How were illuminated manuscripts decorated?
The illuminator, who was a specialist distinct from the scribe, had a repertoire of visual motifs which he or she employed to decorate the manuscript according to the nature of the text and the expense of the commission. Letters which began new chapters or important passages in the book could be decorated or historiated. Decorated letters were embellished with geometric, foliate ,and zoomorphic designs, or with mixed elements of all three. Historiated initials, deriving their name from the French “ystoire”, served as frames which enclosed small figural or narrative scenes. To further enliven the text, the margins of the page were often adorned with decorated borders. Their decoration varied from small line drawings of a whimsical character, known as “drolleries,” to elaborately painted floral patterns filling the entire border. In some instances, small scenes were incorporated into the border in the form of medallions called roundels or rectangular panels in the lower margin known by t
