Liturgical miscellany featuring a Guidonian hand
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.The hand served as a striking visual aid for teaching, reflecting its role as a tool for scientific understanding and as a perceived bridge between the intellect and spirit during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. As illustrated here, a choir director could point to different parts of the fingers or palm to indicate musical pitches and the direction of melodic lines. Known as the Guidonian hand, this system was used by monks and missionaries to teach sung liturgy before literacy was common.
Artwork Details
- Title: Liturgical miscellany featuring a Guidonian hand
- Date: Between 1450 and 1499
- Culture: Italy
- Medium: Brown, red, and blue ink on parchment
- Dimensions: 3 1/2 x 2 1/2 in. (8.9 6.4 cm)
- Classification: Manuscripts
- Credit Line: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Book and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania Libraries
- Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments
Content Notice
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.