Incipit pages are the most exciting in Insular art, all the materials, chemistry, geometry, calligraphy and symbolism combine here. This one is designed to sit between Lindisfarne and Kells in terms of style and resolution so contains elements of both, the Kells artists were more advanced in geometry, the loop of the N is based on multiple Euclid spirals, their one appears to be accurate, I’ve just estimated as there’s no known way to get this accurate without computer software. The Lindisfarne gospels appear to be more materially advanced, whiter parchment, particularly impressive orcein purple and as for woad, the technique may actually have been invented for this book as it doesn’t appear before it, more on that to follow in the woad section this summer.