Tooling and decoration of the gold leaf
Artists' Techniques
The burnished gold leaf, applied over a chalk ground, was incised with lines and dots. Additionally, on fol. 2v, spirals were painted over the gold with an arsenic sulphide yellow pigment, possibly orpiment. On fol. 3r the spirals were created with shell gold instead and the surface was further embellished with a pattern of azurite blue fleurs-de-lis.
.jpg)
Historiated initial D with Christ enthroned and Joan Clifford kneeling in prayer (Hours of the Trinity)
The burnished gold background is patterned with rosettes formed of clusters of small punched dots. The folds of Christ’s light blue cloak are subtly shaded to create the illusion of three dimensions (hotspot 1), unlike the dark blue and orange draperies which are painted in a uniform hue, creating a ‘flat’ effect.
The patron Joan Clifford, kneeling near Christ, wears a ceremonial dress emblazoned with her heraldic arms (hotspot 2). The arms are also represented in the border. Silver is present in the arms and in her robe, where it has tarnished, showing a darkened appearance and frequent losses.
The light brown hues of the animals and figures in the margins were obtained with mosaic gold, as is the case of the wounded deer (hotspot 3), and with an organic brown, in the case of the bird perched on a vine (hotspot 4).