View source for Chester Beatty Library

{{short description|Archive in Dublin, Ireland}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox museum
| name            = Chester Beatty
| logo            = CB Stacked Logo RGB Jpeg - Low Resolution.jpg
| image           = Exterior of the Chester Beatty, Dublin, Ireland.jpg
| caption         = Entrance of the Chester Beatty, Dublin, Ireland
| mapframe        = yes
| mapframe-caption = Interactive fullscreen map
| mapframe-zoom   = 13
| mapframe-marker = museum
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| coordinates     = {{WikidataCoord|display=it}}
| former_name     = Chester Beatty Library
| established     = 1953
| location        = [[Dublin Castle]], Dublin
| type            = Art Museum, library, Visitor Attraction
| collections     = The Chester Beatty is Ireland’s leading museum of world cultures, caring for and sharing an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, rare books, miniature paintings and other decorative objects that are of world importance.  

With collections from Europe, the Middle East and across Asia, the role of the museum is unique in Ireland’s cultural landscape.
| collection_size = approx 25,000
| visitors        = 530,000 (2024)
| founder         = [[Sir Alfred Chester Beatty]]
| publictransit   = Luas, Dublin Bus, DART
| website         = [https://chesterbeatty.ie chesterbeatty.ie]
}}

The '''Chester Beatty Library''', now known as the '''Chester Beatty''', is a museum and library in the grounds of [[Dublin Castle]], Ireland. It was established in 1953 at 20 Shewsbury Road, Dublin 4,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chesterbeatty.ie/about/chester-beatty-story/|title=Chester Beatty Story|website=Chester Beatty|access-date=2 April 2023}}</ref> to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir [[Alfred Chester Beatty]].<ref name="antiq">{{Cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65802699.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110517062045/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65802699.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 May 2011|title=The Chester Beatty Library and its East Asian Collections|access-date=21 March 2008|date=1 September 2000|author=Clare Pollard|work=Antiquity}}</ref> The present museum opened on 7 February 2000, the 125th anniversary of Beatty's birth and was named [[European Museum of the Year Award|European Museum of the Year]] in 2002.<ref name="artsab">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/17/books/arts-abroad-an-irish-castle-for-religious-manuscripts.html|title=Arts Abroad; An Irish Castle for Religious Manuscripts|access-date=21 March 2008|date=17 July 2002|author=Brian Lavery|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

The Chester Beatty is one of the premier sources for scholarship in both the Old and New Testaments and is home to one of the most significant collections of historical artefacts and manuscripts from all over the world.<ref>https://www.catholicireland.net/in-the-beginning-was-the-word-chester-beatty-library/</ref><ref name="math">{{Cite web|url=http://mathaba.net/news/?x=546762|title=Chester Beatty Library: Magnificent Collection of Islamic and Far Eastern Artefacts|access-date=21 March 2008|publisher=Mathaba News Network|date=3 December 2006|author=Elizabeth Hutcheson|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513145054/http://mathaba.net/news/?x=546762|archive-date=13 May 2015}}</ref> The museum also offers numerous temporary exhibitions, many of which include works of art on loan from foreign institutions and collections. The museum contains a number of priceless objects, including one of the surviving volumes of the first illustrated ''[[Siyer-i Nebi|Life of the Prophet]]'' and the ''[[Gospel of Mani]]'', one of the last surviving [[Manichaean scripture]]s.<ref name="bbcmani">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/1435490.stm|title=Priceless Ancient Text Reassembled|access-date=21 March 2008|work=BBC News|date=12 July 2001 }}</ref><ref name="thrillm">{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2007/0106/1168032999621.html|title=Thrilling Messages from a Shared Past|access-date=21 March 2008|date=6 January 2007|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> Many manuscripts from the [[Medinet Madi library]] are currently held at the Chester Beatty Library.<ref name="Robinson 2015">{{cite book | last=Robinson | first=James M. | title=The Manichaean Codices of Medinet Madi | location=Cambridge | publisher=James Clarke & Company | date=2015 | isbn=978-0-227-90389-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last1=Beduhn | first1=Jason D. | last2=Dilley | first2=Paul | last3=Gardner | first3=Iain | title=The Medinet Madi Library of Manichaean Codices at 90: Papers from the Symposium at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, 18-19 October 2019  | publisher=Brill | location=Leiden | date=2023 | isbn=978-90-04-53982-2 | url=https://brill.com/display/title/64380 | series=Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies | volume=104}}</ref>

==Galleries==
The museum's collections are displayed in two galleries: "Sacred Traditions" and "Arts of the Book". Both displays exhibit manuscripts, miniature paintings, prints, drawings, rare books and some decorative arts from the Persian, Islamic, East Asian and Western Collections.<ref name="irt">{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property/2000/0203/00020300204.html|title=Castle is Fitting Home for Beatty Treasures|access-date=21 March 2008|date=3 February 2000|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref> 

==Collections==
===Western Collections===
The Western Collection houses many illuminated manuscripts, rare books and Old Master prints and drawings. With biblical texts written in Armenian, Church Slavonic, Coptic, Ge’ez, Greek, Latin and Syriac, the collection's Christian material comes from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds. The papyrus codices in the Chester Beatty include [[Papyrus 45]] and [[Papyrus 46]] among others which are some of the earliest surviving Christian artefacts in the world. In addition, a significant proportion of the rare printed books and prints are also Christian in focus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chesterbeatty.ie/explore/christianity/|title=Christianity {{!}} Explore the Collections|website=Chester Beatty|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}}</ref> The collection of papyri is one of the most extensive in the world and includes almost the entire corpus of Ancient Egyptian Love Songs.

===Islamic Collections===
The Islamic Collection is divided between the [[Arabic]], [[Persia]]n, [[Turkic peoples|Turkish]], [[Qur'an]] and Mughal-Era Indian Collections. The Arabic texts include treatises on religion, history, jurisprudence, medicine, geography, mathematics, astronomy and linguistics. Some of the finest miniatures from imperial Mughal albums, called ''[[Muraqqa']]'', are housed in the Chester Beatty Library, with important paintings from the ''Late Shah Jahan Album'' and the ''Minto Album''. The albums were the subject of an exhibition and publication by the Islamic curator, Dr Elaine Wright, ''Muraqqa': Imperial Albums of the Chester Beatty Library''. Often on display is the ''Ibn al-Bawwab'' Qur'an, copied by one of the greatest medieval Islamic calligraphers.

===Persian Collection===
The Persian collection contains various miniatures and manuscripts of classical Persian poets such as [[Ferdowsi]] and [[Nizami Ganjavi|Nizami]].<ref>[https://chesterbeatty.ie/assets/uploads/2018/11/A-Catalogue-of-the-Persian-Manuscripts-and-Miniatures-Vol-1_Part1.pdf　A Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts and Miniatures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803013720/https://chesterbeatty.ie/assets/uploads/2018/11/A-Catalogue-of-the-Persian-Manuscripts-and-Miniatures-Vol-1_Part1.pdf |date=3 August 2019 }} Chester Beatty</ref>

===East Asian Collections===
The East Asian Collection has one of the most extensive collections of carved snuff bottles, many of which were included in the catalogue, ''The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin: Chinese Snuff Bottles''. It also has Japanese art, including a pair of long picture-scrolls painted in the 17th century by [[Kanō Sansetsu]].<ref>[http://www.irishembassy.jp/home/index.aspx?id=53939　Ireland and Japan cooperate in Preservation of Ancient ArtworksBy Shane McCausland, Curator of the East Asian Collections] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029214804/http://www.irishembassy.jp/home/index.aspx?id=53939 |date=29 October 2013 }}  Ireland Embassy in Japan</ref>

== Collection highlights ==
Source:<ref>These are collection highlights according to museum site {{Cite web|title=Chester Beatty Explore |url=https://chesterbeatty.ie/explore/places/ |website=Chester Beatty |language=en}} (at least those, which have image in Wikimedia commons)</ref>

=== Arabic collection ===
{{gallery|File:Four horsemen taking part in a contest. From 'Manual on the Arts of Horsemanship' by al-Aqsara'i (CBL Ar 5655.118, f.2v).jpg|'Manual on the Arts of Horsemanship' by al-Aqsara'i. [[Cairo]], 1366.
}}

=== Armenian collection ===
{{gallery|File:The Garden of Eden (CBL Arm 551, ff.2v-3r).jpg|[[Serapion of Edessa|Serapion of Edessa's]] Abridged Bible. [[Amida (Mesopotamia)|Amida]], 1601
|File:Armenian Gospel Book made in Isfahan in 1655 (CBL Arm 578).jpg|Armenian [[Gospel Book]] made in [[Isfahan]] in 1655
}}

=== Biblical papyri collection ===
{{gallery|File:Luke 13.29-35 and 14.10 (CBL BP I, f.15r).jpg|[[Papyrus 45]]
|Dublin, Chester Beatty Ms BP II fol. 15&90 Bifolio from Paul's Letter to the Romans, the end of Paul's Letter to the Philippians and the beginning of Paul's Letter to the Colossians.jpg|Fragments of [[Papyrus 46]]
}}

=== Burmese collection ===
{{gallery|File:Court amusements and ceremonies (CBL Bu 1201).jpg|Court amusements and ceremonies. [[Myanmar]], 19th century
|File:Court amusements and ceremonies (CBL Bu 1290).jpg|Court amusements and ceremonies. Myanmar, after 1885
}}

=== Chinese collection ===
{{gallery|File:Page from the 'Great encyclopaedia of the Yongle Reign' (Yongle dadian) (CBL C 1751, f.34v).jpg|Chapters 10,110 to 10,112 of the '[[Yongle Encyclopedia|Great encyclopaedia of the Yongle Reign]]'
|File:Illustrations of agriculture (CBL C 1717.1).jpg|''Imperially commissioned illustrations of agriculture and sericulture''. Woodblock print by [[Zhu Gui (printmaker)|Zhu Gui]] after designs by [[Jiao Bingzhen]]. 1696
|File:Paintings of birds and flowers by Hu Feitao (CBL C 1335).jpg|Paintings of birds and flowers by [[Hu Mei (painter)|Hu Mei]]. 18th century
|File:Diamond of perfect wisdom sutra.jpg|'[[Diamond Sutra]]' written in Chinese, engraved and gilded on fifty-three [[folio]]s of [[nephrite]] [[jade]]. 1732
|File:Title page of the 'Song of the jade bowl written by the imperial brush (Yubi yu weng ge)' (CBL C 1001, f.1r).jpg|'Song of the jade bowl written by the imperial brush (Yubi yu weng ge)'. 1745
|File:South façade of the Palace of Harmonious Delights (Xieqiqu nanmian) (CBL C 1608).jpg|'South façade of the Palace of Harmonious Delights (Xieqiqu nanmian)'. After drawing by [[Yi Lantai]]. Between 1781 and 1787
|File:Birds and flowers. Handscroll (CBL C 1185).jpg|[[Handscroll]] of birds and flowers. Circa 1800
|File:Painting of Fish (CBL C 1382).jpg|Paintings of insects and fish. Early 19th century
}}

=== Coptic collection ===
{{gallery|File:Wooden boards for half binding - CBL Cpt 803.jpg|Wooden boards. Egypt, Third century
|File:Papyrus with the fragments of the Book of Joshua (CBL Cpt 2019.8a).jpg|Papyrus with the fragments of the [[Book of Joshua]]. Egypt, 4th century
|File:Page from Coptic manuscript of the 'Pauline Epistles & Gospel of John' (CBL Cpt 813, f.3r).jpg|Coptic manuscript of the '[[Pauline Epistles]] & [[Gospel of John]]'. Egypt, circa 600
}}

=== Egyptian Papyrus collection ===
{{gallery|File:Contendings of Horus and Seth (CBL Pap 1.2).jpg|Manuscript of '[[The Contendings of Horus and Seth|Contendings of Horus and Seth]]'
|File:Judgement of the deceased, Book of the Dead of Lady Neskhons (CBL Pap XXI.4).jpg|[[Book of the Dead]] of Lady Neskhons. Egypt, c. 300 BC
}}

=== Ethiopian collection ===
{{gallery|File:The Resurrection. From an Ethiopian prayer book (CBL W 942, f.2v).jpg|The Resurrection. From an Ethiopian prayer book. 17th or early 18th century
|File:Gospels of Matthew and Mark (CBL W 912, f.1r).jpg|Gospels of Matthew and Mark in [[Geʽez]]. 18th century
|File:Scroll containing magical prayers to protect against evil (CBL W 941).jpg|Scroll containing magical prayers to protect against evil in Geʽez. 19th century.
}}

=== Hebrew collection ===
{{gallery|File:Festival prayer book (Mahzor).jpg|[[Machzor]] written on [[parchment]] in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] in an [[Italy|Italian]] [[Ktav Ashuri|square script]]. [[Italy]], 14th or 15th century
|File:Sefer Torah (CBL Heb 777).jpg|''[[Sefer Torah]]'' on parchment written in Hebrew in a [[Sephardi Jews|Sefardic]] square script in the 18th century.
}}

=== Indian collection ===
{{gallery|File:Portrait of Raisal Darbari. Folio from the Salim Album (CBL In 44.2).jpg|Portrait of [[Raisal of Khandela|Raisal Darbari]]. [[Prayagraj|Allahabad]], circa 1600-1605
|File:Jujhar Singh Bundela Kneels in Submission to Shah Jahan (CBL In 07A.16).jpg|''[[Jhujhar Singh|Jujhar Singh Bundela]] kneels in submission to [[Shah Jahan]]'' by [[Bichitr]], circa 1630
|File:Awrangzib Hunts Nilgais (CBL In 11A.27).jpg|[[Awrangzib]] Hunts Nilgais. Circa 1660
|File:Women on a palace terrace with a panoramic view (CBL In 69.6).jpg|Women on a palace terrace with a panoramic view. [[Faizabad]], 1770
|File:A woman preparing a meal (CBL In 11B.30).jpg|A woman preparing a meal. [[Kangra, Himachal Pradesh|Kangra]], c. 1810
|File:Begum Samru's Household.jpg|''[[Begum Samru]] and her household'' by Muhammad A'zam. Delhi, c. 1820
|File:Iris, painted lacquer album cover.jpg|Iris, painted lacquer album cover. Delhi, c. 1850
}}

=== Indian (non-Mughal) collection ===
{{gallery|File:Perfection of wisdom sutra (CBL InE 1400).jpg|Manuscript of the [[Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra]]. Nepal, 1317
|File:Book of ritual (Kalpa-sūtra) and Story of the monk Kālaka (Kālakācārya-kathā).jpg|Manuscript of the Book of ritual ([[Kalpa Sūtra|Kalpa-sūtra]]) and Story of the monk Kālaka ([[Kālakācārya-kathā]]). [[Gujarat]], 1522
|File:Two and a Half Continents. Jain cosmographical painting (CBL InE 1669).jpg|Two and a Half Continents. [[Jainism|Jain]] cosmographical painting. Western India, late 18th - 19th century
|File:Amulet with Bhagavatapurana (CBL InE 1478, detail).jpg|[[Bhagavata Purana]]. Northern India, late 18th or early 19th century
}}

=== Islamic collection ===
{{gallery|File:Quran folio c. 700-750, possibly Syria or Yemen.jpg|[[Parchment]] [[Qur'an]] manuscript. Possibly [[Syria]] or [[Yemen]], c. 700-750
|File:Syrischer Maler um 900 001.jpg|Folio from the parchment Qur'an manuscript. Syria, c. 900
|File:Folio from the Blue Qur'an (CBL Is 1405A, f. 1b).jpg|Two folios from the [[Blue Quran]]
|File:Illuminated Opening. The Ibn al-Bawwab Qur'an (CBL Is 1431, ff.284b-285a).jpg|The [[Ibn al-Bawwab]] Qur'an. [[Baghdad]], 1000/1001
|File:Double-page from the Mamluk Qur'an (CBL Is 1440).jpg|Qur'an copied by [[Muhammad ibn al-Wahid]]. [[Cairo]], c. 1306-1310
|File:Illuminated double-page of the Juz' 27 of the Mamluk Qur'an (CBL Is 1476, 1v-2r).jpg|[[Juz']] 27 of the Qur'an copied and illuminated by [[Ahmad ibn Kamal ibn Yahya al-Ansari al-Mutatabbib|Ahmad ibn Kamal al-Mutatabbib]]. Cairo, 1332-1336
|File:Double frontispiece of the Ruzbihan Qur'an (CBL Is 1558).jpg|[[Ruzbihan Qur'an]]. [[Shiraz]], c. 1550
}}

=== Japanese collection ===
{{gallery|File:Jizō Bosatsu (CBL J 1214).jpg|[[Jizō Bosatsu]]. [[Hanging scroll]], 15th century
|File:The Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari) (CBL J 1050.2, ff.11b-12a).jpg|[[The Tales of Ise|The Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari)]]. Manuscript from the late 16th century
|File:Minghuang's Dalliance (CBL J 1158.1, ill.5.18).jpg|Pair of [[handscroll]] paintings with scenes from ''[[Chang hen ge (poem)|Nagauta Song]]'' by [[Kanō Sansetsu]], c. 1640s
|File:Scroll 3 from Tale of Ōeyama (Ōeyama emaki) (CBL J 1145.3).jpg|17th century manuscript of the ''[[Shuten-dōji|Ōeyama Emaki]]''.
|File:Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) (CBL J 1038.1).jpg|17th century manuscript of ''[[The Tale of Genji]]''
|File:Dutch mansions in Dejima, Nagasaki (Nagasaki Dejima Rankan no zu) (CBL J 1131).jpg|Dutch mansions in [[Dejima]], [[Nagasaki]] (Nagasaki Dejima Rankan no zu). Handscroll from the 18th century
|File:Eleventh month (Jūichi gatsu) (CBL J 2421).jpg|Eleventh month (Jūichi gatsu). Woodblock print from the series ''Twelve months of the southern quarter'' (Minami jūni ko) by [[Torii Kiyonaga]], c. 1783
|File:Five cranes on a spit of sand. Surimono by Kubo Shunman (CBL J 2284).jpg| Five cranes on a spit of sand. [[Surimono]] by [[Kubo Shunman]], probably 1816
|File:Benkei crab and plum blossom (CBL J 2080).jpg| Benkei crab and plum blossom. Surimono by [[Yashima Gakutei]] with poems signed [[Bunbunsha Kanikomaru|Bunbunsha]], c.1823
|File:Seven-mile beach in Sagami province (Sōshū Shichiri-ga-hama) (CBL J 2745).jpg|Seven-mile beach in Sagami province (Sōshū Shichiri-ga-hama). Woodblock print from the series ''[[Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji]]'' (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) by [[Katsushika Hokusai]], c. 1831
|File:Plum garden at Kameido (Kameido umeyashiki) (CBL J 2693).jpg|[[Plum Park in Kameido]], woodblock print from the series ''[[One Hundred Famous Views of Edo]]'' (Meisho Edo hyakkei) by [[Utagawa Hiroshige]], 1857
}}

=== Papyrus collection ===
{{gallery|File:Official correspondence of the Strategus of Panopolis concerning the preparations for the forthcoming visit of Diocletian (CBL PapPan I.12).jpg|Official correspondence of the [[Strategos]] of [[Panopolis]] concerning the preparations for the forthcoming visit of [[Diocletian]]. Panopolis, 298
}}

=== Persian collection ===
{{gallery|File:Bahram Gur kills a dragon in India. From the Book of Kings (Shahnama) (CBL Per 104.60v).jpg|[[Bahram Gur]] kills a dragon in India. From the "First Small [[Shahnameh|Shahnama]]". Possibly [[Tabriz]], c. 1300
|File:Zal meets king Manuchihr, asking for his mercy (CBL Per 111.4v detail).jpg|[[Zāl|Zal]] meets king [[Manuchehr|Manuchihr]], asking for his mercy. From the "[[Great Mongol Shahnameh]]". Tabriz, c. 1330
|File:The rescue at sea. From Prince Baysunghur's Rose Garden (Gulistan) (CBL Per 119, f.15v).jpg|''The rescue at sea'' by [[Amir Khalil (painter)|Amir Khalil]]. From [[Baysunghur|Prince Baysunghur's]] [[Gulistan (book)|Rose Garden (Gulistan)]]. [[Herat]], 1427
|File:Filigree leather book cover, for the Five Poems (Khamsa) of Amir Khusrau.jpg|Filigree leather book cover, for the ''Five Poems (Khamsa)'' of [[Amir Khusrau]]. Herat, 1485
|File:A party at night, from the Bustan (Orchard) of Sa`di (CBL Per 236).jpg|A party at night. [[Safavid Iran|Safavid]] miniature (possibly by [[Abd al-Samad|Mirza Ali]]) attached to the [[Timurid Empire|Timurid]] copy of ''[[Bustan (book)|Bustan]]''. Tabriz, c. 1540.
|File:Hunting birds. From an album (muraqqa’) for Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (CBL Per 225, f.4r).jpg|Tinted drawing of a hawk attacking a heron in landscape. From an [[muraqqa]] for [[Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah]]. Possibly Iran, c. 1550-1600
|File:The Ka`ba sanctuary in Mecca. From Triumph of the Holy Places (Futuh al-Haramayn) (CBL Per 249).jpg|Manuscript of the ''[[Futuh al-Haramayn]]''. Mecca, late 16th-century
|File:Zal Rescued by the Simurgh.jpg|''Zal Rescued by the [[Simurgh]]'' by [[Sadiqi Beg]]. Miniature from the ''Shahnameh'' commissioned by [[Abbas the Great|Shah Abbas I]]. Probably [[Qazvin]], between 1590 and 1600
|File:Young man in a fur hat, by Reza Abbasi (CBL Per 260.2).jpg|''Young man in a fur hat'' by [[Reza Abbasi]]. [[Isfahan]], between 1600 and 1625
}}

=== Syriac collection ===
{{gallery|File:Ephrem's Commentary on the Diatessaron.jpg|Parchment manuscript of the [[Ephrem the Syrian|Ephrem's]] Commentary on the [[Diatessaron]] and an exchange of letters between [[Severus of Antioch]] and [[Julian of Halicarnassus]]. Egypt, late 5th or early 6th century and 8th or 9th century
}}

=== Thai collection ===
{{gallery|Fragment of the "Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipitaka) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhaguna)" (CBL Thi 1341).jpg|Extracts from the Pali canon ([[Tripiṭaka|Tipitaka]]) and Qualities of the Buddha (Mahabuddhaguna). [[Thailand]], late 18th century
|Fortune-Telling Manual (Phrommachat) (CBL Thi 1302).jpg|Fortune-Telling Manual (Phrommachat) with the twelve animals of the [[Chinese zodiac|Thai zodiac]] and their associated attributes, avatars and plants. Thailand, c. 1845
|Fragment of "Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipitaka) and Story of Phra Malai" (CBL Thi 1312).jpg|Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipitaka) and [[Phra Malai|Story of Phra Malai]]. Thailand, late 19th century
|Fragment of "Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipitaka) and Story of Phra Malai" (CBL Thi 1319).jpg|Extracts from the Pali canon (Tipitaka) and Story of Phra Malai. Thailand, 1897
}}

=== Tibetan collection ===
{{gallery|File:Vajrapani mandala.jpg|[[Vajrapani]] [[Mandala]]. [[Thangka]]. [[Tibet]], 18th or 19th century
}}

=== Turkish collection ===
{{gallery|File:Binding from "The Cream of Histories" (Zubdat al-tawarikh) (CBL T 414).jpg|Binding from "The Cream of Histories" ([[Zubdat al-tawarikh]]). [[Istanbul]], 1585-1590
|File:Description of the Prophet (Hilya al-nabi), by Hafiz Osman (CBL T 559.4).jpg|''Description of the Prophet'' ([[Hilya|Hilya al-nabi]]), by [[Hâfiz Osman]]. Istanbul, 1691/1692
}}

=== Western collection ===
{{gallery|File:Saint Mark the Evangelist (CBL W 139, f.122v).jpg|[[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] [[Gospel Book]], c. 1100
|File:Page from the 'Garden of knowledge (Viridarium)', a medieval encyclopaedia (CBL W 080, f.13r).jpg|'Garden of knowledge (Viridarium)', a medieval encyclopaedia by [[Jean Reynaud (jurist)|Jean Reynaud]]. Probably [[Avignon]], between 1386 and 1425 
|File:Virgin and Child from the Coëtivy Hours (CBL W 082, f.222v).jpg|''Coëtivy Hours'' by [[Dunois Master]]. [[Paris]], 1443-1445
}}

=== Western Miscellaneous collection ===
{{gallery|File:Triptych with Virgin and Child and St Nicholas (CBL WX 23).jpg|Triptych with Virgin and Child and St Nicholas. [[Russia]], {{Circa|1800}}
|File:St John the Forerunner (CBL WX 40).jpg|[[John the Baptist|St John the Forerunner]]. Russia, 19th century
}}

=== Western Prints and Drawings collection ===
{{gallery|File:Popish Plot Playing Cards (CBL Wep 4182).jpg|[[Popish Plot]] Playing Cards, after [[Francis Barlow (artist)|Francis Barlow]]. [[England]], c. 1679
|File:Dressing gown (Saut de lit) (CBL WEp 0958).jpg|Dressing gown (Saut de lit). [[Fashion plate]] after [[Gerda Wegener]]. Paris, [[Journal des dames et des modes|Journal des Dames et des Modes]], 20 July 1914 (no. 78)
}}

=== Others ===
{{gallery|File:Francisco Alvares 'The Prester John of the India' (Ho Preste Joam das Indias) (CBL Rare Books AA602, Title Page).jpg|First edition of 'The Prester John of the India' (Ho Preste Joam das Indias) by [[Francisco Álvares]]. [[Lisbon]], 1540
|File:Embroidered Binding (CBL BB665, Binding, Front).jpg|Embroidered Binding. Possibly an Italian 18th-century binding of white silk [[Damask]]. The ''[[Book of Common Prayer]]'' and administration of the sacraments
|File:Bokbinding by Charles Meunier - CBL inv AB 454.jpg|[[Art Nouveau]] binding by [[Charles Meunier (bookbinder)|Charles Meunier]]. Paris, 1897
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
*{{Official website|https://chesterbeatty.ie/ }}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY6n4ICzJPk    ''Meeting at the Chester Beatty'', read by Catherine Ann Cullen]
*[https://artsandculture.google.com/u/0/partner/chester-beatty-library?hl=en%3F%3F Chester Beatty Library] within [[Google Arts & Culture]]

{{Museums and Galleries in Ireland}}
{{National Cultural Institutions of Ireland}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Archives in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Libraries in Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Decorative arts museums in Ireland]]
[[Category:Literary museums in Ireland]]
[[Category:Museums in Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Asian art museums]]
[[Category:Libraries established in 1953]]
[[Category:Library buildings completed in 2000]]
[[Category:1953 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Manuscripts in the Chester Beatty Library|*]]
[[Category:21st-century architecture in the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:Art museums and galleries in Dublin (city)]]