Astrological sphere from BL YT 31, f. 49v

Detail of a wheel-shaped miniature of the sphere, inscribed with the poles, cardinal points, twelve signs, and course of the sun, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 49v of Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version). Written in Spanish (Catalan), with some Hebrew (ff. 131-134).

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.