Treasured

About the exhibition

What makes a treasure? Is it age, rarity, beauty – or something else?

Treasured invites you to explore the meaning of value itself through some of the world’s most remarkable books and manuscripts, several of which were acquired with the help of the Friends of the Bodleian which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025.

This exhibition showcases some of the renowned items from Bodleian collections – the Romance of Alexander, the Gutenberg Bible, manuscripts of Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien – alongside objects from around the world. It shines a light on the human stories behind the books and manuscripts which have shaped our intellectual heritage, and the hearts and minds of those who cherish them.

Come and see for yourself and find out what you treasure most!

 Curators

  • Andrew Dunning, R.W. Hunt Curator of Medieval Manuscripts
  • Lydia Heeley, Bern and Ronny Schwartz Curator of Photography
  • Nicholas Kontovas, Nizami Ganjavi Curator for the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Türkiye
  • Peter Toth, Cornelia Starks Curator of Greek Collections
  • Boya Zhang, K.B. Chen China Centre Library

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