Looking for the perfect Christmas gift can be a joy. At the same time, however, a little help finding that special gift would be appreciated. Well I would love to offer an idea as to a truly unique gift you can give to a friend or loved one this Christmas season. It’s the Illuminated Bible, Art Journaling Edition, from Crossway.
From the moment you pick up the Bible, you will be taken away by its intricate artwork and design. The meticulous work that went into the art and lettering is staggering. Printed on thick, cream-colored paper, the font is clear, and the artwork seems to jump off the page.
The introduction gives a brief history to the practice of adding decoration to manuscripts which is called illumination. Reading that this practice dates back to the early fifth century, it’s neat to see this edition brings back a part of history we don’t often see. Listen to what Dane Ortlund, Executive Vice President of Bible Publishing and Bible Publisher at Crossway had to say:
“The Christian church enjoys an ancient tradition of embellishing the Bible in elegant, artistically dignified ways as a means of bringing out the unspeakable beauty of the Scripture itself. The ESV Illuminated Bible stands squarely in this historic tradition, integrating beautiful and fitting artistry into the biblical text, providing an edition of the Bible that can be used for journaling or simply for reading and enjoyment.”
The artist, Dana Tanamachi, is an American lettering artist, graphic designer, and illustrator. Her desire was to use art to honor the content of each book by taking into consideration the historical and cultural context of the writings. Here are her words as she describes her work:
“This is by far the largest and most extensive commission I have ever embarked on, and as a person of faith, it has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime,” says Tanamachi. “Following in the monastic tradition of manuscript illumination has been both a meditative and highly creative process. It was a thrill and challenge to approach an art form so steeped in tradition in order to bring biblical stories to life for the modern eye. Distilling the truths of Scripture and transforming them into conceptual and decorative pieces of art has been a fascinating journey that has deepened my love of and respect for these holy texts.”
This edition will be sure to bring a smile to anyone who happens to receive one.