The Peterborough Psalter

Gold tooling

Artists' Techniques

Lines and dots were incised in the highly burnished gold background of many illuminations, from the full-page Crucifixion to the small Calendar initials. In the Crucifixion, the tooling accentuates the form of the cross and embellishes the halos of the richly painted figures. The embossing visible on the surface is, however, an unintended consequence of applying punched motifs to the burnished gold Beatus initial on the reverse of the leaf.

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Detail of the tooled gold leaf under magnification (20x). Incised lines and dots can be observed, as well as scratches, possibly from burnishing. Small losses in the gold leaf reveal the red bole underneath.
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The soldier’s pink helmet was painted with an insect-derived organic dye and gypsum, as suggested by the characteristic features which can be observed in the FORS spectrum (above): absorption bands at c. 555, 1446, 1488, 1940 and 1972 nm. This finding is confirmed by XRF (below), as peaks for potassium and aluminium (K and Al, from the alum used in the manufacture of the lake pigment), phosphorous (P, probably related to the insect origin of the dyestuff) as well as calcium and sulphur (Ca and S, from gypsum) can be observed.
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Detail of David’s draperies under magnification (20x). Thick brushstrokes of red lead provide orange highlights over an organic pink base. An organic yellow glaze is painted over a white chalk base. Carbon black outlines and lead white highlights are applied last.

Historiated initial D with David slaying Goliath (Psalm 52)

Pink tones in this folio are opaque and consist of a mixture of an organic red dye and gypsum (hotspot 2). Various red dyes were available in England at this time, such as Brazilwood, madder and kermes. A variety of red and pink hues can be obtained by controlling the amount of alum added to these dyes.

The modelling of draperies is particularly dynamic in this folio. David’s mantle is modelled over a pink base layer that contains an insect-derived dye, with red lead highlights. The inner part of the mantle is painted with ultramarine blue. The tunic is modelled with a yellow glaze over a white base layer of chalk (hotspot 3). White lead highlights and thick black outlines further define the folds.

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