University of Chicago Library, Goodspeed Manuscript Collection Ms. 949, New Testament. Gospels (Red Gospels of Ganjasar). Armenia, 12th or 13th century.

Contents

Four gospels in Armenian. Section numbers in the margins against the text. Concordance numbers in the lower margins. Pentecostal lection numbers. Formerly Goodspeed Ms. Arm. 47.

The Red Gospels of Ganjasar, as the manuscript is commonly known, was named both for the predominant red pigment of its miniatures, and for the monastery in which its two earliest-known owners lived as members of the community

  1. fol. 3r
    Additions: Agreement (fragmentary) for the celebration of masses, dated 1281 (Armenian Era 730).
    Note: Blank (fols. 1r, 7v-8r).
  2. fols. 8v-15v Canon tables have been bound out of order. For the correct sequence: I-II (fols. 10v-11r); III-IV (fols. 8v-9r); V-VII (fols. 12v-13r); VIII-X (fols. 14v-15r).
    Note: Blank (fols. 9v-10r, 13v-14r).
  3. fols. 17r-84r Matthew (gospel begins with the last word of 8:34).
  4. fols. 85r-139r Mark.
  5. fols. 140r-237r Luke.
  6. fols. 238r-310r John.
  7. fols. 310r-310v Pericope: The Woman taken in Adultery.
  8. fols. 311r-313v
    Colophon: Description of the manuscript's acquisition by the brothers Grigor and Vardan, dated 1237 (lacking).

Decoration

11 full-page miniatures consist of portraits of the Evangelists (Matthew lost), and depictions of events from the life of Christ painted by the artist Abas (his undated signature, fols. 4r, 139v).

Marginal vignettes of arabesques, floral designs, birds, and 3 miniatures, Harvester (fol. 179r), Christ riding a donkey (fol. 213r); and a boy in a tree (fol. 280r).

Miniatures

  1. fol. 1vVirgin Mary: Annunciation. Virgin Mary seated, foreground right; angel stands, at left.
    Note: Blank (fol. 1r).
  2. fol. 2rScenes displayed in 5 registers. Christ: Nativity. Virgin Mary lies on pallet inside stable, foreground; Christ Child in manger next to her, nuzzled by ox and donkey; six angels in background. Magi: Adoration. Midwives bathe Christ Child, at right, star overhead; Joseph dreams, seated on floor at left; three magi, at center, flanked by angels, approach Christ Child carrying gifts. Shepherds: Beholding star. Shepherd plays pipe, at right; other shepherds gaze skyward; flock of sheep below them.
  3. fol. 3vChrist: Baptism. John the Baptist on riverbank at left, baptizes Christ, standing in river; dove of Holy Spirit descends from hand of God extended from star-filled sky; disciples and angels on either bank, in background.
  4. fol. 4rChrist: Transfiguration. Christ, at center, on mountain within star-filled mandorla, Elijah at left, Moses to the right; disciples Peter, James, and John, in foreground below.
  5. fol. 5rChrist: Entry into Jerusalem. Christ, seated on donkey led by disciple; other disciples, at right; in foreground, people lay robes in Christ's path, others hold palm branches at left; trumpeters playing in city tower, and a crowd watches from Jerusalem's walls in background.
  6. fol. 6vChrist: Crucifixion. Christ crucified on cross; below him, Virgin Mary and disciple John stand at either side; skull lays on mound at foot of cross; sun, moon, and angels above cross-arms; at left of scene, Church personified, accompanied by angel, holds chalice into which water and blood flow from Christ's wounded side; Synagogue personified, at right with attendant angel, turns away.
    Note: Inscription bordering miniature, in part illegible.
  7. fol. 7rChrist: Ascension. Christ seated within star-filled mandorla ascends to heaven flanked by angels, two of which blow trumpets; Virgin Mary and witnesses stand below the scene, gaze skyward.
    Note: Blank (fols. 7v-8r).
  8. fol. 16vEvangelist, Matthew: Portrait. Matthew writing, seated on bench; angel symbol above.
  9. fol. 84vEvangelist, Mark: Portrait. Mark writing, seated on bench; lion symbol above.
  10. fol. 139vEvangelist, Luke: Portrait. Luke writing, seated on bench; ox symbol above. Prayer: Remember the painter Abas, the unworthy priest
  11. fol. 237vEvangelist, John: Portrait. John writing, seated on bench; angel stands behind him; eagle symbol above.

Canon Tables

Citations of concordant gospel sections are framed by architectural columns. These support headpieces of floral, foliate, and geometric designs, on which large birds (peacocks?) stand. Signatures of Ignatios and Yovsep‛, the artist and his pupil who created the tables, and a prayer that the lord remember them (fol. 13r).

Headpieces

The headpiece of Mark's gospel opening contains an image of the Deesis, Christ enthroned, the Virgin Mary on his right, and John the Baptist at his left (fol. 85r). Headpieces of Luke and John's gospel openings are of multi-colored floral, foliate, and interlace motifs (fols. 140r, 238r). Marginal arabesques (200-215 mm).

Initials

The major initials of Mark (60 mm), Luke (145 mm), and John's (215 mm) gospel openings are formed by multi-colored floral, foliate, and interlace motifs.

Comments

Church, a metaphorical figure in the scene of Christ's crucifixion (fol. 6v), captures in a single chalice blood and water pouring in separate streams from the wound in Christ's side. It has been argued that this depiction is representative of the liturgical practice of the Georgian and Greek churches in which Eucharistic wine and water are mixed, rather than Armenian practice in which wine and water are kept separate. (Alice Taylor, "Armenian Illumination under Georgian, Turkish, and Mongol Rule," in Treasures in heaven: Armenian illuminated manuscripts, pp. 85-103).

Physical Description

Support

Parchment. 265 x 200 mm.

Number of Leaves

316 leaves, of which 2 are flyleaves. The leaf following fol. 295, overlooked during the manuscript's initial foliation, has been designated fol. 295b. Flyleaves conjoint with pastedowns.

Foliation

1 (unfoliated parchment flyleaf) + 295 + 1 + 18 + 1 (unfoliated paper flyleaf). Modern foliation in Arabic numerals in pencil 1-313.

Dimensions

Written space 215 x 135 mm (fol. 90r). Each column is 215 x 60 mm with a space of 15 mm between.

Layout

2 columns of 19 to 20 lines. Ruling with hard point.

Writing

Written in erkat’agir script in black ink.

Text Divisions

Titles in red.

Condition

Several miniatures have suffered water damage which caused pigment to run. Edges of all leaves are dry and some are cracked. Lower corners of a number of leaves have been reinforced. Margins were trimmed presumably during rebinding, thus marring a number of miniatures and vignettes. Dirt and grease stains.

Binding Description

Bound in dark brown leather over boards. Nail holes and several silver nails remain along outer edge.

Covers (front and back) blind tooled in a repeating geometric pattern of diamonds with stamped rosettes at main points. Central motif set within a narrow rectilinear rosette-filled frame.

History

Origin

The manuscript is judged to have been written and illuminated in either the 12th or 13th century in Armenia, possibly at Ani, an historic site now located in Turkey. The artist Abas, who painted the miniatures, signed the scene of Christ's Transfiguration (fol. 4r), and the Evangelist Luke's portrait (fol. 139v) in Greek and Georgian. To the latter image, he added a third signature in Armenian, and a prayer. The painters who created the canon tables, Ignatios and his pupil Yovsep‛, added signatures and a brief prayer (fol. 13r).

Provenance

According to the oldest extant colophon (fols. 311r-313v) dated 1237 (Armenian Era 686), the manuscript was acquired by the brothers Grigor and Vardan, who were priests under Abbot Yovhanēs at the Monastery of Ganjasar in the Xach‛en Canton of Armenia's Arts‛akh Province. Prayers recorded for Grigor and Vardan (fols. 83v, 139r, 236v).

An agreement (fol. 3r) dated 1281 (Armenian Era 730) between Marcpan and Mamikon and the clergy of the Monastery of the Holy Theotokos (Surb Astuacacin) at Shikayk‛ar indicates the former were owners who donated the manuscript to the monastic foundation in exchange for the celebration of masses in memory of certain family members. Those named include Hasan, Sewadē, and Mamaxat‛un.

The inscription of Xach‛luec‛i Yovanēs Baghtasar Yakobeanc‛, dated December 20, 1915, recounts the manuscript's capture and his recovery of it from the Kurdish village of Haytar-Ōghli. Also described is the flight of Armenian residents from Alashkert, the present-day Eleskirt, Turkey, to the village of Gēch‛rlu (fol. 236v).

Belonged to Mushegh Dawit‛ean who purchased the manuscript at Alashkert from Xach‛luec‛i Yakobeanc‛ for 10 Russian rubles on July 7, 1916. Additionally, he states that Turks had captured it in 1914 during one of the Russo-Turkish conflicts (his inscription, fol. 83v).

On an unknown date, the priest Hayrakan bought the manuscript for "one red ox and many other things," from Sewaday, son of Vaxtank. Hayrakan's grandfather (of the same name) had formerly owned the manuscript, and it is noted, "evil hands" destroyed his colophon (fols. 236v-237r).

Bishop Sargis wrote an inscription for the priest Eghiay, who purchased the manuscript as a memorial to his soul and those of his parents Martiros and Jumli (fol. 139v).

Belonged also to Xawch‛a Sawar Gharberdec‛i, son of Astuacatur and Kulshat. In his undated inscription (fol. 84r), Gharberdec‛i refers to a famine and plague in the city of Karuc‛, the present-day Kars, Turkey, where he may have resided.

Other entries consist of brief prayers (fols. 8v, 15r), an inscription dated 1275 (Armenian Era 724) (fol. 15v), and partially legible notation (fols. 2v, 4v, 5v, 6r, 11v, 12r, 16r). University of Chicago Libraries bookplate and description summary (front pastedown).

Acquisition

Acquired by the University of Chicago from R. Stora and Company (New York), September 1941.

Bibliography

  1. Sirarpie Der Nersessian, "Armenian Gospel Illustration as seen in manuscripts in American Collections," in New Testament Manuscript studies: the materials and the making of a critical apparatus edited by Merrill M. Parvis and Allen P. Wikgren. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, c1950), pp. 140-141, and pl. II.
  2. Merrill Mead Parvis, The Story of the Goodspeed Collection ([Chicago:] s.n., 1952), pp. 25-26.
  3. Erroll F. Rhodes, An Annotated List of Armenian New Testament Manuscripts, Annual Report of Theology 1 (1959), p. 134 (1038).
  4. New Testament manuscript traditions. An exhibition based on the Edgar J. Goodspeed Collection of the University of Chicago Library, the Joseph Regenstein Library, January-March, 1973. University of Chicago. Library. Dept. of Special Collections. Exhibition catalogs ([Chicago: s.n., 1973]), 36, no. 66.
  5. Avedis K. Sanjian, A catalogue of medieval Armenian manuscripts in the United States (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976), pp. 226-237.
  6. Treasures in heaven: Armenian illuminated manuscripts, edited by Thomas F. Mathews and Roger S. Wieck (New York: Pierpont Morgan Library; Princeton, N.J.: distributed by Princeton University Press, 1994), pp. 163-164 (cat. 24).