#long noun

• Manuscript illumination — The act of illuminating and its result; the medieval artistic process of embellishing books and manuscripts with painted miniatures, geometric decorations, and brilliant miniated letters; illumination. It represents both the practical technique of applying colors and the finished decorative style that transforms an administrative or religious text into a cultural artifact of high historical value.
• Illumination — A miniature painting, embellished initial letter, or polychrome graphic ornament executed by hand on the pages of a medieval manuscript; illumination. This artistic element, often made with gold leaf and expensive pigments, served both to decorate the text and to illustrate the religious or historical scenes described in chapters.