''Teiknibók'' (

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

, Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, AM 673 a III 4to) is an Icelandic manuscript of drawings used as models for manuscript illumination, painting, carving and metalwork. It is remarkable for being one of only three dozen books of its type which survive from Western Europe and the only example extant from medieval

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

. The manuscript was produced over a period of over 150 years by four anonymous artists, beginning in around 1330. The illustrations in ''Teiknibók'' resemble those in ''

Kirkjubæjarbók Kirkjubæjarbók (Codex AM 429 12mo) is an Icelandic manuscript produced in around 1500 containing female saints' sagas. It is notable for being the only extant Old-Norse Icelandic legendary which exclusively deals with female saints and for being ...

'', and it may have served as a model for them. In the words of the manuscript's most recent editor Guðbjörg Kristjánsdóttir, "The diverse subjects of the drawings prove that Icelandic art flourished to a far greater degree than surviving works of art would indicate."

History and description

The manuscript was given to Árni Magnússon along with two leaves from the ''

Icelandic Physiologus The Icelandic ''Physiologus'' is a translation into Old Icelandic of a Latin translation of the 2nd-century Greek ''Physiologus''. It survives in fragmentary form in two manuscripts, both dating from around 1200, making them the earliest illustra ...

'' dating to around 1200. The

Árni Magnússon Institute Árni is an Icelandic given name of Old Norse () origin. Notable people with the name include: * Árni Gautur Arason (born 1975), Icelandic football goalkeeper * Árni Már Árnason (born 1987), Icelandic Olympic swimmer * Árni Páll Árnason ( ...

in Iceland received the manuscript on 2 June 1991, which is in too poor a condition to be displayed permanently. 21 leaves and a fragment of the manuscript survive. The leaves measure between 170–180 mm by 127–135 mm. The condition of the manuscript is poor, affected by patches of rot and decay which has left holes in its pages. The illustrations themselves are faded and worn, and a number have been altered and others have been scribbled over. Four artists worked on the manuscript: Artist A (1330-1360) illustrated 15 sheets; Artist B (1360-1390) worked on 2 pages; Artist C (1450-1475) has left work on 22 pages; Artist D (c. 1500) is found on 8 pages. Battista suggests that the monastery at

Þingeyrar Þingeyrar (Thingøre in some older texts) is a farm in Iceland's Northwestern Region. It lies adjacent to the sandy coastal plain of Þingeyrasandur (or Thingøresand), between the Skagi and Vatnsnes peninsulas and just northeast of lake Hóp. ...

is a likely source for the manuscript. Artist A also illuminated other Þingeyrar manuscripts including

AM 227 fol. AM 227 fol. is a fourteenth century Icelandic illuminated manuscript. It contains a version of ''Stjórn'', an Old Norse biblical compilation, and is one of three independent witnesses to this work. It is lavishly illustrated and is one of the mo ...

(

Stjórn Stjórn is the name given to a collection of Old Norse translations of Old Testament historical material dating from the 14th century, which together cover Jewish history from Genesis through to II Kings. Despite the collective title, Stjórn is no ...

). The iconographic imagery of Teiknibók and the Þingeyrar manuscripts AM 227 fol. and AM 249 e fol. shows influence from fourteenth century

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

n manuscript illustration.

History and description

References

Further reading