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Gold is such an integral part of miniature manuscripts that we can't conceive of them without it. So here are some images, manuscript and otherwise, celebrating this essential element. For those of you who have better images than me ( @Anastasia Doran ? @Susan Dobrian?) and didn't have a toddler-camera-shake, please share too if you can! Bon appetit...

Perfect.

Dots are for memory and easy finding - part of my PhD research too.

Imagine an an actual gold letter!

My husband made the good point that since it is on actual gold, nobody will throw it away, ever! So it will always exist in one form or other at least. Even if it's melted down, it's still gold.

This was so amazing to see. So massive!

There is something I just love about this one, so indulge me for a few more pictures...

See the faint marks around the edges? Perhaps unfinished

Tried to capture the effect of utter gold in the light

So cool!

Jahanara's family! Her beloved brother Dara Shikoh.

Love old maps!

Pink and green gold flecked paper, gorgeous!

Not a mistake - just using the old finger to show scale - these are tiny

Close up as just so gorgeous - inset jewels

And bonus visit to the permanent collection display (which sometimes changes) in the Ritblatt Gallery upstairs

Breathtakingly beautiful Baybars Quran which will find its way into my classes - but not necessarily this page! I wanted to turn the page to one of the main carpet pages, but of course this was behind glass

I love seeing things like this - ancient schoolwork, or children's exercises, it's so rare to see!

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