A carpet page from the Lindisfarne Gospels

Carpet pages are an early Medieval form of illuminated manuscript ornamentation that typically comes at the beginning of each of the four Gospels in the New Testament, especially in books in the Insular style. Carpet pages are wholly devoted to ornamentation with brilliant colors, active lines, and complex patterns. Some art historians have found ties between the Insular carpet pages and Middle Eastern decorative text pages and stamped leather book bindings, Oriental carpets, and European metalwork as found on book covers or book shrines. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 504 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2408 pixel, file size: 533 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 504 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2024 × 2408 pixel, file size: 533 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Folio 27r from the Lindisfarne Gospels contains the incipit from the Gospel of Matthew. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... In the strictest definition of illuminated manuscript, only manuscripts decorated with gold or silver, like this miniature of Christ in Majesty from the Aberdeen Bestiary (folio 4v), would be considered illuminated. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... This page (folio 292r) of the Book of Kells contains the lavishly decorated text that opens the Gospel of John. ... Art history usually refers to the history of the visual arts. ... Rugs in Ganja, Azerbaijan. ...

Further reading

• Alexander, J.J.G. A Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles: Volume One: Insular Manuscript’s from the 6th to the 9th Century. London England: Harvey Miller. 1978.
• Brown, Michelle P. Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts: A Guide to Technical Terms. Malibu, California: The J. Paul Getty Museum. 1994.
• Laing, Lloyd and Jennifer. Art of the Celts: From 700 BC to the Celtic Revival. Singapore: Thames and Hudson. 1992.
• Megaw, Ruth and Vincent. Celtic Art: From its Beginnings to the Book of Kells. New York: Thames and Hudson. 2001.
• Nordenfalk, Carl. Celtic and Anglo-Saxon Painting: Book Illumination in the British Isles. 600-800. New York: George Braziller Publishing. 1977.
• Pacht, Otto. Book Illumination in the Middle Ages. England: Harvey Miller Publishers. 1984.

External links

• The Pepper Bible: Current Bible project made by one man without computers. The Gospels contain 39 illuminated Carpet pages as well as 52 Cross pages, 87 types of Calligraphy, 283 pages are illuminated, and just the Gospel of Saint Luke contains 442 inhabited initials.