Paleography

The science to determine the used writing style and other details of the writing is called paleography. It requires extensive studies to be able to correctly characterize the written information. The information listed here can be regarded as a very rough interpretation and it needs much refinement before it can be regarded as correct.

The Gradual page.

This page contains two different writing styles. One for the original text and one for the revised text. The original is text written in some form of "Angular Gothic".

The new text written in a late 16th-century humanistic hand

The staves are drawn in red paint. There is no difference between the lines so it is assumed the notation always has been on five staves

The main text is written in black ink. The large non illuminated initials are also in black.

The illuminated initials are in red and blue ink. The illumination is done in a style called flourishing, often seen in Italian documents

The flourishing around the large initial A is done in red ink.

The very faint penwork flourishing around the red initial S on the verso was even in its day a light purple color. This purple is quite susceptible to fading as is clearly visible
 
 
 
 

The Antiphonal page.

The text is written in "Angular Gothic". There are small faces drawn inside the letters 'a' and 'ct'. The purpose of these faces is unkown. There is no visible difference between the ink used for the faces and the ink used for the letters so it is assumed the faces are drawn together with the text. Next to these small faces the letters S is illuminated with small curly lines.

Some of the text is smudged like it has been wet.

The letters are in black, red and blue ink. The five staves are drawn in red paint. The words are linked by a red line.

Large illuminated initials

Last update : 04 Feb 2008