THE FILIGREE ILLUMINATION springs from the initial in the narrow margin, and from a centre ornament (see “knot,” fig. [127]) in the wide side margin. The side margins are treated similarly on either page (see p. [213]); the inner margins are generally plain. This repetition gives to the pages a certain sameness—which is a characteristic rather than a fault of the treatment.
The border on the recto of the vellum leaf shows through on the verso or back of the leaf. The main lines of the first border, however, are freely traced and [p429] followed on the verso (and so nearly hidden) by the second border. This is also suggestive of the more rapid methods of book production in the 15th century.
| COLOURS— | |
|---|---|
| Stems, tendrils, &c.: | black. |
| Leaves ivy-shaped lanceolate: | burnished gold, outlined black (p.[187]). plain. furred. |
| Flowers, buds, centre ornaments, &c.: (See p.[182].) | blue, “lake,” orgreen tempered with white, and shadedwith pure colour; white markings; the forms not outlined. |
This type of illumination is discussed in pp. [197]–[202]. Its chief points are its simplicity and rapidity. A penman or a novice in illuminating can, by taking a little pains, beautify his MSS. easily and quickly; and he may perhaps pass on from this to “higher” types of illumination.
[PLATE XVIII.]—Italian Fifteenth-century Writing and Illumination. (Perotti’s translation of Polybius). Ex libris H. Yates-Thompson.
THE VOLUME consists of 174 leaves (1318 inches by 9 inches); 35 lines to the page. The plate shows a portion of the upper part of the Initial (recto) page.
THE WRITING.—The Capitals are simple-written, slanted-pen “Roman”—slightly ornamental—forms. They are freely copied on a large scale in fig. [168]: see p. [297]. The Small-letters match the Capitals—they are “Roman” forms with a slight “Gothic” tendency. Both these and the Capitals would make very good models for free Roman hands.
THE INITIAL is a “Roman” A in burnished gold. Note the exceedingly graceful shaping of the limbs, the ornamental, V-shaped cross-bar, and the absence of serifs (see fig. [116]). [p430]
The “White Vine Pattern” (see p. [202]), most delicately and beautifully drawn, interlaces with the letter and itself, and covers the BACKGROUND very evenly. The interstices of the background are painted in blue, red, and green, and its edge is adapted to the slightly projecting flowers and leaves. There are groups (
