Illuminated bricklaying

My slow journey back to Oxford took me first to the British Library for their exhibition on Medieval Women. It being the British Library, most of what was on display was written, including fabulous illuminated manuscripts. Before the new British Library was built in 1997, when all these books were in the British Museum, I would often turn right through the entrance into the manuscripts room for a quick illuminated manuscripts fix. But I'd never registered before that there were plenty written by, printed by, and featuring women, nor do I remember seeing books with painted woodblock prints cross-stitched into the book.

I loved this completely unexpected picture of my foremothers, including their workwear. They would be horrified by the muddy, paint-spattered trousers I wear when I'm around bricks.

Inevitably, most of the evidence and artefacts come(s) from privileged women but I came out with a strong sense that women had more room for manoeuvre then than we have had at many other times in history.

Some very interesting statistics: between 1350 and 1500 48% of aristocratic women made bequests of books in their wills, compared with 18% of nobleman. And some horrifying ones: in medieval England approximately 1 in 20 aristocratic women died in childbirth. The figure has to have been higher for poor women.

I was also entranced by the roll (extra) which, after Prioress Lucy of Castle Hedingham Priory died, spent two years travelling to 122 religious houses in southern England so that they could add their own messages in memory of her. Just look at all those different varieties of handwriting!

Also in the British Library was a small exhibition of some of the treasures from 'the Library Cave', part of the vast Buddhist cave complex of Mogao on the Silk Road in NW China. A wealth of manuscripts, documents and artworks from the 4th to the 14th centuries remained sealed in the caves until they were discovered in 1900. Astonishing records in many languages.

My friend, Fatma, who sadly had to give up her bookshop, made me lunch and we caught up after ages of not seeing each other.