Der naturen bloeme by Jacob van Maerlant

Around 1270 Jacob van Maerlant wrote Der naturen bloeme: a medieval encyclopaedia about all the beauty that nature has to offer. The work is written in Dutch. This is exceptional: it is the first text of this genre that has been preserved in the vernacular. The KB owns not 1, but 2 manuscripts of this extraordinary work. Both manuscripts contain beautiful illustrations of animals, trees and people. 

Signature: KW KA 16