One of Lichfield Cathedral’s finest treasures is heading to the British Museum.
The St Chad Gospels book will be on loan for a new major exhibition – Celts: art and identity.
The historic text is believed to have been created in the 8th century to adorn the shrine of St Chad, who died in Lichfield in 672.
Lichfield Cathedral’s commercial director Jason Dyer said: “To have the St Chad Gospels on display in the British Museum is testament to how important this historical document is.
“The Gospels are one of the Cathedral’s greatest treasures, and along with the Lichfield Angel, is a reason why many of the 200,000 people who come to the Cathedral every year choose to visit us.
“This exhibition will help highlight the importance of Lichfield and Lichfield Cathedral in the cultural and spiritual evolution of the British Isles”
The British Museum exhibition will run from September 24 January 31 and will also feature a circular bronze shield boss which was dredged from the River Thames near Wandsworth, a Romano-British bronze and enamel pan with the names of forts along Hadrian’s Wall, and a pewter tea set designed by Manx jeweller Archibald Knox.