After the book was printed, the purchaser was responsible for binding and all decoration. Space was left in the text for decorated initials. Explore the decoration in the Library’s Gutenberg Bible by looking for the following:
Decorated initials (non-figural decorative initials)
Decorative penwork
Biblia latina (Bible in Latin), Mainz, Johann Gutenberg, 1455. Otto Vollbehr Collection, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
