European art from the Middle Ages takes many forms, from metalwork to illustrated books, to architecture and sculpture. Medieval artisans designed richly decorated jewelry, book covers, and church decorations. Books, some of the most important objects of the medieval world, were meticulously written and illustrated using precious inks and animals skins. While much of the earliest medieval architecture was made of wood and no longer exists, later Romanesque and Gothic buildings are some of the most beautiful and renowned examples of architecture in all of art history.