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ETHIOPIC MANUSCRIPTS
HYMNS ACCOMPANYING THE MIRACLES OF MARY AND OTHER MARIAN TEXTS, in Ge'ez, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
Details
HYMNS ACCOMPANYING THE MIRACLES OF MARY AND OTHER MARIAN TEXTS, in Ge'ez, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[Ethiopia, second half of the 17th century]
176 x 164mm. 92 leaves (including final blank): 14, 2-128, modern foliation in pencil, prickings visible in outer margins, 12 lines in two columns written in black ink in at least two, or three, elegant hands of the second half of the 17th century (ff.3-12, ff.13 onwards, with a possible third, slightly smaller hand from f.58v), between four verticals and 12 horizontals ruled in blind, justification: 105 x 120mm, rubrics in red, 45 FULL-PAGE AND ONE HALF-PAGE PAINTINGS in colours, with accompanying text in red (occasional small losses of pigment, erasures to f.1v and f.20). Contemporary blind-stamped brown leather over wooden boards, with elaborately panelled covers, inside covers inlaid with cloth (spine split in two places). Blind-stamped brown leather pouch with carrying straps.
PROVENANCE:
The original owner's name has been deleted from the invocations for blessings in the first section and replaced in a crude hand by that of Semmän.
Purchased Emil Offenbacher 12 October 1949.
CONTENT:
The manuscript is in three parts: ff.3-12 Five miracles of the Virgin Mary, numbers two and five of which are drawn from the original canon; ff.13-52 Introduction to the Miracles of Mary followed by the brief hymns that usually follow the Miracle texts and, in each case, one or sometimes more full-page paintings illustrating the Miracle story; ff.53-91 Marian texts, primarily a devotional reading marked for each day of the week, expanding on the Hymn of the Flower (Mählétä S'egé), and hymns of salutation (sälam) to the Virgin Mary.
ILLUMINATION:
This is a particularly fine example of the style of manuscript painting of the First Gondarene Period, which flourished from c.1660 to the beginning of the 18th century. It is typified by the placing of figures, usually finely drawn and coloured (predominantly in red, yellow and some green) against an uncoloured, neutral background. Painters from Gondar itself also worked at monasteries in the adjacent countryside, including at Gorgora on the shore of Lake Tana.
This is a rare example of a manuscript which contains paintings accompanying the hymns, rather than the Miracles of Mary themselves. The iconography throughout however, follows the usual patterns and themes. The subjects of the paintings are as follows:
f.14 Hildefonsus of Toledo (Däqseyos of T'elt'elya) presents the Virgin with a copy of the Miracles
f.14v The bishop who stole Däqseyos' throne and robe is punished by the Archangel
f.15v The Virgin and the artisan who was devoted to her
f.16v The Virgin and the Jew of Akhmim whom she raised
f.17v The Virgin and Damianus (Demyanos)
f.18v Pope Leon (Abbas of Romé in the Ge'ez) giving communion
f.19 Abbas cuts off his hand with which he touched the woman, and the Virgin restores it
f.20 The Virgin raises Isaac the monk (Yeshaq)
f.21 The Virgin shows Paradise (called Jerusalem in accompanying text) to the girl Maryam
f.22 Illustrating scenes from the story of the painter who fell from his scaffolding and was saved by the Virgin
f.22v The Virgin baptizes in the Jordan the sick man whom she conveyed to the Holy Land
f.23 (continuing from previous painting) The Virgin shows the sick man the city of Jerusalem
f.24 Illustrating the story of Zacharias [Zäkaryas] who crowned the Virgin's image with roses.
f.24v (continuing from previous painting) The Virgin rewards Zacharias and the thieves who had attacked him repent and are received as monks by the Abbot
f.25v The story of the pilgrims Juliana and Barbara, who were robbed by thieves - the latter are shown as their teeth fell out when they tried to eat the bread they had stolen from the two women
f.26v The story of the three Arabs - the two who called on the Virgin are saved while the third is swallowed by a sea monster
f.27 (continuing from previous painting) The two Arabs present their gifts to the Virgin's church
f.28 The story of the church that the Virgin transported to the sea shore - the Virgin appears to the sleeping priest
f.28v (continuing from previous painting) The church is transported across the sea
f.29v The Virgin cures the blind priest, Yohannes Bäkänsi
f.30v The story of the rich merchant who was wounded in the eye by Turkish pirates, and who was healed by the Virgin through an image of him placed before her icon
f.31v The Virgin restores the sight of the girl Elizabeth (Elsabét') with milk from her breast
f.32v The story of the widow, the marriage of whose daughters is arranged by the Virgin - the merchant Téiwog is seen leading away the two girls Marta and Yäwahit
f.33v The Virgin saves the soul of the scribe who wrote a copy of her Miracles, whilst the other is carried off by a demon
f.34v St George the Younger is visited in prison by the Virgin in the form of a dove, and later appears freed by her
f.35v The story of the priest Kät'ir who was expelled by the church guardian but restored by the Virgin
f.36v The story of the dyer Näzib - he and his brothers are shown accepting the cloth for dying, he is robbed, and then appears in prison falsely accused
f.37 (continuing from previous painting) Näzib is shown being rescued by St George at the Virgin's behest, and standing before the judge and receiving his pardon
f.38 The story of the man with a club foot who was healed by the Virgin - he is banished from his church, and is then healed by the Virgin
f.38v (continuing from previous painting) He shows his foot now healed to the bishop
f.39v The story of Bishop Mercurius (Märqoryos] who was banished from his church for being a leper - he is shown being expelled and then praying to the Virgin
f.40 (continuing from previous painting) He shows that he is healed, and appears giving communion
f.41 The woman of Haarlem (Hartälom/Hartälrom) is brought by her relatives on a litter and placed before the Virgin's image
f.41v (continuing from previous painting) She is healed by the Virgin, and appears prostrate in worship
f.42v The story of Abbess Sophia - she is delivered of her child by the Virgin, and the child is given to Felix (Finkes) to raise
f.43 (continuing from previous painting) The bishop is told of Sophia's child by the nuns, and she then tells him how she was delivered of the child, and the child is brought before the bishop
f.44 The story of Barok who gave a feast
f.44v (continuing from previous painting) Barok is later attacked and buried - and after being raised by the Virgin, becomes a monk
f.45v The story of Anastasius (Anest'asyos)
f.46v The story of the monk Samuel (here called Salusi, as in some Ethiopian versions) - he is attacked by his fellow monks who see him breaking the fast
f.47 (continuing from previous painting) - he escapes by making a breach in the wall of the church by throwing his cap at it
f.48 The story of the cannibal of Qemer - he is surrounded by the bodies of his victims, and also appears giving water to the leper
f.48v (continuing from previous painting) Christ saves the cannibal's soul at the Virgin's behest after his good deed is weighed in the balance by St Michael against his evil deeds
f.49v The story of the widow's son who was rescued from the gallows by the Virgin through his mother's prayers
f.50v The story of the woman who gave birth in a storm at sea, protected by the Virgin
f.51v The Virgin gives water in her slipper to a thirsty dog
[Ethiopia, second half of the 17th century]
176 x 164mm. 92 leaves (including final blank): 1
PROVENANCE:
The original owner's name has been deleted from the invocations for blessings in the first section and replaced in a crude hand by that of Semmän.
Purchased Emil Offenbacher 12 October 1949.
CONTENT:
The manuscript is in three parts: ff.3-12 Five miracles of the Virgin Mary, numbers two and five of which are drawn from the original canon; ff.13-52 Introduction to the Miracles of Mary followed by the brief hymns that usually follow the Miracle texts and, in each case, one or sometimes more full-page paintings illustrating the Miracle story; ff.53-91 Marian texts, primarily a devotional reading marked for each day of the week, expanding on the Hymn of the Flower (Mählétä S'egé), and hymns of salutation (sälam) to the Virgin Mary.
ILLUMINATION:
This is a particularly fine example of the style of manuscript painting of the First Gondarene Period, which flourished from c.1660 to the beginning of the 18th century. It is typified by the placing of figures, usually finely drawn and coloured (predominantly in red, yellow and some green) against an uncoloured, neutral background. Painters from Gondar itself also worked at monasteries in the adjacent countryside, including at Gorgora on the shore of Lake Tana.
This is a rare example of a manuscript which contains paintings accompanying the hymns, rather than the Miracles of Mary themselves. The iconography throughout however, follows the usual patterns and themes. The subjects of the paintings are as follows:
f.14 Hildefonsus of Toledo (Däqseyos of T'elt'elya) presents the Virgin with a copy of the Miracles
f.14v The bishop who stole Däqseyos' throne and robe is punished by the Archangel
f.15v The Virgin and the artisan who was devoted to her
f.16v The Virgin and the Jew of Akhmim whom she raised
f.17v The Virgin and Damianus (Demyanos)
f.18v Pope Leon (Abbas of Romé in the Ge'ez) giving communion
f.19 Abbas cuts off his hand with which he touched the woman, and the Virgin restores it
f.20 The Virgin raises Isaac the monk (Yeshaq)
f.21 The Virgin shows Paradise (called Jerusalem in accompanying text) to the girl Maryam
f.22 Illustrating scenes from the story of the painter who fell from his scaffolding and was saved by the Virgin
f.22v The Virgin baptizes in the Jordan the sick man whom she conveyed to the Holy Land
f.23 (continuing from previous painting) The Virgin shows the sick man the city of Jerusalem
f.24 Illustrating the story of Zacharias [Zäkaryas] who crowned the Virgin's image with roses.
f.24v (continuing from previous painting) The Virgin rewards Zacharias and the thieves who had attacked him repent and are received as monks by the Abbot
f.25v The story of the pilgrims Juliana and Barbara, who were robbed by thieves - the latter are shown as their teeth fell out when they tried to eat the bread they had stolen from the two women
f.26v The story of the three Arabs - the two who called on the Virgin are saved while the third is swallowed by a sea monster
f.27 (continuing from previous painting) The two Arabs present their gifts to the Virgin's church
f.28 The story of the church that the Virgin transported to the sea shore - the Virgin appears to the sleeping priest
f.28v (continuing from previous painting) The church is transported across the sea
f.29v The Virgin cures the blind priest, Yohannes Bäkänsi
f.30v The story of the rich merchant who was wounded in the eye by Turkish pirates, and who was healed by the Virgin through an image of him placed before her icon
f.31v The Virgin restores the sight of the girl Elizabeth (Elsabét') with milk from her breast
f.32v The story of the widow, the marriage of whose daughters is arranged by the Virgin - the merchant Téiwog is seen leading away the two girls Marta and Yäwahit
f.33v The Virgin saves the soul of the scribe who wrote a copy of her Miracles, whilst the other is carried off by a demon
f.34v St George the Younger is visited in prison by the Virgin in the form of a dove, and later appears freed by her
f.35v The story of the priest Kät'ir who was expelled by the church guardian but restored by the Virgin
f.36v The story of the dyer Näzib - he and his brothers are shown accepting the cloth for dying, he is robbed, and then appears in prison falsely accused
f.37 (continuing from previous painting) Näzib is shown being rescued by St George at the Virgin's behest, and standing before the judge and receiving his pardon
f.38 The story of the man with a club foot who was healed by the Virgin - he is banished from his church, and is then healed by the Virgin
f.38v (continuing from previous painting) He shows his foot now healed to the bishop
f.39v The story of Bishop Mercurius (Märqoryos] who was banished from his church for being a leper - he is shown being expelled and then praying to the Virgin
f.40 (continuing from previous painting) He shows that he is healed, and appears giving communion
f.41 The woman of Haarlem (Hartälom/Hartälrom) is brought by her relatives on a litter and placed before the Virgin's image
f.41v (continuing from previous painting) She is healed by the Virgin, and appears prostrate in worship
f.42v The story of Abbess Sophia - she is delivered of her child by the Virgin, and the child is given to Felix (Finkes) to raise
f.43 (continuing from previous painting) The bishop is told of Sophia's child by the nuns, and she then tells him how she was delivered of the child, and the child is brought before the bishop
f.44 The story of Barok who gave a feast
f.44v (continuing from previous painting) Barok is later attacked and buried - and after being raised by the Virgin, becomes a monk
f.45v The story of Anastasius (Anest'asyos)
f.46v The story of the monk Samuel (here called Salusi, as in some Ethiopian versions) - he is attacked by his fellow monks who see him breaking the fast
f.47 (continuing from previous painting) - he escapes by making a breach in the wall of the church by throwing his cap at it
f.48 The story of the cannibal of Qemer - he is surrounded by the bodies of his victims, and also appears giving water to the leper
f.48v (continuing from previous painting) Christ saves the cannibal's soul at the Virgin's behest after his good deed is weighed in the balance by St Michael against his evil deeds
f.49v The story of the widow's son who was rescued from the gallows by the Virgin through his mother's prayers
f.50v The story of the woman who gave birth in a storm at sea, protected by the Virgin
f.51v The Virgin gives water in her slipper to a thirsty dog