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In the Códice Rico, each composition is accompanied by one or even two illuminated pages. These are divided into six sections and framed by geometric-motif borders interrupted by coats of arms. The miniatures were executed by various artists who show French influence.
The miniature on page 146 illustrates Cantiga 267. A very rich merchant from Portugal selects gifts for the Virgin in the same way that a person might choose a present to bring home to their spouse or lover.
One day, when he had loaded his ship with merchandise and was sailing up the Atlantic coast towards Flanders, a great storm arose, and he was swept overboard. As the merchant sank into the waves, he asked the Virgin to save him. She calmed the sea, drew him out of the water, and carried him to his intended destination. There he rejoined his astonished shipmates, who took ten days to make the same journey. The (unfinished) miniature conveys the action in a sequence of six panels, reading from left to right and top to bottom.
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