A large and highly decorated historiated initial ‘S’, (c. 160 x 168 mm) cutting from an Antiphonary or Chorale, ink on parchment.
 
The initial is completed in pink on gold grounds. The arms of the letter depicts two serpent creatures, with four flowers atop the gold, bordering the letter.
 
Inside the ‘S’ is a scene from Saint Peter’s call to Martyrdom in Rome as told in New Testament Apocrypha and the Golden Legend. Saint Peter is fleeing Rome from persecution and meets Christ in a vision. In shock, Peter asks Christ ‘Domine Quo Vadis?’ (Lord, where are you going?). Christ responds, ‘Va Do Roma’ (I am going to Rome), to be crucified a second time. Christ is shown in this miniature with the Cross pressed against his shoulders, bearing the Holy Wounds, speaking with Peter. Christ’s gives Saint Peter the courage to return to Rome, where he is crucified upside down. This miniature depicts the pivotal moment of Peter’s call to martyrdom.
 
This historiated initial likely opened the incipit for the feast of Saint Peter. The text to the verso contains music in square notation on four-line staves ruled in red, with gothic script in black ink. The existing text reads, ‘est in celis’ (It is in heaven)’. And ‘petrus et super’, ‘peter and above’. An excellent example of a historiated initial. The pigment is bright and crisp, with very minor rubbing, mainly to the burnished gold.
 
This is a beautiful example of late medieval illumination. It it both vibrant and bold in its execution of a pivotal scene from the life of Saint Peter, who finds courage in Christ. This is also a good example of how manuscripts have been viewed throughout the centuries. It is likely that this fragment was removed from its original context during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries. The Victorians are known for the removal of artworks from manuscripts as that is what they prized the most. The cutting of manuscripts is not something that is accepted now, but it teaches us about how they have been viewed and appreciated over time.