The Tiberius Psalter (BL Cotton MS Tiberius C VI)

Goliath, with Philistines fleeing behind him, f. 9r.

Colloquial name(s): the Tiberius Psalter

Official name(s): British Library, Cotton MS Tiberius C VI

Date: between the 3rd quarter of 11th Century and the 2nd half of the 12th Century (source)

Origin: possibly Old Minster, Winchester, England (source)

Online facsimile available via: British Library Digitised Manuscripts

This Anglo-Saxon manuscript was possibly made at Old Minster, Winchester (source). Beyond that, its provenance is unknown until the 16th Century, when it was possibly in the possession of Elizabeth Howard (d. 1524), as indicated by Cotton's 17th Century catalogue which lists it as 'An old psalter. Limned that was Eliz the Duke of Norfocks daughter' (source).

The psalter is decorated with two full-page miniatures in colours, 27 outline drawings in colours, four full-page initials and several large initials with decoration in colours (source). According to Kauffmann, this is the only Anglo-Saxon Psalter with a prefixed cycle of pictures and, according to Zeitler, the earliest surviving example of a Psalter with prefatory illustrations (source).

Basic descriptions of the illustrations are provided by the British Library with the facsimile.