Index

acorn 206, 211, 222, 230, 231

Adam 109, 114, 143, 227

Afghanistan 28, 15, 56, 57, 60, 69

Agricola, Georgius 22

Alberti, Leon Battista 49, 50, 124, 126, 216

Albertus Magnus 26, 113, 134, 136, 138, 188, 189, 191, 194, 197

alchemical 19, 22, 27, 40, 46, 48, 49, 56, 87, 98, 100, 191, 209, 225, 238

alchemy 13, 16, 26, 37, 39, 43, 45, 47, 50, 59, 99, 195

Alexander the Great 89

Alfred the Great 47, 145, 146, 148, 149, 160, 166, 167, 198

aluminosilicate 55

alum 83, 85, 87

anthocyanin 212

Anne of Bohemia 108

apothecary 13, 53, 64, 69, 71, 123, 126

Apollo 101, 102

Aquinas, St Thomas 39, 67, 92, 105, 230, 232

arabesque 42, 191–3

Aristotle 20, 30, 40, 71, 89, 95, 102, 103, 115, 122, 129, 198

Arthur and Arthurian legend 120, 148, 158, 160, 161, 167

ash 17, 26, 27, 59, 91, 191, 230

Augustine, St 21, 114, 213

azurite 9, 11, 12, 55, 56, 59–66, 68–71, 82, 86, 87, 98, 121, 132, 137, 187, 211, 232, 236

Babur, Mughal emperor 57

Bacon, Francis 54

bird 71, 89, 90, 94, 129, 130, 190, 193, 233, 234

Blake, William 38

Boethius 145, 166, 186, 187

Bolingbroke, Henry 109, 157, 158, 165, 199

Bonaventure, St 42, 103, 114

Bosch, Hieronymus 47, 48, 50

bread 40, 182, 184

Britain 7, 23, 144, 153, 158, 159

Brutus 144, 145, 159, 167

carpenter 18, 114–16, 151, 169–78, 185, 191, 197, 199, 204, 206, 222

causes 95–7, 100–102, 163, 189, 212

Cennini, Cennino 26, 30, 45, 47, 49, 56, 59, 60, 65, 101, 122, 125, 127, 131, 183, 192

chaff 62, 65, 89, 137

chalk 45, 46, 47, 17, 82, 83, 155, 180, 207, 209

chalk, coccolith 47

chalk, Santonian 207

Chaucer, Geoffrey 14, 17–19, 21, 23, 26, 29, 35, 40, 43, 45, 50, 77, 79, 80, 85, 88, 89, 93, 94, 102, 108, 109, 124, 134, 143, 156, 165, 166, 184, 198, 200, 209, 217, 218, 220–22, 229, 235, 239

chlorophyll 211, 212

Christ 35, 48, 52, 16, 31, 36, 39, 57, 92, 98, 103, 108, 114–16, 120, 131, 143, 148, 155, 160, 170–79, 182, 184, 185, 188, 190, 197, 200, 203, 209, 214, 218–21, 228, 236, 238, 239, 241

cinnabar 183

cochineal 19, 85, 168, 183, 213, 236

contemplation 14, 37, 38, 40, 94, 115, 121, 126, 135, 136, 178, 198, 199, 220, 225, 243

copper 55, 56, 82, 102, 151, 213, 217, 230, 231, 236

corruption 42, 33, 37, 117, 155, 156, 187, 194, 197, 238

Cosmati pavement, Westminster Abbey 29, 31, 49, 151, 161–6, 169, 186

cosmology 12, 27, 45, 67, 100, 117, 131, 221

Cranach, Lucas 13, 47, 48, 50, 56, 231

cross 46, 52, 27, 31, 103, 116, 120, 145–7, 190, 200, 220, 222

Dante, Alighieri 18, 23, 44, 100, 105, 116, 120, 137, 155, 167, 168, 186, 187, 214, 232

dendrochronology 204

Destiny, Stone of 30, 141, 156–8, 160, 161, 164

Dominicans 26, 75, 92, 96, 99, 104, 105, 134, 150, 188, 200, 203, 209, 222, 235

drug 57, 58, 64, 83, 85

dung 2, 16, 17, 19, 21, 26, 30, 31, 33–8, 82, 95, 101, 183, 193, 194

Eckhart, Meister 30, 136, 227, 229

Edward I 151, 156–61, 168

Edward II 88, 168

Edward III 76, 84, 107, 143, 168

Edward the Confessor, St 109, 117, 120, 121, 128, 148–52, 157, 158, 169

egg 23, 24, 12, 17, 37, 40, 53, 64, 125, 128, 181, 198, 241, 244

Egypt 155–8, 164

elements 14, 18, 34, 39, 40, 49, 68, 71, 72, 122–5, 130–39, 161, 168, 212, 214, 216, 218, 229, 230, 232, 233, 235, 239, 243

Eliot, T. S. 10, 240

England 3, 47, 9, 23, 75, 79, 82, 84, 85, 107, 108, 120, 120, 141, 143, 145, 148, 150, 151, 154, 155, 158, 160, 163, 178, 181, 185, 193, 194, 201, 204, 206, 209, 211, 212, 226

ergot 90

Eriugena, John Scottus 198, 226

Eyck, Jan van 181, 221

fart 78–80, 88, 89, 196

Flamel, Nicolas 46, 47, 50, 184

flesh 1, 41, 12, 39, 105, 182, 184, 209, 223, 244

fool 38, 75, 89

forest 37, 117, 120, 205, 206, 219, 223

Fortune, goddess, Wheel of 162, 165, 166, 178, 197, 199

fox 88, 89

France 9, 42, 46, 69, 83, 101, 144, 145, 153

fraud 64, 84, 86

gargoyle 76, 77

Germany 16, 22, 48, 56, 69, 170

gilder 170, 191, 197, 199 296

Giotto 49, 178

glass 42, 26–8, 106, 116, 137, 153, 170, 172, 174, 185, 188, 189, 191–8, 207, 223, 225, 231

glazier 26, 151–3, 170, 191, 197, 199, 231

gold 42, 16, 23, 27, 38, 46, 56, 59, 60, 61, 83, 84, 86, 87, 94, 96, 98–103, 105, 121, 125–36, 151, 152, 165, 168, 170, 172, 174, 179, 185–7, 190–95, 207, 211, 213, 228, 229, 232–6

gold leaf 83, 86, 96, 152, 179, 191

gold mosaic 83, 86, 87, 98–100, 121

gold shell 86, 87, 94, 98, 100, 105, 191

graft 99, 100, 153, 238

gypsum 179, 180

Hamlet 14, 15, 20, 27, 41, 47, 89, 227

Harrison, William 84

heart 25, 36, 80, 92, 136, 148, 189

heartwood 204, 212

health 14, 32, 36, 41, 58, 213

Henry III 141, 149–53, 156, 160, 161, 163, 167, 168, 175, 178, 186

Henry IV see Bolingbroke, Henry

herb 28, 143

Hermes 42, 23, 25, 48, 112, 113, 134, 189, 190, 193, 196, 197, 216, 238

Herodotus 32

Hogarth, William 14

Holinshed, Raphael 109, 139, 167

Homer 44, 126, 144, 155

horse 22, 105, 112, 153, 163, 164, 207, 227

Hugh of St Victor 93, 99

humours 147, 198

hybrid 21, 22, 74, 75, 77, 89, 91–4, 99

imitation 42, 20, 67, 92, 147, 184–9

indigo 82, 168, 214, 239

infrared 8, 9, 53, 63

ink 43, 44, 82, 116, 154, 172, 178, 244

iron 22, 24, 25, 29, 43, 44, 82, 139, 151, 154, 172, 191, 217, 230

ivy 15

Janus 30

Jerusalem 145, 146, 148, 162, 167, 198

John the Baptist, St 98, 107, 109, 117, 121, 149, 200, 235

John the Evangelist, St 170, 171, 174–7, 179, 200, 235, 236, 238

joke 76, 77, 79, 80, 88, 89, 93, 105, 116, 177, 178, 185, 219

Julian of Norwich 22, 136, 187, 227, 230, 234

Jupiter 44

kermes 19, 35, 83, 85

Kilwardby, Robert 38, 66, 67

kiss 128, 203

koan 93, 185, 219

Langland, William 80

lapis 28, 42, 15, 55–60, 69, 125–7, 131–4, 136, 139, 154, 156, 187–90, 192–9, 243

lead 1, 2, 3, 41, 47, 11–42, 44, 48, 49, 55, 60, 66, 82, 83, 85, 92, 95, 100, 151–4, 168, 180, 182–4, 187, 189, 191–5, 209, 213, 214, 220, 222, 231, 241

leaves 14, 15–17, 19–22, 44, 116, 211, 212, 214, 216, 231

lime 17, 21

limit 25, 96, 99, 100, 105, 138, 146, 164, 220, 223, 226, 227

Lomazzo, Giovanni Paolo 40, 58, 123, 124, 126, 133

London 46, 14, 18, 36, 85, 108, 109, 141, 145–9, 151, 162, 198

Luke, St 13, 14, 31, 32, 48, 67, 95, 114

Macclesfield Psalter 5, 14–22, 48, 49, 73–106, 176, 181, 203, 214, 241

madder 83, 85, 183

magic 19, 22, 34, 58, 132, 135, 160, 198, 235

Maid Marian 117, 223

manuals 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 20–22, 26, 40, 43, 45, 48, 49, 55, 56, 61, 62, 65, 67, 82, 101, 154, 183, 214

Marco Polo 57, 105

Mabel of St Edmunds 152, 175

Mary 155, 170, 171, 174–7, 179, 200, 235, 236, 238

manure see dung

marble 151, 154–6, 161, 163, 164, 166, 191, 207, 213

Marbode of Rennes 58, 132, 133, 136, 139, 187

Mars 25, 44, 217, 218, 221, 229–31, 238

martial 25, 139, 230, 231

Matilda of Bexley 152, 191

Mayerne, Theodore Turquet de 14

Mercury 47, 238

mercury 183, 184, 194, 195, 209, 214

Merlin 22, 48, 139, 160, 161, 211, 235

metal 11–41, 46, 56, 68, 82, 84, 91, 95, 98, 100, 102, 128, 131, 172, 180, 182–9, 192–6, 213, 217, 241

metalworkers 151, 155

metaphysics 18, 99, 242

mettle 152

Metz Pontifical 4, 6–10, 12–13, 32, 50, 51, 54, 42–72, 75, 85, 180, 211, 241

miasma 195

mirror 67, 103, 106, 137, 138, 161, 175, 192, 193, 233

moon 79, 80, 123, 189, 192–7, 213

waxing 193, 195, 196

monster 90, 92, 93, 117, 163

mountain 47, 56, 57, 70, 139, 159, 166, 186, 190, 245

nature 16, 21, 25–30, 35, 37, 39, 55, 58, 67, 95, 99, 104, 106, 114, 128, 129, 133, 143, 175, 183, 192, 197, 198, 212, 213

Nature, Book of 56

nature, dual or double 24, 27–9, 38–40, 148, 182, 184, 193, 238

Nicholas of Cusa 223, 224–7, 229, 231, 236, 238, 239, 245

Norwich 75, 82, 85–7, 92, 96, 201, 207, 209

numbers 39, 112–16, 146, 147, 153, 228, 229

oak 14, 23, 24, 45, 16, 35, 43, 44, 112, 114, 116, 125, 153, 154, 170, 172, 191–4, 204–7, 212, 230, 231, 238

oak, Baltic 204–7, 230

oak, English 204, 206, 212, 230

ocean 135, 137, 144, 145, 216

Odysseus 15, 23, 38, 92, 144, 245, 246

oil 46, 12, 17, 40, 56, 59, 60, 181, 182, 191, 195, 197, 207, 236, 241

opaque 47, 45, 53, 66–8, 83

Origen 98

Ovid 25, 100–105, 214, 229, 238

Paradise 57, 68, 120, 127, 136, 143, 144, 158, 167, 168, 188, 190, 197, 220–22, 224–9, 232, 235, 236, 243, 244

Paris, France 7, 9, 43, 46, 67, 101, 150, 244

Paris, Judgment of 47, 56, 148

Paris, Matthew 149

paternoster 43, 60, 62

Paul, St 44, 106, 148, 149, 170, 200, 203, 235

Peter, St 1, 148, 149, 170, 190, 197, 200, 235

Petrus Bonus 26, 37, 67, 238

Phyllis 20, 89

planet 23, 25, 30, 161, 188, 189, 192, 193, 213

Plato 35, 104, 122, 147, 216

Pliny the Elder 16, 23–5, 29, 31, 213

Plotinus 133, 138, 197, 213

plumber 19, 151–4

poetry 18, 44, 58, 59, 80, 88, 102, 103, 132, 133, 139, 144, 160, 163–5

poison 38, 42

porphyry 49, 59, 161, 163, 164, 185, 186

prayer 48, 64, 75, 120, 133, 134, 136–9, 187, 198, 213, 230, 238, 243

Prester John 57

prison 58, 92, 108, 109, 139, 148

Prometheus 84

pyrites 134, 136, 192

putty 188, 189, 191, 192, 194, 195

qualities 14–18, 28, 40, 41, 58, 59, 123–6, 131, 132, 198, 212, 214, 234, 236

quarantine 36

rainbow 48, 39, 211, 214–17, 232, 235

recipe 16–39, 47, 60, 83, 122, 153

Rembrandt van Rijn 21, 54

Renaud de Bar 42, 56, 58, 63, 66, 69, 70, 75

Reynolds, Sir Joshua 52

Richard II 9, 80, 107–9, 112, 115–17, 120–22, 125–39, 141, 143, 145, 146, 148, 149, 154–69, 172, 174, 175, 178, 185–9, 193, 194, 198, 199, 213, 224, 228, 229, 233, 235

Richard of Eastcheap 151

Robin Hood 117, 223

rust 16, 25, 29, 34, 43, 82, 154, 193, 194, 241

saffron 84–5, 87, 96

salt 17, 187

sand 26, 27, 38, 153, 154, 191

Saturn 23, 25, 30, 44, 189, 192, 213

scanning electron microscope 8, 46, 60

science, modern 8, 16, 52, 55, 196, 211

traditional 29, 38, 40, 41, 47–9, 66, 67, 79, 84, 94, 122, 213, 242, 243, 246

Scotland 108, 109, 139, 144, 156–8

sea 100, 120, 135, 139, 143, 154, 155–7, 163, 166, 186, 193, 207, 213, 222, 245

seal 84, 195–7, 199, 209

secret 19–21, 26, 35, 38, 59, 73, 79, 80, 94, 122, 123, 135, 182, 185, 203, 209, 219, 220, 222, 225

sex 88, 89, 113, 114, 238

Shakespeare, William 14, 15, 18, 23, 25, 27, 32, 35, 38, 45, 79, 107–9, 113, 138, 139, 141, 143, 158, 165, 166, 223, 228

silver 3, 42, 22, 39, 56, 84, 101, 102, 120, 143, 151–4, 168, 189, 191–7, 213

silver leaf 191–5

sport 20, 94, 242

square root of two 114, 115, 150, 162, 169, 171

street 19, 85, 108, 145–7, 162, 167

Suger, Abbot 101–4, 187, 198, 230

sulphur 99, 183, 184, 194–6, 209, 214

sun 27, 35, 79, 80, 100, 101, 103, 138, 139, 144, 149, 158, 166, 192, 211, 216

symmetry 128, 129, 218, 219, 221, 228, 233, 236

synthetic 16, 55, 82, 83, 86, 183

tarnish 42, 106, 188, 193–7

Theophilus 16, 19, 22, 26, 29, 31–5, 39, 48, 49, 67, 101, 105, 183, 191

Thornham Parva Retable 43, 44, 46–8, 52, 200–39, 241

timber 114, 145, 153, 170, 204–7, 220, 230

time 10, 35, 62, 104, 162–4, 166, 178, 197, 198, 240

tomb 27–9, 35, 46, 108, 109, 156, 158

tourists 168, 169, 196

transparent 19, 45, 53, 55, 66–8, 82, 83, 85

tree 47, 11, 12, 26, 35, 44, 73, 88, 99, 100, 115, 116, 143, 170, 204–7, 211, 212, 216, 217, 222, 227, 231, 238

trial 19, 34, 36, 64, 68, 108, 109

triptych 112, 113, 203

Tyrian purple 238

ultramarine 9, 15, 49, 55, 59, 60, 64–71, 84, 86, 87, 94, 98, 100, 105, 121, 122, 125–39, 165, 179, 181, 187, 190, 192, 197, 227, 232, 233, 236

ultraviolet 8, 19, 75

unity 112, 113, 115, 122, 123, 137, 235, 236, 240, 241

unlucky 113–16, 126, 127, 129

urine 16, 17, 19, 26, 31–7, 183, 194

Vasari, Giorgio 13, 47

vein 22, 23, 56

Venice 36, 57, 233

Venus 47, 213, 217, 218, 221, 229–31, 238

vermilion 41, 47, 15, 49, 82, 86, 87, 94, 100, 105, 183, 184, 194, 207, 209, 214, 230

Verona 28, 33, 148

vice 28, 36, 117

vine 42, 82, 83, 91, 191–3, 238

vinegar 16, 17, 19, 26, 31–7, 154, 183, 194

virtue 27, 28, 58, 117, 139, 187

Vitruvius 16

Vulcan 101, 229

Wales 158, 159

washing 60–62, 136, 139, 160

wax 17, 34, 59, 60, 84, 125, 168, 169, 195, 211

waxing moon see moon, waxing

Webster, John 33–5

Westminster Retable 1, 29, 33–42, 141, 167–99, 241

Wilton Diptych 23–7, 107–40, 165, 176, 181, 233, 241, 243

womb 23, 27–9, 35, 143

wood 12, 17, 44, 112–17, 120, 166, 168–72, 174, 178, 179, 203–7, 212, 223, 241

xenia 15, 93, 226, 245

Zeus 15, 44