Sacramentary of Charles the Bald

Sacramentary of Charles the Bald

The Sacramentary of Metz constitutes a bibliophile jewel which, due to its rich ornamental and miniature decoration, surpasses everything which has come down to us in the canon pages of other medieval sacramentaries. Although the codex is a complete sacramentary which integrates the whole ecclesiastical year, it nonetheless constitutes a fragment, even while still containing the most important portion of the sacramentary (the Canon Missale with the Preface). It has also been suggested that this is only the beginning of a work which has never been completed. Our manuscript has thus always been known and become famous as a sacramentary fragment, its luxury making it one of the most precious testimonies to late Carolingian illumination. It was made in the second half of the 9th century for a king, probably for Charles the Bald, king of an area then called Francia Occidentalis. Both the script, which is mainly executed in golden letters, and the decoration with ornament and miniatures, are of great artistic value and marvelously enhance the contents of the sacred text. The imagery developed in Reims and Metz from late classical vocabulary comes alive in the manuscript which is also influenced by the magnificent Tours school. The existing elements are grouped to a new harmony, and pictorial forms are created which were to influence medieval art for many centuries.

The Unique Decorative Apparatus

Although the manuscript only comprises a few pages (10 folios), it contains magnificent depictions showing great movement and vivacity. At the beginning of the manuscript stands the portrait of the sovereign, depicting the coronation of Charles the Bald by the hand of God. This miniature presents some interesting iconographic details, such as the haloes around the heads of the king and the two bishops, which are interpreted as attributes to those involved in sacramental doings. In addition, an old motif from late classical triumphal art, the coronation of the emperor by the hand of God, attracts the viewer’s attention, as it is unparalleled in the Carolingian period. It constitutes the most unambiguous expression of the conceited idea that royalty is immediately bestowed by God.

Imaginative Ornamental Art

Besides a total of seven sumptuous full-page miniatures, the ornamental decoration is of great importance. It underlines the theological contents and excels in a rich formal vocabulary, great inventiveness and determination, both in detail and in the overall conception of the work. Acanthus leaves, colored pearl bands, frames of precious stones, blossom rosettes, and palmettes imaginatively wind around the holy text. The overall goal of deploying great pomp and presenting wealth and plenteousness, is clearly visible throughout the book.

A Masterpiece of Calligraphy

The graphical presentation of the manuscript is an excellent example of the decorative use and combination of different scripts in a calligraphic masterpiece. The text is predominantly written in gold and on some pages, lines alternate in gold, green and red. The letters are frequently decorated with ornament and some lines and letters are highlighted by purple backgrounds. Besides a fine minuscule, all kinds of decorative scripts are used: capitalis quadrata, capitalis rustica, as well as sumptuous uncials for the main portion of the text.

A King’s Sacramentary

Sacred books used in coronation ceremonies as well as for other celebrations and ritual feasts, were intended to invoke God’s blessing for the sovereign and the whole dynasty. This is probably the context in which the Sacramentary of Metz should be placed. The reason why it remained unfinished might have been the urgent need for a sumptuous sacramentary at the occasion of the coronation of Charles the Bald, as well as the fact that for lack of a complete manuscript, one had to do with the precious fragment, which was just started at the time and contained only the first and foremost portion of the Sacramentary. Based on the rich decorative apparatus, it is possible to state that the Sacramentary goes back to the time of Charles the Bald and is considered today to be the work of a school active at his court.