In 1876, the Danish artist Pietro Krohn was commissioned to copy examples of calligraphy and miniatures from famous manuscripts in Italy to be used as models for the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Behind this commission was the director of the Academy, the architect Ferdinand Meldahl, an important exponent of historicism in Denmark. The collection of 42 copies of initials created by Krohn were made after important manuscripts preserved in Perugia, Siena and Florence and cover a chronological period from the 10th to the 16th century. They were delivered to the Academy in 1878. Later they were preserved among the works of art in the Academy Library, but soon they were forgotten and eventually considered missing. Their recent discovery at theDesignmuseum Danmark allows us to appreciate their quality and to understand their role in the artistic career of Krohn, who became the museum's first director. The miniatures inspired Pietro Krohn in the design of thedecorations of the “Heron Service” created between 1885and 1887 when he was Artistic Director of the Bing og Grøndahl porcelain factory. The practice of copying and the selection of excellent ornamental examples from the past becomes the basis for Krohn's new and independent design language.