Published: 2023-06-30

Graphic Motifs in the Initials of Documents of the Bishops of Wrocław in the Middle Ages

Iwona Pietrzyk
Studia Teologiczno-Historyczne Śląska Opolskiego
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.25167/sth.4870

Abstract

Among the graphic motifs used to decorate initials on medieval documents of Wrocław bishops, several dominant tendencies can be distinguished, such as decorations
with animal motifs – fish, floral motifs – oak and grapevines, as well as in the form of geometric patterns. A relatively common practice was to combine geometric elements
with plant or animal, which resulted in the creation of specific ornamental hybrids. Moreover, the initials were decorated by filling the initial with the ink, which the entire document was written, increasing the initial with respect to the entire text, and drawing only the outline of the letter with the probable intention of filling it in later. The analyzed documents were also familiar with leaving empty spaces in places where initials should appear.

Keywords:

initials, graphic motifs, documents of Bishops of Wrocław, paleography, Middl

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Citation rules

Pietrzyk, I. (2023). Graphic Motifs in the Initials of Documents of the Bishops of Wrocław in the Middle Ages. Studia Teologiczno-Historyczne Śląska Opolskiego, 43(1), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.25167/sth.4870

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