MAGNIFICENCE! DON'T MISS THIS LOCKDOWN TREAT

It arrived this morning, the book we had been waiting for.  It is called Magnificence and is the product of one man's love of the Medieval Period and his particular talent in letting us join him in discovering our own love of Beauty and Magnificence, maybe our Magpie tendency to be drawn to the glittering jewel encrusted past.
MAGNIFICENCE AND PRINCELY SPLENDOUR IN THE MIDDLE AGES

A highly and beautifully illustrated book, written by bestselling author Richard Barber, shows how medieval princes proclaimed their special status through displays of magnificence.

We know Richard from sailing on the River Deben and having a real eye for beauty, both in his house and his garden and this book is an expression of that.  It is that eye coupled with his extensive understanding of the Middle Ages which make this such a winner of a book.  

You can get your copy from Amazon and Grandpa who you see here, so pleased with his new copy, recommends it as perfect reading for the enforced leisure time we are currently having.  

Look how pleased Grandpa is with his copy.  You will be too so get your copy while you have time to read it!

"How do you recognise a king when you see one?  By the thirteenth century, the special status, which had evolved over the centuries, was matched by the display of kingly grandeur. This was enshrined in the idea of "magnificence". Magnificence was seen as the king's duty, was applied to everything: his person, the garments he wore, his courtiers, the artists, the musicians and architects he employed. Above all, it was on show in his public appearances, his feasts and ceremonies. The "magnificent" collections of jewels, manuscripts and holy relics were displayed to a handful of favoured visitors. Those visitors also had to be entertained, and royal feasts developed into an amazing form of performance art.

This book is not only about objects and occasions, but also about people, the people who created them, from the kings and their courtiers to the artists, craftsmen and musicians, down to the scribes and clerks, the showmen, dancers and acrobats, and the servants at table.
Pageantry and displays of splendour always catch our attention, and medieval feasts and tournaments are among the most popular forms of historical re-enactment today. Magnificence celebrates many of the high points of the medieval world, drawing them together in a sumptuous volume which is at least an echo of the wonderful illuminated manuscripts which these kings collected."