Royal Prayer Book for Otto III

Royal Prayer Book for Otto III

The Royal Prayer Book of Otto III has a unique place in history as the only surviving royal prayer book from the Ottonian era. Its exceptional worth is indicated not only by the miniatures, but also the script in gold on purple vellum. One can still immerse themselves today in the splendor of the private prayer book of the king and emperor.

Ottonian Book Art

The Royal Prayer Book of Otto III originates from between 983 and 991 and still presents us today with the exceptional artistry and splendor of early medieval illumination. The manuscript has the unusual yet practical format for a private prayer book of 15 x 12 cm. The prayer book served the boy king and later emperors not only for immersion in the world of faith, but also to convey the foundations of early medieval understandings of sovereignty. Christian faith and the ideal ruler of the Ottonian Emperor were closely interconnected. The book was probably commissioned by Otto’s mother, the Byzantine Princess Theophano, or by her advisor, Archbishop Willigis von Mainz. It originates from between the crowing of the three-year-old Otto in 983 and the death of Theophano in 991.

A Kingly Work of Art

Each individual page of the prayer book bears witness to the worth of the manuscript. The prayers were applied to the most expensive painting surface: purple vellum. Additionally the pages were colored with the costly dye from the glands of the purple snail. Luminous gold ink was used against this dark background. To increase the splendor even more, 25 large gold initials are integrated into the text. There are also five pages of miniatures that buttress the worth of the manuscript. Although it was the private prayer book of Otto III, the monastic ideal ruler was also illustrated in the picture. The king himself is pictured in the miniatures. Three of the five miniatures show the portrait of the king. The scenes allow divine events to unfold before the eyes of the beholder during the prayer. In the pictures that Otto himself is a part of, he leads the event more emphatically still before our eyes. Thus the ruler is depicted on the side across from the crucifixion of Christ in the picture of the deesis surrounded by Christ and the saints. The second pair of pages of miniatures show Christ enthroned and flanked by angels in a mandorla on the recto page. The opposite page shows King Otto meekly laying on the ground. Finally, the dedication picture, in which King Otto receives the manuscript from a cleric, is especially impressively designed and is found next to the dedication poem of the author.

The Unique Historical Significance of the Manuscript

The significance of the manuscript is constituted not only through its artistic and art historic worth and the magnificence of the materials. The 1,000+ year-old codex is also a historical artifact of the highest worth. As the only surviving royal prayer book from the Ottonian era, the Royal Prayer Book of Otto III is a prominent historical monument and unique work of art. After the death of the emperor, the manuscript passed through many stations to Weissenstein palace in Pommersfelden and in 1994 finally came to Munich in the Bavarian State Library as a spectacular acquisition.