I’ll be needing a lectern for my reading, it seems. Maybe a good solid music stand would suffice!
By Jenny Weston
Today’s post is dedicated to lecterns and bookshelves — the essential furniture of the medieval book! Both of these items were regular companions of the book and they played an important role in supporting and protecting manuscripts while in use and in storage.
The lectern is one of the most recognizable features of the church, and like today, they were used by medieval readers to hold open their books during public readings. Many of them were beautifully carved or decorated to reflect the importance of the books they held.
Notice the two little wooden spindles at either side of this early 15th-century lectern, designed to hold long candles for reading in dark places:
With the help of the lectern, the reader did not have to strain his arms holding up the book, which may have been quite heavy, and it also accommodated ‘hands-free’ reading. This was important…
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