AIA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ILLUMINATION PROJECT LESSON PLANS Art of Illumination: Glossary Patricia Benivoglio, Suzanne Hertzberg and Sue Sullivan THE ARCHER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Learn and use these key terms in discussing illuminated manuscripts, both the medieval manuscripts you observe and your own and your peers’ manuscripts. atelier: (secular) workshop where illuminated manuscripts historiated initial: initial containing an identifiable scene were produced or figures, sometimes relating to the text border: decorative pattern around the perimeter (or part inhabited initial: initial that contains human or animal of the perimeter) of an illumination figures but not a narrative scene

Book of Hours: medieval prayer-book manuscript: a book written by hand

miniature: (from the Latin “miniare,” to color with red, as chrysography: (from the Greek chrysographia, “writing in books were originally adorned in red) an independent gold”) gold (or silver) mixed with glue and used for illu- illustration that is not part of a border or initial minated writing parchment: writing surface made from sheep or goat skin drollery: an amusing figure (“vellum” is the term used for a writing surface made from calf skin) foliated: decorated with leaves or vines provenance: the history of a book (or work of art) fully painted: an illumination entirely in color rather than wholly or partly in line or outline script: the handwriting used in manuscripts illumination: (from the Latin illuminare, to enlighten or bilinear script: script confined between two horizontal illuminate) embellishment of a manuscript with luminous lines (uppercase) colors quadrilinear script: script that extends between four hori- zontal lines (lowercase) initial: an enlarged and decorated letter introducing an important section of a text; anthropomorphic initial: initial scriptorium: room in a monastery devoted to producing composed wholly or partly of human figures manuscripts decorated initial: an initial embellished with non-figural zoomorphic: in the shape of an animal, real or imaginary designs

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