Inicjały na czternastowiecznych dokumentach książąt opolskich (Bolesława II i Bolesława III)

Abstract

Research on medieval initials has thus far concentrated predominantly on the code initials. Not many studies have been devoted to document initials. Thus, the following article attempts to discuss those particular initials, found in the documents of Bolesław II and Bolesław III, who ruled the Duchy of Opole in the 14th century and avoided grand politics, ruling relatively small duchies located at the peripheries of their contemporary cultural centers. There can be no doubt that the document initials of Bolesław II and Bolesław III were embellished by their writers, using the same ink which was used to write down the rest of the document. The initials are usually extremely simple, lacking any artistic sense or ornamental embellishments. Moreover, they are often shoddily executed. Nonetheless, they do not diverge significantly from the ornamental standards of other rulers, including the royal documents of Casimir III the Great. The ornamental motifs are also consistent with the practice of that time, including the inking of a widened outline of the letter or using a geometrical and floral ornaments, which inscribed itself into the medieval aesthetic. Apart from that, the article touches upon the issue of the potential influence of the addressee on the graphic design of the document, arguing that it remained a significant matter.