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| MS 201.4 © The Fitzwilliam Museum |
A prevalent reason fragments were cut from manuscripts historically was so that illuminations could act as individual examples of medieval painting. The fragments were removed from their manuscript context and valued as art objects rather than as part of a text. While each fragment was highly valued for its imagery, removing it from the original context within a book can be very problematic for its physical survival. The artist painted on parchment which was meant to be stored within the controlled conditions of a book. Mounting systems for fragments do not recreate this environment and if not created carefully may cause damage. The pigments and their attachment to the parchment are threatened by this change in environment. Arguably, this compromises the integrity and aesthetics of the illuminations that made them appealing to cut out in the first place.
