Dancing Book of Margaret of Austria

Dance Booklet of Margaret of Austria

The Dancing Book of Margaret of Austria was created ca. 1470 as an aid for dancers of the "Basses Danses ", which were popular not only in Flanders. These floor dances without jumps were an important part of court life in late medieval Europe. This outstanding Flemish example on black parchment was named after the music-loving Margaret of Austria, daughter of Mary of Burgundy (1457–1482) and Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519), in whose 1523 inventory it is first mentioned. It is a splendid demonstration that masterpieces of book art do not always have to be richly decorated with miniatures.

Music in Silver and Gold

After an impressive page showing several coats of arms, the booklet commences with a brief theoretical section listing 59 different dances. Each page bears a golden lineation on which the titles of the dances, together with texts, musical notes and step designations, are written in both gold and silver. Beautiful cadels adorn nearly all pages, and their vigorous interlace identifies the manuscript as a courtly masterpiece. It can be rightly assumed that the work had initially been in the possession of Maria of Burgundy, the wife of Emperor Maximilian I, before she bequeathed it to her daughter Margaret, later Governor General of the Netherlands. Her successor Maria of Hungary is also identified by an engraved ex-libris as the owner of the dance booklet, which later passed into the hands of King Philip II of Spain. It remained in the Burgundian library of the Habsburg dynasty until it was transferred to the Bibliothèque Royale in Brussels.

A rare jewel

The Dancing Book of Margaret of Austria owes its singularity not only to its musical contents and its significance for European cultural history, but also to its masterly executed calligraphic decoration in gold and silver and, last but not least, to its unusual writing material. The landscape-format work is one of only seven surviving manuscripts written on black-dyed parchment. Outstanding in the history of book production, this gem impressively demonstrates the luxury of the Burgundian court – and all without miniatures.

Enchanting Golden Calligraphy on Black Parchment

The dark parchment creates an extraordinary aesthetic and makes the gold and silver used particularly shine. Especially the magnificent cadels are a real feast for the eyes. Created in gold ink, the intersecting and paralleling shafts and arches create a vibrant calligraphic interlace in which the letters almost artfully dissolve. However, the special charm resulting from this contrast is also a reason for the extremely fragile condition of the original manuscript, which makes the facsimile edition all the more valuable for the preservation of this small masterpiece.