Early Woodcut Initials / Containing over Thirteen Hundred Reproductions of Ornamental Letters of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries

A focused survey collects and annotates over thirteen hundred ornamental woodcut initials from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, pairing reproductions with descriptive notes. It opens with a preface and an introductory history of book ornamentation and the development of initials, then examines block-books and the early invention of printing. Successive chapters present regional studies of initials produced in major European printing centers, with commentary on stylistic features and documentary value. The volume concludes with a plate section of reproductions, transcriber's notes, and an index.