The Hunting Book of Gaston Phebus

With its enchanting miniature, vigorous script, wide decorative borders and beautiful initials, the manuscript reproduced here can be counted among the most seductive creations of Parisian book illumination of the early 15th century. The French text, written by the colourful figure Gaston Phebus, Count of Foix, between 1387 and 1389, contains not only technical details about the practice of huntsmanship in the 14th century, but also exact descriptions of the wild animals which were then hunted. Of the 44 known manuscripts with Gaston Phebus's text - most of them dating from the 15th century and a few from the beginning of the 16th century - the present manuscript, dated 1405-10, is one of the best known and most important. All its 87 miniatures are reproduced here in colour. The commentary, by an expert in hunting iconography, not only describes the subjects matter of each miniature, but also summarizes and explains the text of each chapter. This reproduction of the French text written by Gaston Phebus between 1387 and 1389, with its enchanting miniature, vigorous script, wide decorative borders and beautiful initials, can be counted among the most seductive creations of Parisian book illumination of the early 15th century.