Manuscript No. 42: Liturgical Texts

Item Overview

Title

Manuscript No. 42: Liturgical Texts

Alternative title

Tōnats‘oyts‘, Yordorak Gandzarani ew Parzatōmar

Date Created

1693

Place of Origin

City of Shōsh
New Julfa

Language

Armenian

Collection

Armenian Manuscripts

Notes

Description

Text in bolorgir, written in one column of 17-19 lines. Subtitles in red bolorgir and initials throughout the text in red or magenta erkat’agir. Twenty-eight quires, numbered with the letters of the Armenian alphabet, written in bolorgir in the lower margin of the page.

Colophon

Fols. 336v-337. Principle colophon.Fol. 61v; Fol. 121v; Fol. 322.On endsheet opposite inside back cover, in pencil.

Provenance

The principle colophon (fols. 336v-337) indicates that the book was written by the scribe Azariay, son of the priest Mkrtich and his wife Eztixas, at the church of Surb Bet‘ghēhem (Holy Bethlehem) in the town of Jughay (New Julfa) in the city of Shosh or Aspahan (Isfahan). The writing of the Ms was completed on November 28, 1963, during the reign of Shah Silaiman (d. 1694) of Persia and the episcopate at New Julfa of archbishop Step‘annos , Aghēk‘sandr, and Yovhannēs, all three of whom native of New Julfa. In the same colophon the scribe Azariay requests prayers for his parents, his brothers Karapet, Vardapet, Yohan, and Grigor, his sister Gulum, his wives T‘aguhi and Yulapxan (we assume he married the latter after his first wife’s demise), his son Proyxoron, and his daughter Eztixan. We also find the scribe Azariay’s name in prayers on fols. 61v, 121v, 322. Finally, the inscription on fol. 121v states that the codex was written in the year 1142 of the Armenian Era (-A.D. 1693).Because there are no inscriptions in the book, its later history is unknown. A notation in pencil on the endsheet facing the inside back cover indicates that Dr. Minasian acquired the manuscript in June 1956 as a gift from Eruand Nahapetian.

Physical Description

Extent

365 fols.

Dimensions

15.5x10.5 cm.

Binding note

Rebound in a non-Armenian manner, probably in the 19th century, Red goatskin over pasteboards, with small gold-tooled border, Spine divided into four panels, gold-tooled with same roll. Center of each panel stamped with a gold-tooled flower. No flap, clasps, or edge coloration. Red and yellow silk endbands with bead on the edge; damaged at head. Blue paper pastedowns and flyleaves. Probably sewn on three cords, although oversewing also evident. Front cover has an inscription in Turkish that reads: “Book No. 7 was bound”.

Condition note

The binding is in a good state of preservation, but the codex in general is only in fair condition. Folios are missing at the beginning and end of the book , with many lacunae throughout the text. The codex has suffered some damage from fire and dampness. Folios 2-6 and 355-363 have been misbound. Folios 122-127, 145-146, 148-151, 170-178, 187-188, 199-202, 213-218, 223-224, 229-230, 139-244, 283-284, 293-296, 309-310, 353-354, and 364-365 were inserted to replace missing folios but, except for fol. 187, were left blank.

Illustrations note

The illustrations in the codex consist of one headpiece (fol. 8) with corresponding initials and marginal palmettes, 16 bird-form initials and 12 marginal birds, tempietti, and trees.The headpiece, with the corresponding bird-form initials A and Ts and the marginal palmette, forms an exuberant, and rather haphazard, ensemble. The basic forms were sketched in uneven lines varying from black to gray, and were filled in with bright washes of blue and red which only approximately follow the lines of thedrawing. Orange is used occasionally.The paired initials and marginalia are equally vigorous, and equally sloppy.

Keywords

Genre

Manuscripts
Illuminations

Resource type

text