Medieval manuscripts are often described as “illuminated”, meaning embellished with gold and silver, and also luminous colours. These illuminations are found in the initial letters of words, borders and pictures.

As well as being decorative and a pleasure to look at, initials and borders help the reader to find the way through a book of tightly written text with no page numbers or punctuation. They play the role of headings and punctuation by marking the start of a new section, and indicating paragraphs, verses, or corrections.

Initials and borders vary in size and ornateness within a manuscript. This hierarchy indicates the importance of the text on this page, in comparison with another part of the same manuscript.

This manuscript is the oldest in the exhibition, dating from between 1150 and 1200. It is part of Saint Gregory’s commentary on the book of Job in the Bible.

The only ornament on this spread is the ornate red and blue penwork initial “Q” filled with arabesques and further penwork patterns and shaded with colour. It is the first letter of Book 34 and draws the reader’s eye to the place on the page. The red lettering (rubrication) indicates the end of Book 33 and the beginning of Book 34. Further decoration is added by the red and blue alternating capital letters of the first line.

In the centrefold can be seen pinprick holes. These were used as a guide for drawing the vertical and horizontal lines, which formed the framework for the scribe to write in. The lines remain as part of the decoration of the manuscript.

Pope Gregory I. Moralia in Job (Commentary on Job). Latin. England, 1150-1200. Med.Ms G132.

The simple bar border in gold and blue erupts into trails of ivy leaves and a winged dragon. Another monster lurks among the ivy leaves, tracery and burnished gold of the initial “E”. 

Red and blue paragraph marks, penwork initials and running titles at the top of each page and the red of the rubrication all combine to illuminate these pages.

Astesano. Summa de casibus conscientiae (Cases of conscience). Latin. Flanders, 1300-1350. Med.Ms S5158.