Kerdeston Hawking Book

The Kerdeston Hawking Book is an illuminated manuscript dating from the 15th century, containing information about medieval falconry practices.

History

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Composition

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The Kerdeson Hawking Book was produced for Sir Thomas Kerdeston in the 1430s by a scribe in East Anglia.[1]

Acquisition by the British Library

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As part of the UK government's Acceptance in Lieu scheme, the book was acquired by the British Library in 2007 in place of inheritance tax. A few surviving leaves of the Kerdeston Hunting Book were accepted simultaneously. These were both placed into the library's extensive collection of Middle English manuscripts.[1]

Contents

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The Book contains six texts on falconry, two of which have not survived in any other form.[1] Topics discussed in these texts include the training of hawks and falcons for hunting, and the treatment of their illnesses.[1] Illuminations, produced in a workshop in Suffolk, accompany the text.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e 24 Hour Museum Staff (31 July 2007). "Medieval East Anglian Hunting Manuscripts Saved For The Nation". Culture24. Retrieved 26 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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