Time in the Medieval World

This volume is a rich resource for the study of time as represented by the signs of the zodiac and occupations of the months, documented in the comprehensive files of the Index of Christian Art at Princeton University.

The measurement and documentation of time has been a universal issue since the dawn of civilization—and no more so than in the medieval period, when images representing the signs of the zodiac and occupations of the months were commonly used. Nature and the occupations or labors that each month brought were reflected in earthly calendars, while the movements of the heavens and their impact on mankind were recorded in the signs of the zodiac. The changing compositions that were used to represent these twin calendars in several hundred works of art are documented in this volume, which provides an unrivaled visual record for the student and scholar.

“Through this accessible and attractive volume, we are brought closer to appreciating the variety and creativity with which medieval artists represented the passing of the year.”—Elizabeth I. Wade-Sirabian, Journal of English and Germanic Philology

“We are conscious of the effort needed to publish the volume and the amount of information contained in it for the benefit of the reader. For this reason, we must congratulate the editor and encourage him to continue this valuable and irreplaceable collection.”—Manuel Antonio Castineiras Gonzalez, The Medieval Review (TMR)

Colum Hourihane is Director of the Index of Christian Art, Princeton. His most recent publication is The Processional Cross in Late Medieval England: The “Dallye Cross” (2005).

Art History & Architecture

           European

           Exhibition Catalogs

           Medieval

History

           Medieval

Medieval and Early Modern Studies

           Medieval Art and Architecture

           Medieval History