In a specially-prepared space upstairs at Laing Art Gallery, The Lindisfarne Gospels - classed as one of the world's greatest treasures - awaits the arrival of tens of thousands of visitors.
The famous ancient book is now on display in Newcastle for the first time in 22 years, forming the heart of a three-room exhibition which opens this weekend. It's here on loan from the British Library and the logistics of bringing the ancient illustrated manuscript north - back to the region it was created - were hugely complex, with talks about the possibility starting before Brexit and work ongoing over the past two years.
Having arrived under high security at the Laing - with its transportation; exact time of Monday's arrival and unpacking procedure kept secret even from gallery staff - it is housed in a glass case, where it has been opened to view at pages introducing the Gospel of St John, and is set to attract hordes of visitors who have been snapping up tickets for the exhibition's 11-week run which starts on Saturday.
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Following the death of the Queen, the gallery had considered its options before deciding to continue as normal with its opening weekend. In fact the exhibition seems particularly relevant now, bringing with it a sense of calm and quiet and including an Inner Sanctum space for contemplation.
This is the name given to the second of the exhibition's three linked rooms for visitors to explore in the Laing's first floor gallery, which add up to an immersive experience. Turner Prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller acted as artistic advisor on a journey which begins, in the first room, with dramatic digital projections covering walls on both sides.
These swirling scenes, accompanied by a voiceover, tell the journey of The Lindisfarne Gospels. Viewers can watch the vibrant designs switch to the fiery aftermath of marauding Vikings, who triggered the Gospels move from Holy Island where they were created by Eadfrith, the monk who became Bishop of the island, in 698. Then come pictures of swelling seas as the monks fled with the precious manuscripts, considered the most spectacular surviving example from Anglo-Saxon England.
The Lindisfarne Gospels itself lies in the Inner Sanctum, where visitors can also examine other early medieval illustrated works and objects of devotion - from beautiful little pieces of jewellery to carved stone crosses - which set it in context at a time that was moving from Paganism to Christianity. Among the exhibits is St Cuthbert Gospel - another loan from the British Library - which is said to be the oldest intact European book.
Visitors are invited to spend time in contemplation and in the third gallery they will find artworks, from Old Master paintings to contemporary photographs, all looking at how art and spirituality had developed since the Gospels. It's the book itself however that everybody will want to focus upon and the chosen pages on display show off the great skill and craftsmanship involved, with close examination revealing tiny birds and intricate designs invisible from a distance. Then, in Latin, come the words introducing St John's Gospel with the words 'In the beginning'.
The illustratons also show influences from northern Europe and Mediterranean. Talking of the book's significance to the region, Keith Merrin, director of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, said: "This was a point in time when the North East was central to what was going on in the 7th Century world."
He added: "The people of the North East seem to identify very strongly with The Gospels. They are a work of amazing craftsmanship." The book has been on show at Laing Art Gallery twice before, in 1996 then in 2000.
More recently, in 2013, it was on display at Durham University when it was seen by almost 100,000 visitors. With the Laing successful in its bid to host it a third time, this is a chance to reassess and explore what the 1,300-year-old work means today and to think about what is important to us personally, suggests Julie Milne, TWAM's chief curator of art galleries. "It shows the power of cultural objects, how they make us think about the past and our connection to it and what this can tell us about our lives now," she said.
Regardless of the age-old argument of those who think the Gospels should be returned 'home' to the North East, it's the British Library that has the legal requirement to care for and protect what is a priceless treasures.
Claire Breay, head of ancient, medieval and early modern manuscripts at the British Library, who came to oversee its display, points out is it is remarkably preserved. That focus on care is balanced with the need to offer people an opportunity to see the Gospels, including different illustrated pages from it.
She explained that rules dictate the Gospels can be loaned for up to three months no more than once every seven years and of its six total displays, five have been in the North East. At other times the book goes on show in the British Library but again there are strict guidelines to follow in order to best preserve the pages.
That means there are decisions to make on which pages to display so that those of greater interest - the colourful, illustrated ones - take turns: being shown not more than once in five years for instance. In between come lengthy periods in storage so as to rest its spine and bindings.
The Lindisfarne Gospels will be on show at Laing Art Gallery from September 17 until December 3. To book tickets see here.
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