Cutting from an Antiphonary: Initial A[spiciens a longe]: The Tree of Jesse
Unknown Artist
c. 1115–1125
![Cutting from an Antiphonary: Initial A[spiciens a longe]: The Tree of Jesse by Unknown Artist](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.artheonmuseum.org%2Fcleveland%2Fthumb%2Fcutting-from-an-antiphonary-initial-a-spiciens-a-longe-cleveland-126808.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Medium
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum
Dimensions
18 × 16 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession Number
1949.202
About this artwork
This complex initial "A" is formed of meandering plant tendrils, neatly and symmetrically placed at the center of a succession of square frames to which the letter is securely attached above and below. The whole forms a Tree of Jesse showing Christ's ancestors beginning with King David (bottom). The text would have begun, "Long have I been watching...." These are the words of Isaiah, who foresaw the coming of Christ. Isaiah's prophecies are the basis for the representations of the Tree of Jesse,...