The Digital Walters is a branch of The Walters Art Museum Manuscripts Department.
The Digital Walters is a branch of The Walters Art Museum Manuscripts Department.
This Armenian Gospel book was produced in 904 of the Armenian era (1455 CE) at the monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan by the scribe Yohannēs Vardapet, son of Vardan and Dilšat, and was illuminated by the priest Xačʿatur. The priest Pʿilipos commissioned the manuscript as a memorial to himself, his parents Łazar and Xutʿlumēlikʿ, and other relatives listed in the colophon on fols. 300r to 301v. Pʿilipos is depicted on fol. 14v alongside his brothers Yusēpʿ and Sultanša, as they kneel before the Virgin and Child enthroned (Theotokos). The book contains twenty-six full-page polychrome miniatures, including four Evangelist portraits; ornately designed canon tables; four decorated incipit pages; numerous marginal miniatures of floral and faunal motifs; and nineteen marginal miniatures of biblical characters or allusions to biblical narratives.
Text in fairly large bolorgir with incipit pages in erkatʿagir; front flyleaf in erkatʿagir; back flyleaf in sloping erkatʿagir
artist: Xačʿatur
Principal cataloger: Der Nersessian, Sirarpie
Principal cataloger: Landau, Amy
Principal cataloger: van Lint, Theo M
Cataloger: Dennis, Nathan S
Editor: Herbert, Lynley
Copy editor: Dibble, Charles
Contributor: Bockrath, Diane
Contributor: Dennis, Nathan S
Contributor: Emery, Doug
Contributor: Noel, William
Contributor: Tabritha, Ariel
Contributor: Toth, Michael B.
Conservator: Owen, Linda
Conservator: Quandt, Abigail
Thanks are expressed to Professor Bernard Coulie (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve) for kindly making available his bibliography on the Armenian manuscripts kept in the Walters Art Museum.
Der Nersessian, Sirarpie. Armenian Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Baltimore: Walters Art Gallery, 1973; pp. 31-44, 87-88, cat. no. IV, plates 86-127.
Sanjian, Avedis K. A Catalogue of Medieval Armenian Manuscripts in the United States. University of California Publications, Near Eastern Studies 16. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1976; pp. 287-296, cat. no. 58.
Cabelli, Diane, and Thomas F. Mathews. "The Palette of Khatchatur of Khizan." Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 40 (1982): pp. 37-40.
Evans, Helen C. "Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery, Ms. W.543." In Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts, ed. Thomas F. Mathews and Roger S. Wieck. New York; Princeton: Pierpont Morgan Library; Princeton University Press, 1994, pp. 153-154, cat. no. 12, plates 30-31.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan
1455 CE
book
Original Binding
Thick red goatskin over wooden boards lined with coarse red linen; rectangular fore-edge flap with two leather straps (a third strap is missing) on lower cover that would have attached to pins (now missing) inserted into the upper cover; upper and lower covers feature blind-tooled guilloche borders; upper cover includes a large cross, also composed of guilloche rope-work; numerous holes in upper cover where metal ornament was once inserted; lower cover and fore-edge flap feature rectangular panels of rope-work interlace; upper and lower covers and fore-edge flap include rosettes with oval stamps that form smaller crosses; spine is undecorated
The primary language in this manuscript is Armenian.
Made in 1455 at the monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan by Yohannēs Vardapet, son of Vardan and Dilšat, and illuminated by the priest Xačʿatur; commissioned by the priest Pʿilipos
Acquired by the cleric Aristakēs, son of Amirǰan and Gulanpʿaš, in 1617; Aristakēs had the manuscript binding restored and wrote his name beside the kneeling figure on fol. 12r; his name is also mentioned in prayers on fols. 147r and 234r
Acquired by the priest Karapet in 1704, who added inscriptions under the Evangelist portraits of Matthew
Purchased in 1749 by a vardapet named Sahak
Present at church of St. Vardan in Van in 1867, as witnessed by Łewond Pʿirłalēmean
Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased in Florence, Italy, before August 1911
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest
Monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan
1455 CE
book
The primary language in this manuscript is Armenian.
Made in 1455 at the monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan by Yohannēs Vardapet, son of Vardan and Dilšat, and illuminated by the priest Xačʿatur; commissioned by the priest Pʿilipos
Acquired by the cleric Aristakēs, son of Amirǰan and Gulanpʿaš, in 1617; Aristakēs had the manuscript binding restored and wrote his name beside the kneeling figure on fol. 12r; his name is also mentioned in prayers on fols. 147r and 234r
Acquired by the priest Karapet in 1704, who added inscriptions under the Evangelist portraits of Matthew
Purchased in 1749 by a vardapet named Sahak
Present at church of St. Vardan in Van in 1867, as witnessed by Łewond Pʿirłalēmean
Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased in Florence, Italy, before August 1911
Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest
This Armenian Gospel book was produced in 904 of the Armenian era (1455 CE) at the monastery of Gamałiēl in Xizan by the scribe Yohannēs Vardapet, son of Vardan and Dilšat, and was illuminated by the priest Xačʿatur. The priest Pʿilipos commissioned the manuscript as a memorial to himself, his parents Łazar and Xutʿlumēlikʿ, and other relatives listed in the colophon on fols. 300r to 301v. Pʿilipos is depicted on fol. 14v alongside his brothers Yusēpʿ and Sultanša, as they kneel before the Virgin and Child enthroned (Theotokos). The book contains twenty-six full-page polychrome miniatures, including four Evangelist portraits; ornately designed canon tables; four decorated incipit pages; numerous marginal miniatures of floral and faunal motifs; and nineteen marginal miniatures of biblical characters or allusions to biblical narratives.
Text in fairly large bolorgir with incipit pages in erkatʿagir; front flyleaf in erkatʿagir; back flyleaf in sloping erkatʿagir
artist: Xačʿatur
Principal cataloger: Der Nersessian, Sirarpie
Principal cataloger: Landau, Amy
Principal cataloger: van Lint, Theo M
Cataloger: Dennis, Nathan S
Editor: Herbert, Lynley
Copy editor: Dibble, Charles
Contributor: Bockrath, Diane
Contributor: Dennis, Nathan S
Contributor: Emery, Doug
Contributor: Noel, William
Contributor: Tabritha, Ariel
Contributor: Toth, Michael B.
Conservator: Owen, Linda
Conservator: Quandt, Abigail
Thanks are expressed to Professor Bernard Coulie (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve) for kindly making available his bibliography on the Armenian manuscripts kept in the Walters Art Museum.
Der Nersessian, Sirarpie. Armenian Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Baltimore: Walters Art Gallery, 1973; pp. 31-44, 87-88, cat. no. IV, plates 86-127.
Sanjian, Avedis K. A Catalogue of Medieval Armenian Manuscripts in the United States. University of California Publications, Near Eastern Studies 16. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1976; pp. 287-296, cat. no. 58.
Cabelli, Diane, and Thomas F. Mathews. "The Palette of Khatchatur of Khizan." Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 40 (1982): pp. 37-40.
Evans, Helen C. "Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery, Ms. W.543." In Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts, ed. Thomas F. Mathews and Roger S. Wieck. New York; Princeton: Pierpont Morgan Library; Princeton University Press, 1994, pp. 153-154, cat. no. 12, plates 30-31.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Clear All