The De- The first step in this development is the mastery

velopmentof of the pen-made Versal letter, and the right treat-

Illumination ment of simple coloured capitals (see chapters VII,
VIII, and X). The next step is their elaboration.
The simplest ornamental treatment is found in the
flourishing of a terminal of the initial letter (fig. 150),
or the arrangement of the remaining letters of the
word inside or beside it. Pen flourishes may consist
of the simplest curved and zigzag strokes (sometimes
springing from the actual letter: see p. 217), ending
with a “twirl” of the pen in a loop or a “bud”

(figs. 150, 79); or they may strike out a sort of

formal floral pattern, filling or surrounding the ini¬
tial (fig. 92), and such a pattern in its turn may
spring from the letter into the margin, and grow into
a complete “illuminated border” (see p. 165).

Hollow Letters.—A large capital is often made
hollow, primarily with a view to lightening its ap¬
pearance, which might be rather heavy if the letter
were made solid (p. 85). The hollow—which is
commonly left plain {i.e. the colour of the paper or
parchment)—may be a mere line, straight or curved
or zigzag (fig. 189), or a pattern, or lettering (fig.
89). Sometimes it is made large and filled in with a
contrasting colour, leaving a white line, however,
between the two colours. And sometimes half the
letter is made in one colour, and the other half (on
the opposite side of the hollow centre) is made in a
contrasting colour. A “hollow” letter (especially
if very large) may be strengthened and improved by
a filling of colour or ornament. (Addenda, p. xxiii.)

“Woven" Forms.—A simple form of ornament
(related to “Basket work”) which effectually
strengthens the construction of a hollow letter—
without impairing its lightness—consists in a crossing

174

Woven

lioUow

' threi limbs’of 6. The intaspaxes
wiih. ntd, anatri&Mu£
vidi whUc S

and “weaving” or knotting of its actual parts The De-
(fig. 127). Plate XII gives a very fine example. velopmentot

Illumination

-

inwoven ornamenti all
in burnished. ovld with reb
outline and bands across the

Fig. 1*7.

The elaborated (in fig. 127) is from a 10th
or nth century MS- (Brit. Museum, Egerton,
608). The Initial and its inwoven ornament cut
up the background into a number of distinct parts
(distinctly coloured). Note also that the entire
background is contained by the Initial.

The “knot” (fig. 127), or a basket-work orna¬
ment, is sometimes used as an arbitrary starting-
point for a filigree border (see p. 414) where an
initial is lacking.

Variety in Initials.—The sizes and styles of the
initials which are used for the same purpose through¬
out the book vary very slightly or not at all. Gene¬
rally, the more important the division which the

*75