Deer Cartilage, Cuttlebone, and Frankincense from BL Eg 747, f. 71

Miniature of a deer, to illustrate os de cor de cervi, or hardened cartilage from the hearts of deer; miniature of a squid, to illustrate cuttlebone; miniature of olibanum, or the plant from which frankincense is derived. Image taken from f. 71 of Tractatus de herbis (Herbal); De Simplici Medicina (index Secreta Salernitana); Circa instans; Antidotarium Nicolai. Written in Latin.

The Egerton Manuscript Collection is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Egerton (1540-1617), 1st Viscount Brackley, was a lawyer, statesman, and patron of the arts during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England. He served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and later as Lord Chancellor of England, holding high positions in the legal and political realms.

Sir Thomas Egerton acquired a substantial number of historical and literary manuscripts. In 1617, shortly before his death, Sir Thomas Egerton bequeathed his collection of manuscripts to the British Museum, which was the precursor to the British Library.