Description
Not all books of hours were decorated with conventional historiated initials or full-page miniatures containing figural scenes. The illuminator of this leaf incorporated a more subtle decorative scheme consisting of a large, flower-filled initial D for Deus that gives a focus to the page. A rectangular bar border with ivy leaf sprays punctuated with flowers in the corners flows from this initial. The layout is neat, yet elegant. The palette of orange-reds and pale blues is typically English.
Provenance
[Graton and Graton, Evanston, Ill.]
Accession Number
2006.10
Medium
ink, tempera and gold on vellum
Dimensions
Each leaf: 15.2 x 11.4 cm (6 x 4 1/2 in.)
Classification
Manuscript
Credit Line
The Jeanne Miles Blackburn Collection