Manuscript No. 28: Ritual Book

Item Overview

Title

Manuscript No. 28: Ritual Book

Uniform title

Mashtots'

Language

Armenian

Collection

Armenian Manuscripts

Notes

Description

Most of the text written in bolorgir, the remainder (fols. 6-9, 20, 27-29v, 35v-36, 38-39) in notragir, text written in one column of 20-23 lines. Subtitles in red bolorgir, or notragir, and initials mostly in red erkat’agir.

Colophon

Fol. 39. At the end of the codex in notragir.Fol. 44. Written by Dr. Minasian in lower margin.

Provenance

According to the brief colophon on fol. 39, the book was written at New Julfa in Aspahan (that is, Isfahan) by the priest Mik’ayel Ter Yovhannesian. The writing was completed on Adam 1 (= April 20) in 1814. On the endsheet facing the inside front cover we ding an inscription written in Armenian that reads: “At New Julfa, 27 May 1883. Priest Y. Ter Eghiazar.” We can perhaps assume that this priest once owned the book.We learn from a notice on fol. 44 that Dr. Minasian purchased the codex on November 19,1951, from the priest Nerses.

Physical Description

Extent

44 folios

Dimensions

17.5x11.5 cm.

Binding note

Traditional Armenian binding of light brown goatskin over thing wooden boards, both blind-tooled with boarder design of leaves within a diamond and outlined with a double fillet. Center of two diagonal intersecting double fillets with fleur-de-lis at corners, and four symmetrically dispersed floral tools in center. Spine has three raised bands outlined with double fillets, and four panels stamped with floral tool. Both boards have horizontal cracks which have been repaired by sewing. No fore-edge flap. Two holes on each of the boards are the only evidence of fastenings, now wanting. Traditional raised endbands of pink, white, and black silk. Thin blue cloth doublures; same cloth was used for lining the spine. No edge coloration. Structure is traditional, with three loop board attachments; however, no notches were used, which is why raised bands appear on the spine. This is an example of a binding with many traditional features still in use in the early 19th century.

Condition note

The MS is in a fair state of preservation. Apart from damaged binding and the loose leaves, there are substantial lacunae in the codex. The scribe’s original pagination shows that the book once consisted of 141 pages; currently, pages 6-67 are missing. For the present description, we have renumbered the leaves. Fol. 22v has been damaged by dampness, and there are scribbles on fol. 39.

Keywords

Genre

Manuscripts

Resource type

text