gold leaf; iron-containing ground

Ingredients

gold, iron

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Gold leaf adhered to a thinly applied, iron-containing ground. Tooled with circular motif punches (p. 98).

Evidence

"gold leaf was adhered to a thinly applied, iron-containing ground and then decorated with small circles impressed with a simple motif punch ... small circle motif punch used in these books was found to correspond precisely in dimension to the circular punch used for the granulation of background fields in contemporary metalwork"

Remarks

References the Ratmann Sacramentary and Stammheim Missal (97.MG.21). Significant for showing early use of motif punches in manuscript illumination (mid-12th century), pre-dating their common use in panel painting (p. 98). The tool dimensions match contemporary metalwork (p. 98, note 159).