Publisher's description:
Plant and flower motifs were originally used in manuscript borders for ornamental and symbolic reasons, but during the fifteenth century, illuminators in Ghent and Bruges achieved such botanical realism and variety that their fascination with the flowers themselves is evident.
Each section of Flowers in Medieval Manuscripts includes relevant details of the manuscripts from which the illustrations are taken, and the concluding section discusses manuscript production in relation to these margins. Celia Fisher looks at all kinds of flowers, from the conservative lily and rose, to the lesser known cranesbill, dianthus, and even cannabis.

From the back cover:
Flowers appeared in medieval manuscripts for a variety of reasons. They were, of course, an important part of the decoration, but they also had symbolic meanings. In herbals, the medical handbook of the time, they served a practical purpose, illustrating the descriptions of the plants and their medicinal uses.
Using examples from a wide range of manuscripts, which originate from Italy, France, England and the Netherlands, Celia Fisher discusses how these manuscripts were produced and the development of the depiction of flowers; from simple, flat drawings to botanical realism. She shows how an obvious fascination with the flowers themselves began to outweigh the earlier symbolism, reaching its climax in the fifteenth-century in Ghent and Bruges. Flowers in Medieval Manuscripts is beautifully illustrated, featuring a multitude of plants from lilies and roses to cranesbill and cannabis.