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Initial F: The Tree of Jesse

Unknownprobably 1170s

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States

Incorporated into the shape of the initial Fis the Tree of Jesse. This diagrammatic representation shows Jesus' supposed descent from King David's father Jesse through the Virgin Mary. The genealogy derives from a passage in Isaiah that describes a flower that will sprout from the "root of Jesse." The passage is inscribed on the vertical scroll held by the bearded man at the top right.

The initial opens the prayers for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin. It appears across the double-page spread from the miniature of the Assumption of the Virgin.

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  • Title: Initial F: The Tree of Jesse
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Date Created: probably 1170s
  • Location Created: Hildesheim, Germany
  • Physical Dimensions: Leaf: 28.2 × 18.9 cm (11 1/8 × 7 7/16 in.)
  • Type: Folio
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Tempera colors, gold leaf, silver leaf, and ink on parchment
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 97.MG.21.146
  • Culture: German
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 64, fol. 146
  • Creator Display Name: Unknown
  • Classification: Manuscripts (Documents)
The J. Paul Getty Museum

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