40 North

Women have been important patrons of major works of architecture in the Islamic world historically, a phenomenon that reveals their social agency and can illuminate their lives even when they are barely mentioned in historical texts.

Dr. Elias Petrou will explore the evolution and transmission of the Greek book from East to West, beginning with an overview of the Byzantine educational system, the preservation and transmission of classical Greek knowledge through manuscripts, and how this inherited book culture was transformed through the new technology of print.

Dr. Anastasios Antonaras (Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki,) places Byzantine glass in context to a wider Mediterranean tradition where it emerges as a powerful medium of splendor, authority, and sacred presence.

This public event will begin with a lecture by Dr. Warren C. Brown (California Institute of Technology discussing medieval textuality and materiality. A reception and open house will follow where visitors may view our recently acquired Merovingian manuscript and Greek papyrus. All are welcome, and refreshments will be served.