Getty Museum To Showcase Rare Italian Gothic-Era Bible

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A rare Italian version of the Bible is coming to the J. Paul Getty Museum this winter.

Officials said Tuesday that the museum has acquired an intact manuscript from the Gothic era for its collection of illuminated manuscripts.

The Abbey Bible, named for a celebrated collector of Italian manuscripts, is one of the earliest and finest of a distinguished group of north Italian Bibles from the second half of the 13th and early 14th centuries, according to the museum.

"It is extremely rare for a complete Italian volume of this splendid quality to come onto the market," said Thomas Kren, acting associate director for collections at the Getty.

The museum's Italian manuscript collection also includes illuminated works by Niccolo da Bologna, Taddeo Crivelli and Giovanni di Paolo.

The Abbey Bible will go on view in December as part of the exhibition "Gothic Grandeur: Manuscript Illumination, 1200-2350."

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