuscript. The connection could be that the codex also contains the work 'Von den Pflichten der Kirchendiener' ('The Duties of Church Servants') by Ambrose and that the production of manuscripts was one of the monks' duties. Datum: 2018

Author

Stefan Knoch

Rights Statement Description

CC0