Salome receiving the head of John the Baptist from BL YT 31, f. 228v

Miniature of Salome receiving the head of John the Baptist from a soldier, while John's headless body leans out of a tower on the right, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 228v 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.