Titles, introduction, notes, bibliography & illustration lists to front. In Illuminated Manuscripts of every period, on page after page of flowing text, a special place of honor was reserved for the Decorated Letter or Initial. In this space the artist would insert a veritable jewel, and the text page would spring to life with vibrant reds, radiant blues, delicate shades of green and yellow, and almost always, precious metals such as gold. There were roselike motifs inspired by Byzantine floral ornamentation, while animals of every sort played an important part in the adornment of Romanesque initials. The Decorated Letter is filled with pages of the most beautiful, often humorous, and always imaginative initials, drawn from the widest range of manuscripts.