‘Miniature’ is another term for the illuminated illustrations in fine manuscript books which are not connected to other parts of the book’s decorative design (such as the border or initials). 135rīar border to three sides, from prayer book, WLC/LM/11, f. In fine and expensive books, borders would appear on every page, but in less splendid books they may appear only on the first page of the volume or to introduce each new text.įlourish work border at the top left corner of the page, detail from William of Waddington, 'Le Manuel des péchés', WLC/LM/4, f. Three-sided borders are common in English manuscripts from the late thirteenth century onwards. From the early thirteenth century they became more fluid and we first find the growth of a vine-like extensions developing from the corner or tail of an initial and working their way down the page. In the early medieval period they were rigid frames which controlled the text space. Borders may be ‘full’ or partial and may appear in the left, right, upper and lower margins, and also between two columns of text on the page. They could be made using pigment and gold or drawn in simple pen-work (usually using red or blue ink). 393v, part of the service for All SaintsĮven more than other types of manuscript decoration, initials had a function beyond the decorative: they would draw the eye to the beginning of texts, or important sections or sub-divisions of text.īorders were used in manuscripts to frame the text and lend coherence to the page. Historiated initial 'S' from the Wollaton Antiphonal, MS 250, f. Heraldic devices, such as coats of arms pertaining to the commissioner or owner of the book, could also be used within initials, or as part of the general decorative scheme. Historiated initials contain a narrative scene or a number of identifiable figures, sometimes drawn from the text. Inhabited initials contain heads or faces (animal or human) or grotesques (a bizarre, distorted or hybrid creature), or full representations of unknown people, animals or plants. However initials could be more splendid still. There is considerable variety in the detail within these examples and in the degree to which they are associated with marginal flourishes.ĭetail from 'L'Estoire del Saint Graal', WLC/LM/7, f. These kind of decorated initials are called 'lombards', and were commonly used in late medieval (post-1200) manuscripts. The book is decorated with large pen-flourished initials to signal text divisions. The initials are eight lines in height, with party-coloured bars in red and blue. The example below is from an early thirteenth-century French book. In the example below, the capital 'L' on the left has been decorated with the design of a human face.ĭetail from the Wollaton Antiphonal, MS 250, f. It could be elaborated with pen-work flourishes, usually in red or blue ink. Sometimes an initial would be made just a little larger than other letters, perhaps two-lines, rather than one, in height. Sometimes this was done at a very basic level through rubrication – picking out initials in red ink. One of the simplest ways to decorate a manuscript book was to incorporate a design into the presentation of initials. Applying gold leaf was a delicate and highly skilled process. If a design included gold leaf, this had to be applied before coloured pigments or inks. Other semi-precious stones were sometimes used in the decorating of fine illuminated manuscripts, including lapis lazuli, which was ground to make ultramarine. A range of coloured paints (white and different shades of blue, red, green and yellow) made from naturally available pigments were available. Illuminations are illustrations which are made using gold or silver leaf or powder to reflect light and add a luminous, bejewelled quality to the design. The use of initials, illustrations and borders could announce text divisions, or indicate important sections of a work, or could be designed to help the reader engage with the contents of text.Īn illuminated manuscript is the most expensive and ornate type of decorated manuscript. However, decoration was also intended to aid literacy by offering visual as well as textual contents, to help the reader find his or her way around the book, or to aid the interpretation of a text. It might also function as a statement of the importance of the person or institution that had commissioned or owned the book. It was used to enhance the appearance of the book, and its value. When manuscripts were decorated to any degree the process and scheme of this decoration was usually planned before the text was copied.ĭecoration in medieval manuscripts performed a number of functions. Most manuscripts either show simple decorative schemes or are plain and unadorned.
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