Browse Items (5 total)

This is a curved pen made out of bone (most likely goose). It dates to a period between the thirteenth and fifteenth century. It lacks a split nib, which is common in dip pens and quills. It is 121 mm long and nine mm wide.

This piece depicts Mary Magdalen reading the Bible. Her headdress and clothing choices represent her wealth and the wooden keyboard shows the wealth of the family.

This picture comes from the manuscripts of the British Library. It is a detailed miniature depicting Mark the evangelist using spectacles to read a book. The spectacles Mark has in the picture are ones that need to be held to use. The miniature is of…

This picture comes from the manuscripts of the British Library. It is a miniature portraying singing monks at the beginning of the “Office of the Dead.” The celebrant in the miniature, wearing the black robe, is wearing spectacles very similar to the…

This image is of the spectacles on display at the Museum of London. With brown and beige coloring, these bone-framed lenses are most likely from the metacarpal bone of a bull. Although not currently on the spectacles, theses glasses originally had…