The Four Gospels

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 13808
  • Dates of Creation
    • 17th century
  • Language of Material
    • Armenian
  • Physical Description
    • 1 item Vellum. 330 folios. 14 x 9.5 cm (written surface 8.5 x 5 cm). Blank paper leaf between f.324 and f.325. Blank vellum f.1, ff.2v-3r, ff.4v-5r, ff.6v-7r, ff.8v-9r, ff.10v-11r, f.12v, f.109r, f.329. Text in two columns of 20-21 lines. Text is written in 17th-century bolorgir. Two vellum leaves, f.2 and f.330, are from an earlier 15th-century manuscript, also written in bolorgir, and contain sections from the Psalter. Binding is carved and hammered silver, partially gilded, with green velvet doublures on the inside covers, one of several silver bindings executed at Kayseri in 1653-1691, not originally made for this manuscript but placed on it in later years. Their removal has revealed the original binding of thick paper boards with black paper covers and brown leather, floral stamped designs on the spine. The green-coloured velvet on the inside covers was added with the silver cover.

Scope and Content

An Armenian manuscript containing:. The Four Gospels. f.2r Flyleaf, fragment of a sharakan (hymn). ff.3v-12v Canon Tables and Letter of Eusebius to Carpianus (including blank pages). ff.13r-106v Gospel of St Matthew. ff.106v-167v Gospel of St Mark. ff.168r-261r Gospel of St Luke. ff.261v-328v Gospel of St John. ff.330r-v Flyleaf, fragment from Psalm 17/18:42-50. Illuminations profuse throughout the manuscript. Principal decorations:. ff.9v-10r Letter of Eusebius. f.16v Portrait of St Matthew. f.17r Headpiece to the Gospel of St Matthew. f.109v Portrait of St Mark. f.110 Headpiece to the Gospel of St Mark. f.172r Portrait of St Luke. f.173v Headpiece to the Gospel of St Luke. f.264v Portrait of St John. f.265 Headpiece to the Gospel of St John.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Other Finding Aids

For more information, see Nersessian, Vrej. 2012. A Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts in the British Library acquired since the year 1913 and of collections of other libraries in the United Kingdom, Volume One. London: The British Library. pp 321-327.

Bibliography

Nersessian, Vrej. 2012. A Catalogue of the Armenian Manuscripts in the British Library acquired since the year 1913 and of collections of other libraries in the United Kingdom, Volume One. London: The British Library. pp 321-327.