Codex Fejérváry-Mayer

The aesthetics of old Mexican illuminated manuscripts introduce the viewer into the world of reproduction – this access further supports the release of the Codex Fejervary-Mayer as volume VIII of the Codices Selecti by the Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (Academic Printing and Publishing House) Graz. The precise contouring and brilliant colors demonstrate a very precise graphic style comparable to that found within the Codex Laud. The Codex Ferjervary-Mayer is in a folded book form made out of deerskin containing 23 well-used and well-preserved leaves whose stucco coating serves as a base surface for the book painter to work on. With regards to the history of the codex, only the journey from Hungary to England in the 19th century is well-known. The quadratic shape of the Codex Fejervary-Mayer resembles to a large extent, that of the Laud and Cospi; this similarity between the three illuminated manuscripts is further emphasized by the common depiction of the illustrated number “5”. In this regard, a sub-group is created and sets itself apart from the so-called Codex-Borgia-Group.