Dr. Jörn Günther Exhibits Timeless Couture: The Art of Dress in Medieval Manuscripts
- by Announcement, Rare Book Hub staff
From his pointed shoes to his gilded hat, this knight embodies 1470s high fashion.
Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books is proud to announce the exclusive exhibition, Timeless Couture: The Art of Dress in Medieval Manuscripts, in its gallery space from June 16–20, 2025 during Art Basel.
Timeless Couture takes visitors on a captivating journey into the visual world of medieval manuscripts, which served not only as written records but also as vibrant windows into an era of elegance and artistic mastery. The exhibited manuscripts offer a unique glimpse into the culture, values, and craftsmanship of the Middle Ages, revealing how fashion in that time was far more than mere clothing – it reflected power, social structure, and spiritual significance.
At the heart of the exhibition is an impressive collection of illuminated manuscripts, vividly showcasing the diversity and artistry of medieval fashion. These exquisite depictions offer a deeper understanding of historical high fashion and its many meanings. Historical, literary, and religious figures appear throughout these precious objects: an allegorical knight in Evrart de Trémaugon’s Songe du Vergier (fig. 2), or a breath-taking close-up of Mary Magdalen in a Book of Hours (fig. 3), both bearing witness to the central role of clothing and fabrics across all genres of medieval text. Clothing in this era was not only a symbol of status but also a means of expressing power, religious devotion, and social identity.
Colors represented virtues, and intricate embroidery conveyed holiness or moral values. Even seemingly straightforward depictions, such as that of the Virgin Mary, reveal a highly codified system of symbolism: her colours – blue, gold, red, and white – were key indicators to a medieval viewer of her multi-faceted identity as mother, virgin, and Queen of Heaven. These visual codes went far beyond mere style; they communicated the beliefs, values, and position of the wearer within the broader social and spiritual framework of the time. The exhibition also highlights how medieval fashion continues to resonate in the modern world. Designers such as Dior, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, and Jean Paul Gaultier frequently draw inspiration from medieval manuscripts, blending historical heritage with avant-garde creativity. One of the most striking connections between medieval and modern fashion is the revival of textures and fabric structures depicted in these manuscripts. The voluminous, draped robes of monarchs and the complex textile layers seen in the manuscripts echo in today’s couture collections. From dramatic fabric manipulation to structured silhouettes, contemporary fashion continues to reinterpret medieval aesthetics in innovative and contemporary ways. Timeless Couture invites visitors to explore the boundaries between tradition and innovation, offering a fresh perspective on the timeless beauty of medieval art.
Mary Magdalene wears only her golden hair on the left; on the right Dior’s golden-feathered gown brings a modern splendour to the look.
The exhibition will run from Monday, June 16 - Friday, June 20, 2025. Hours are 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Appointments should be made in advance. Telephone +41 61 275 75 75. [email protected]
Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books AG is a world leading specialist dealer of medieval manuscripts, miniatures and single leaves of vellum. Our inventory represents the finest private stock of manuscript masterpieces in the world. We support libraries, museums and book enthusiasts in building their collections. Our manuscripts set themselves apart through the quality of their artwork, their rarity and their impressive provenance, often including books owned by fascinating historical figures. Dr. Jörn Günther has accumulated 40 years of experience with Medieval Manuscripts, opening his first Antiquarian book store in Hamburg in 1990. Today, the gallery and company office can be found in the historical old town of Basel, Switzerland, located at Gemsberg 10. Our team of experts thoroughly investigates and documents every book and miniature for the benefit of our clients and collectors. We actively circulate our findings and participate in scholarly discourse.
Sotheby’s Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone 25 June – July 7
Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000.
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Inundation papyrus. P.Michael 4, the ‘Inundation papyrus’, a geographical account of the Nile near Canopus, in Greek, remains of two columns from a manuscript scroll on papyrus, Egypt, second century CE. £12,000-18,000
Forum, July 16: Book of Hours, use of Sarum, manuscript on vellum, 6 full-page miniatures, with famous Middle English inscriptions, Southern Netherlands for the English market, [c.1430]. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Qu'ran, Arabic manuscript on burnished, stencilled, and gold-flecked paper, 447ff., Sultanate Gujarat, Ahmadabad, [after 1411 but no later than 1442]. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Turner (William). A New boke of the natures and properties of all wines that are commonly vsed here in England, rare first edition of the first English book on wine, By William Seres, 1568. £20,000-£30,000
Forum, July 16: Spenser (Edmund). The Faerie Queene. first edition, Printed [by John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, 1590. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Shakespeare (William). The Comedie of Errors, extracted from the first folio, Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Fleming (Ian). Casino Royale, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1953. £40,000-60,000
Forum, July 16: d'Agoty (Jacques-Fabien Gautier). Anatomie de la Tête, first edition, Paris, chez le Sieur Gautier, 1748. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 16: Martial Arts.- Lee (Bruce). 'Praying Mantis style' Kung Fu book, containing numerous annotations, diagrams and graphs in Bruce Lee's hand, c. 1960. £50,000-70,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, rare hand-coloured issue, 1848. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Norie (John William). The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot for all the principal places in the known world..., 1826. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Mao Tse-tung.- Kim Il-sung.-[Note book for visitors from China to Korea], signed by Mao and Kim, [Beijing, 1954]. £10,000-15,000
