APLA 2019

The Salzinnes Antiphonal is a unique 16th century illuminated manuscript in the collection of the Patrick Power Library, Saint Mary’s University. Created at the Cistercian Abbey of Salzinnes in Namur, Belgium, it contains religious text, music, and richly decorated illuminations ranging from beautifully embellished text initials to stunning full-page images of Biblical and non-Biblical scenes, including full-length portraits of nuns from the Abbey. Over the last twenty years the Antiphonal has became the centre of much attention and research, including two major exhibitions at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, almost ten years of analysis and restoration at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), several international choral presentations of music from the book, and more. This session will look at the creation, history, and restoration of this fascinating manuscript, including detailing the extensive conservation work done at CCI. It will examine the challenges it presents for a library in having such an item in their collection, including environmental, security, and access concerns. It will also discuss future plans for the manuscript, including a traveling exhibition to Belgium next year.