Minerals - Prehnite - English Italian Hand

"Prehnite is a mineral named in 1774 in honor of a Dutch Colonel who was a mineral collector. Its color varies from a milky light green to yellow or white, tho' other colors on rare occasions are found. It is a brittle silicate composed principally of calcium and aluminum.

In this example of Italian Hand, the cap P is based on a common form, but I have continued the strokes to more elaborate conclusions to create the flourishing on the left half of the design. Being a short word with relatively uninteresting letters, I dressed it up a bit by using two of my favorite eccentric characters, this r & t. This rare form of r began to appear in the works of English penmen near the end of the 1700's. This form of t, on the other hand, was very common, but being a purely French style it was rarely used by English penmen after the early stages of Italian Hand's development (c. 1680-1715). "

~2014, Don Marsh~
©2014 Don Marsh