Two leaves from a Psalter, early 13th century
Psalters contained the Book of Psalms from the Bible and were often embellished with detailed illustrations. They were popular during the Middle Ages.
This illuminated manuscript is on parchment and features a lion and griffin in the initials. It is written in Latin and is from the early 13th century, France, likely before 1230. Each leaf contains a single column of 18 lines in an angular early Gothic bookhand. Large, one-line initials are featured in gold on blue or pink backgrounds. Large, two-line initials are featured in orange-red or blue on a burnished gold background. Each leaf contains one initial enclosing an exquisitely painted lion or a blue-winged griffon who looks back over his shoulder at the text.
This item has been digitized and is available in the Digital Repository.
