Early Medieval Art in the West - Miscellaneous

Illuminated manuscripts

Hand-written books with painted decoration that generally includes precious metals such as gold or silver

Codex

A book, or group of manuscript pages, held together by stitching or other binding on one side.

Parchment

A writing surface made from treaded skins of animals

Carpet page

The great full-page initial letters in Gospel books of the British Isles, besides articulating the text, serve as images, almost as icons, of the Word of God.

Cloisonné

The technique of creating designs on metal vessels with colored-glass paste placed within enclosures made of copper or bronze wires, which have been bent or hammered into the desired pattern

Interlace

A type of linear decoration in which ribbonlike bands are illusionistically depicted as if woven under and over one another

Staffordshire Hoard

The largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, anywhere in the world

Decorated initial

The letter that began each section of a manuscript text. It functioned as both a form of basic punctuation and as a visual representation of God.

Inhabited initial

Letters at the beginning of passages or paragraphs that contain a picture, usually a human or animal figure that serves a purely decorative purpose

Four evangelists

Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John

Monasteries

A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows.

Scriptorium

A room in a monastery housing a workshop for writing or copying manuscripts

Chi rho

A monogram of ___ (Χ) and ___ (Ρ) as the first two letters of Greek Khristos Christ, used as a Christian symbol.

Charlemagne

Charles the Great was called this

Aachen

In the late 8th century during the rule of Charlemagne, becoming his favourite residence and a centre of Western culture and learning

Holy Roman Empire

Ruled over much of western and central Europe from the 9th century to the 19th century. It envisioned itself as a dominion for Christendom continuing in the tradition of the ancient Roman Empire and was characterized by strong papal authority.

Otto I (the Great)

Gained control of Italy in 951, and the pope crowned him emperor in 962

Westwork

The monumental, west-facing entrance block of a Carolingian, Ottonian, or Romanesque church. The exterior

Gold Leaf

Paper-thin sheets of hammered gold that are used in gilding

Gospels

The teaching or revelation of Christ.