There are a wealth of wonderful medieval manuscripts, and, thankfully, increasing digital access to them. I’ll find one that especially attracts me from time to time and post it here. Sometimes they’ll be funny, sometimes thought provoking, sometimes just beautiful. I hope you enjoy the series.
Here is my first. This ‘inhabited Q’ was created in Italy in 1153, using tempera colours, gold leaf, gold paint, and ink on parchment. The full page measures just 19.2 x 13.2 cm (7 9/16 x 5 3/16 in), photo courtesy of The J. Paul Getty Museum.
The Q is filled with vines, with birds, animals, birds and a couple of men cavorting among the branches. I love the tail of the Q, formed by a peacock whose head is caught by the vines – really skilled work by an early 12th century illuminator.
You can read more about it here.