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Source Description
This large Ethiopian Gospel Book was made in the first half of the sixteenth century and is written in Ge'ez, the traditional liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Containing eleven full-page miniatures, six canon tables, and five elaborately ornamented harags, or headpieces, this manuscript represents the golden age of what has been termed the Gunda Gunde style, named after a monastery in the district of Agame. The Gunda Gunde style is characterized by bold blocks of color defined by detailed and often delicate linear motifs. Figures are highly stylized and expressive, while the accompanying canon tables and harags are filled with intricate interlace and geometric forms. The manuscript is exceptionally well preserved, and is an excellent and rare example of Ethiopian illumination from one of its important artistic centers.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
31403
label
Ethiopian Gospels
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
2
Source metadata
id
31403
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Ethiopian Gospels
description
This large Ethiopian Gospel Book was made in the first half of the sixteenth century and is written in Ge'ez, the traditional liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Containing eleven full-page miniatures, six canon tables, and five elaborately ornamented harags, or headpieces, this manuscript represents the golden age of what has been termed the Gunda Gunde style, named after a monastery in the district of Agame. The Gunda Gunde style is characterized by bold blocks of color defined by detailed and often delicate linear motifs. Figures are highly stylized and expressive, while the accompanying canon tables and harags are filled with intricate interlace and geometric forms. The manuscript is exceptionally well preserved, and is an excellent and rare example of Ethiopian illumination from one of its important artistic centers.
provenance
Monastery at Gunda Gunde, northeastern Ethiopia, early- to mid- sixteenth century; Church of Mädhane Aläm at Mäjate, Ethiopia, 1892-1893 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Private collection, France, prior to 1973 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Sam Fogg, London [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1998, by purchase.
date
first half of the 16th century (Stephanite)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
illuminated manuscripts
imageCount
2
pageCount
2
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
30
height
25.9
depth
8.9
dimensionsRaw
Closed H: 11 13/16 x W: 10 3/16 x D: 3 1/2 in. (30 x 25.9 x 8.9 cm); Display, open H: 11 7/8 x W: 16 5/16 x D: 8 9/16 in. (30.2 x 41.5 x 21.8 cm); Box H: 13 1/16 x W: 11 3/4 x D: 4 11/16 in. (33.2 x 29.9 x 11.9 cm)
Source extras
cul
Christian Highland Ethiopian
style
Gunda Gunde
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med
ink and paint on heavy, thick parchment between plain wooden boards with remains of leather on the upper board and red textile on the inside
creator_ids
6264
collection_ids
MSS
BYZ
ETH
exhibition_ids
2825
2059
2012
1958
3061
3091
2444
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
595df22d02dd4dab
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
3fe2b1bbbe9bb467
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no