A journey to the East through 101 fascinating illustrations
The codex consists of two lavishly illustrated works:
Folios 1-96v: The Travels of Marco Polo (84 illustrations)
Folios 97r-115v: The Travels of Friar Odoric (17 illustrations)
The 101 miniatures, painted by the great Parisian masters of international Gothic, are the perfect addition to the tales they illustrate, and highlight the richness of the oriental world
The wonders of the East narrated by the famous merchant Marco Polo
"To know the sheer truth of several regions of the world, take this book and read it. Here you will find the great wonders that have been written about Great Armenia, Persia, the Tatars, India and many other provinces".
Thus begins the fascinating journey by the intrepid merchant Marco Polo, leading us, through 84 magnificent illustrations, to discover the enigmatic lands of the East. It must not be forgotten that this book, which made Marco Polo world famous, is the first European description of the lands of the East as a whole - and yet it was apparently written by chance. Whilst incarcerated in the prison of Genoa in 1298, Marco Polo dictated the tales of his travels to Rustichello da Pisa.
Indeed, Marco Polo's account describes the Sino-Mongol Empire of Kublai Khan, for whom Marco Polo was a "messenger" or imperial emissary between 1275 and 1290. Its pages host a multitude of stories that include legends, historical, humorous or even naughty anecdotes, tales about peculiar local customs, and comments about culture and the economy, although Polo's main interest seems to be the history of the Mongols of Genghis Khan and the China of Kublai Khan. He describes Cathay and its capital Cambaluc (Beijing) in great detail, along with its palaces, New Year celebrations when everyone wears white, and leopard, lion and wolf hunts.
The travels of friar Odorico
The second book in this codex (ff. 97r-115v) - less well known but no less important - narrates the Franciscan Odoric of Pordenone's journey through eastern lands as part of the missions sent by Pope Innocent IV. The Franciscan's account is like a travel log in which he describes the people in the towns he visits and their habits and customs.
A priceless treasure
This codex was made, between 1410 and1412, for John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, as revealed by the arms and devices that embellish it. In January 1413, he gave it to his uncle Jean, Duke of Berry, as indicated by the ex libris on one of the guard-leafs.
"This book is of the Wonders of the World, namely, of the Holy Land, of the great Kan emperor of the Tartars and of the country of India; which book Jean duke of Burgundy gave to his uncle Jean, son of the king of France, duke of Berry and Auvergne, count of Poitou, of Estampes, of Boulogne and Auvergne".
Upon his death, in 1416, the codex was valued at 125 livres tournois.
