The ornamental initial letters of the art by scribe and drawing-artist Feodor Basov

The article is devoted to the ornamental art of an Early Printed style in Old Russian manuscripts at the last quarter of the 16th — the first third of the 17th centuries case study of the initial letters by Feodor Basov. The author examines the methods of ornamentation and the features of the master’s creation in the chronological order. The authors compare the ornamental initial letters by Feodor Basov, the ornamental initial letters by his brothers Stefan and Gavrila (nicknamed Ivan) Basovs and the ornamental initial letters of the Moscow printed books. The author analyzes compositional solutions and elements and, on the basis of this, identifies borrowed and author’s principles by Feodor at the creation of initials.