Middle East: Illuminated page from a 14th-century Arabic bible.

An illuminated page is a manuscript or text that is supplemented with decoration, such as initials, borders (marginalia) and miniature illustrations. In the strictest definition of the term, an illuminated manuscript only refers to manuscripts decorated with gold or silver, but now is used to refer to any decorated or illustrated manuscript from the Western traditions. Comparable Far Eastern works are always described as painted, as are Mesoamerican works. Islamic manuscripts are usually referred to as illuminated, but can also be classified as painted.