Historiated Initial (P) Excised from a Choral Book: St. Michael and the Dragon
Unknown Artist
early 1200s
Medium
ink and tempera on parchment
Dimensions
16 × 10 cm
Classification
Manuscript
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift from J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1924.1009
About this artwork
The Archangel Michael was traditionally held to be the protector of souls. His intercessionary and protective role is connoted by his combat with and subjugation of the dragon as related in the Apocalypse of St. John the Evangelist. The present initial F is a type known as an "inhabited" initial. Here, the initial serves as a frame providing a display area for figural representation within.