{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1387379"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1387379/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PK3689/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2025PK3689/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2025PK3689","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV9657","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1387379/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1387379","accessionNumber":"E.304-2017","objectType":"Facsimile","titles":[{"title":"Modern facsimile of two 15th-century illuminated initials","type":"alternative title"}],"summaryDescription":"These 19th-century illuminated initials 'R' and 'U' were exceptionally acquired together with the original initials they were modelled after (see Museum nos E.305-2017 and E.306-2017). They are the work of George Ashdown Audsley (1838-1925) and are copies of two initials cut out of a mid-15th-century Rhenish music manuscript, cuttings which belonged to George Audsley at the time. \n\r\nHe probably made these copies especially for the 1876 Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts in Liverpool, organised by the Liverpool Art Club Audsley was a member of. In the exhibition catalogue, the ensemble was described as a ‘FRAME, containing two initials cut from Choral Books of the 14th century . Alongside the ancient letters are modern restorations, showing the original state of the colours’ (Liverpool Art Club's Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts, no. 147). The initials were framed and exhibited together with the medieval manuscript cuttings, in a bid to restore the medieval initials to what Audsley perceived was their original state, devoid of fading, blemishes or staining incurred over time. While Audsley adhered faithfully to the size and pattern of his medieval models, he used brighter colours, gave the contours a crisper and more linear outline, and completely eliminated the text.\n\r\nGeorge Ashdown Audsley was a Scottish author-architect-calligrapher. He established with his brother William James (1833-1907) the architectural firm Audsley &amp; Co., later known as W. &amp; G. Audsley. The brothers were responsible for a great number of Gothic Revival and eclectic style public buildings mainly in the Liverpool area and London. George and William were leading ornamentists who played a key part in the revival of British design initiated by the Great Exhibition of 1851. They wrote extensively on design and architecture using chromolithography to great effect in their books. In 1892 they moved their practice to New York.\r\n","physicalDescription":"A facsimile copy of two illuminated initials ‘R’ and ‘U’ on one parchment sheet. These initials came to the V&A Museum framed together with the original mid 15th-century Rhenish manuscript cuttings the artist used as models (see Museum nos E.305-2017 and E.306.2017, in references). The modern initials adhere faithfully to the size and pattern of the medieval ones, but with brighter colours and crisper outlines. They are accompanied by a contemporary label reading ‘RESTORATIONS, EXECUTED ON VELLUM BY G.A.  AUDSLEY.’ ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"George Ashdown Audsley","id":"AUTH343899"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"parchment","id":"AAT11851"},{"text":"pigments","id":"x33204"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},{"text":"illumination","id":"AAT220539"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"illumination on parchment","categories":[{"text":"Copies and Facsimilies","id":"THES253072"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2025PK3689","2017JV9657"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"DR","shelf":"149","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Facsimile","id":"AAT121391"}],[{"text":"Illuminated","id":"x47611"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1876","earliest":"1871-01-01","latest":"1880-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"e.305-2017","id":"O1387381"},"association":"Original"},{"object":{"text":"E.306-2017","id":"O1387380"},"association":"Original"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"26","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"19","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"(1) Copies produced by George Ashdown Audsley (1838-1925) c.1876, probably for the Liverpool Art Club's Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts (see Liverpool Art Club, Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts, no. 147). \n(2) Purchased by Les Enluminures Ltd from John Hellebrand (Palinurus Antiquarian Books), Pennsylvania. \n(3) Purchased by the V&amp;amp;A from Les Enluminures Ltd in February 2017.  ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Facsimile copy of two illuminated initials, England, c.1876.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"These 19th-century illuminated  initials 'R' and 'U' were  exceptionally acquired together  with the original initials they were  modelled after the following two objects:\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230211170934/https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=E.305-2017&year_made_from=&year_made_to=\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230211171241/https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=E.306-2017&amp;year_made_from=&amp;year_made_to="},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"These initials came to the V&A Museum framed together with the original mid 15th-century Rhenish manuscript cuttings the artist used as models. See Museum nos. E.305-2017 and E.306.2017:\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230214145749/https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1387381/puzzle-initial-manuscript-cutting/\n\nhttp://web.archive.org/web/20230214150244/https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1387380/puzzle-initial-manuscript-cutting/\r\n\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Fragmented Illuminations: Medieval and Renaissance Manuscript Cuttings at the V&A, 08/09/2021 - 26/06/2022, rooms 88A-90 <br> \r\n<br>\r\n<b>George Ashdown Audsley (1838–1925)</b><br>\r\nGeorge Audsley and his brother William were architects, \r\nbut also practising illuminators. In 1876, George lent \r\na few manuscript cuttings to the Liverpool Exhibition \r\nof Illuminated Manuscripts. He also lent this framed \r\nexhibit of two original 15th-century initials shown \r\nalongside his own copies. The latter, described in the \r\nexhibition catalogue as ‘restorations showing the \r\noriginal state of the colours’, have crisp contours and \r\nbright colours. The text and musical notation have been \r\nremoved to focus on the ornament.<br>\r\n<br>\r\nFacsimiles of the initials below<br>\r\nGeorge Ashdown Audsley<br>\r\nEngland, about 1870–6<br>\r\nInk, watercolour and bodycolour on parchment<br>\r\nMuseum no. E.304-2017 ","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["E.304-2017"],"accessionNumberNum":"304","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2017,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-15","recordCreationDate":"2017-03-15","availableToBook":false}}