The book of Kells is one of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the Western World. It was copied by hand and illuminated by monks around the year 800A.D. History tells us it was probably begun on the island of Iona, between Ireland and Scotland, however it’s name is derived from the Abbey of Kells, in the Irish midlands, where it was located from about the 9th century until the year 1541. Some scholars believe that portions of the book were made at Kells, after Viking, raids on Iona forced the monks to retreat to a safer location.
The Book of Kells is a Latin text of the four Gospels of Jesus Christ, calligraphed in very ornate script and lavishly illustrated in as many as ten colors; only two of the 680 pages are with out color. The Book of Kells is a sacred work of art designed to be placed on the alter, for very special occasions only, it was never intended for daily use or study.
Since 1661, the Book of Kells has been kept in the library of Trinity College in Dublin Ireland. Over the years, the book has suffered from excessive handling and poor environmental conditions. Much damage was done trying to "preserve" the book by rebinding it and cutting off some of the gorgeous illustrations to fit the new binding.
A major restoration was done in 1953 and at that time, the book was rebound into four volumes. At the library at Trinity College, two volumes of the book are on display daily under very controlled conditions and security, while the other two volumes are available to scholars.
In 1986, officials at Trinity College decided to allow a Swiss publisher, Urs Duggelin, whose company specializes in reproduction of rare illuminated manuscripts, to make a limited number of high quality facsimiles. The work was done under the strictest conditions, and was very difficult as the pages of the book were not to be touched by anyone or anything.
Duggelin spent over a quarter of a million Swiss franks and two and a half years of work to invent a special machine that would allow the book to be photographed in detail with out touching the pages. After the book was photographed, the real work began.
Master lithographers and craftsmen using computer graphics and great skill reproduced the Book of Kells with all of its beauty and it’s flaws. The copies like the original have over 580 holes made by the aging process as well as beetles and weevils. The books are then bound and sewn by hand, following a medieval process that requires much time and skill.
The facsimile editions of the Book of Kells cost $18,000 per book and are limited to 1,480 copies worldwide. The copies, as beautiful and sacred as the original, now allow scholars greater access to study and admire this 1200-year-old masterpiece. A 13th century scholar, Giraldus Cambrensis, wrote of the Book of Kells "you might believe it was the work of an angel rather then a human being".