The fifteenth-century work commonly known as The Voynich Manuscript is often called the world's most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich.
The manuscript appears an disappears throughout history, from the library of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book's language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful. For the first time, this facsimile, complete with reproductions of elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming through fantastical tubes and green baths.
With an Introduction by Deborah Harkness.
The manuscript appears an disappears throughout history, from the library of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book's language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful. For the first time, this facsimile, complete with reproductions of elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming through fantastical tubes and green baths.
With an Introduction by Deborah Harkness.
