"May They Associate": Decoding an Illuminated Book Designed for King James VI in Paris by Agents of Mary, Queen of Scots

The article presents the first full study of a significant illuminated book prepared as a gift for King James VI around 1581–82. The article uses analysis of the book's complex emblems and texts to argue that its decoration was designed and commissioned by agents of his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, in Paris. Examination of its illuminated title page reveals the Scotsman John Gordon's role in adapting Mary's most famous emblem into a new design that promoted her plan for joint rule, or "Association", with her son. The artistic and financial investment in this deluxe book shows that the teenage King James VI was expected to be capable of skilled engagement with visual media in an international courtly context.