illuminated text
Decorated medieval page
Illuminated text refers to manuscripts or documents decorated with elaborate ornamentation—gold leaf, intricate borders, and colorful illustrations.
Medieval scribes illuminated religious texts, with the "illumination" referring to the brightness of gold and vivid pigments that seemed to glow on the page.
The term now applies to any text enhanced with decorative visual elements: The museum displayed illuminated texts from the 12th century.
- gold leafUltra-thin decorative metal
- vellumPrepared calfskin for writing
- parchmentTreated hide for manuscripts
- animal skinBeast's outer covering
- scriptoriumMonastery manuscript workshop
manuscript · miniature painting · folio · Celtic knotwork · burnishing · religious scripture · quire · codex · uncial script · lapis lazuli · Book of Kells · book of hours · prayer book · drop cap · initial letter · Islamic calligraphy · gilded · rubric
- medieval itemssword, mace, flail, dagger, crossbow
- book collectingbibliophiles, first editions, rare books, first edition, antiquarian
- Islamic antiquesastrolabe, prayer rug, illuminated manuscript, geometric patterns, arabesque
- medieval romancechivalric romance, courtly love, Arthurian legends, Arthurian legend, knightly quests
- rare booksGutenberg Bible, first edition, rare editions, rare books, first editions
- medieval textsmanuscripts, Gutenberg Bible, breviary, codices, missals
illuminated textdigital text
Computerized written content
e-book · mimeograph · printed page · newsprint · paperback