Manuscript Cutting: Illuminated Initial ‘A’ from a Choir Book

Unknown Artist
Illuminated Initial ‘A’ from a Choir Book
Spain, 16th Century
Ink on parchment
Victoria and Albert Museum (No. 8915)

This initial ‘A’ is from a sixteenth-century Spanish choir book and features two jesters with the feet of swine, set against a backdrop of ornate foliage. The jesters add an unexpected sense of humour to the religious context of the choir book. This would appeal to a Victorian collector as this cutting shows how visual devotion could also be playful. The jesters’ strange appearance adds a fun element to the manuscript, making it both a devotional medieval piece and a Victorian conversation starter.