Still Making New Discoveries in the Gutenberg Bible!

Mayumi Ikeda (Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages and Liberal Arts)

Are you familiar with the Gutenberg Bible? It is a book printed by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany in the mid-15th century, using movable-type printing for the first time in Europe. About 50 copies survive in the world, one of which is held by the Mita Media Center (Keio University Library) ( https://dcollections.lib.keio.ac.jp/ja/gutenberg/explanation ).

My original specialty is art history, but as a student, I became involved in a Keio University project (the HUMI Project) to digitize rare books such as the Gutenberg Bible. This experience led me to use my art history expertise to study the hand-drawn decorations, colored inks, and illuminated initials on the pages of books published by Gutenberg and his apprentice, Peter Schöffer. When one thinks of "art history," the glamorous studies of genius artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo come to mind. In comparison, my research subject is quite modest. For this reason, art historians have rarely taken up the Gutenberg Bible.

On the other hand, it is no exaggeration to say that the Gutenberg Bible itself is the most famous printed book in the world, and well over a century has passed since serious research on it began. With the Bible now feeling thoroughly researched, what could a single Japanese researcher possibly uncover by studying the seemingly modest and information-poor elements of "color and decoration" at this late stage...?

But things do turn up! A detailed investigation of the works of Gutenberg and his apprentice Schöffer has revealed a great deal. I was able to identify three copies of the Gutenberg Bible that were passed down to and decorated at Schöffer's press. It also became clear that Schöffer's press employed many illuminators to add decorative letters to the books. Furthermore, since many of Schöffer's publications were decorated in Cologne, the possibility has emerged that a kind of "sales branch" of the Schöffer press existed there. By focusing on "color and decoration," it has become apparent that we can glean a great deal of information about the handling and distribution of books after printing.

Currently, I am working on the study of the hand-drawn decorations in the "Catholicon" (a dictionary compiled in 14th-century Italy), a mysterious publication that has long puzzled Gutenberg scholars. Although the publication year is printed as 1460, this book is shrouded in mystery, with divided opinions among researchers. Some suggest it was printed in three batches over a decade starting in 1460, while others argue it was printed around 1470 using three presses. I am excited to see what discoveries can be made by tackling this mystery with an art-historical approach.

As an aside, Blaise Agüera y Arcas, the current CTO (Chief Technical Officer) of Google, caused a sensation in Gutenberg studies shortly after graduating from Princeton University with his image analysis of Gutenberg's type (“Temporary Matrices and Elemental Punches in Gutenberg’s DK type,” 2003). The HUMI Project, which pioneered the digitization of rare books now practiced worldwide, also involved faculty and students from the Faculty of Science and Technology. Perhaps the study of Gutenberg, who brought innovation to book production, is an excellent match for research in science and technology!