Windmill Psalter

This English illuminated manuscript takes its modern name from a specific image of a windmill depicted in its lively marginal decoration. Windmills were relatively new technology in Europe at the end of the thirteenth century. Its inclusion provides valuable insight into the recording of contemporary medieval life.

The manuscript was produced around the end of the thirteenth century, placing it firmly in the late medieval period. It reflects the highly developed tradition of English Gothic book illumination that flourished during that era. Experts have dated it based on its distinct artistic styling and paleographic features.

The Psalter features vibrant, elaborate initials and various religious imagery central to daily worship. Alongside the famous windmill, its margins are populated with lively scenes drawn from everyday medieval life and animal motifs. These decorations serve to visually separate the text of the Psalms.

The manuscript is currently preserved in a major institutional collection, where it is studied by historians and art experts. It remains an important surviving artifact of late 13th-century English book art. It is occasionally displayed to the public during academic exhibitions focusing on medieval manuscripts.