The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of August 11, 2026

A vertically oriented ink and tempera painting on vellum depicts a manuscript page with a central panel framed by a decorative green border with red circles. Within, a large, ornate golden initial occupies the upper section against a dark reddish-brown background, containing intricate interlace patterns in gold, green, blue, and red. Below the initial, four lines of gold capital letters are inscribed on the same dark ground.

Title Page of Abbot Berno's "Tonarius:" Initial D[omino]

c.1030

Germany, Abbey of Reichenau, 11th century

ink, tempera, and gold on vellum
Sheet: 21.5 x 15.3 cm (8 7/16 x 6 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1952.88
Location: Not on view

Description

This leaf originally served as the dedication page of the Tonarius, or Tonary, written by Reichenau's Abbot Berno (1008-1048). A tonary was a music manual used to regulate liturgical chants. Berno's manuscript was presented to Archbishop Pilgrim of Cologne (1021-1036) whose name appears at the bottom of this leaf.
  • -1952
    Mario Uzielli, Liestal, Switzerland, sold to Herbert N. Bier
    1952
    Mr. Herbert N. Bier, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1952-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Milliken, William. "Title Page of a Reichenau Manuscript." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 39, no. 7 (September 1952): 177-178, 183. Mentioned: p. 178; Reproduced: p. 179 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 97 archive.org
    Wixom, William. "The Helmarshausen Latin Gospels." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 46, no. 4 (April, 1959): 58-59. Mentioned: p. 59 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 45 archive.org
    Wixom, William D. “An Ottonian Ivory Book Cover.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 55, no. 9 (November 1968): 275–289. Mentioned and reproduced: p. 278-279, fig. 8 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 45 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 49 archive.org
    Württembergische Landesbibliothek, Annegret Butz, and Sigrid von Borries-Schulten. Katalog der illuminierten Handschriften der Württembergischen Landesbibliothek Stuttgart. Stuttgart: Hiersemann, 1987. Mentioned: Bd.1, P. 41-42, no. 21
    Berschin, Walter, and Ulrich Kuder. Reichenauer Buchmalerei 850-1070. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 2015. Reproduced: p. 136, no. 47
    Kuder, Ulrich and Klaus Gereon Beuckers. Studien zur Ottonischen Buchmalerei. Kiel: Verlag Ludwig, 2018. Mentioned; p. 341, no. 273
  • Devotion and Learning in the Middle Ages. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 4, 2017-December 3, 2018).
    Illuminated Manuscripts. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (October 10, 2004-October 2, 2005).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (10/10/2004 - 10/02/2005); "Illuminated Manuscripts"
    The Decorated Letter and the Illuminator's Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 25-December 19, 1993).
    Suevia Sacra. Staatsgalerie in der Katharinenkirche Augsburg, 86150 Augsburg, Germany (organizer) (June 30-September 16, 1973).
    Stadt Augsburg, "Suevia Sacra: Fruhe Kunst in Schwaben" 05/09/1973-10/16/1973, no. 169.
    Pages From Medieval and Renaissance Illuminated Manuscripts. Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA (April 24-June 8, 1963).
    Berkely, University of California Berkely, University Art Gallery, "Loan Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscript Pages" 04/05/1963-06/18/1963
    Romanesque Art. Snite Museum, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (November 6-December 4, 1960).
    University of Notre Dame Art Gallery, "Romanesque Art," November 6 - December 4, 1960.
    CMA, "The Helmarschausan Latin Gospels" March 1 - June 1959.
    Buffalo, Albright Art Gallery, "Art in the book" December 5, 1953 - January 3, 1954, cat. no. 16
    Bern, Berner Kunstmuseum "Kunst des frühen Mittelalters" 1949, cat. no. 121.
    Kunst des frühen Mittelalters (Bern: Berner Kunstmuseum, 1949): no. 121.
  • {{cite web|title=Title Page of Abbot Berno's "Tonarius:" Initial D[omino]|url=false|author=|year=c.1030|access-date=11 August 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1952.88