Details
HOMILIES AND MIRACLES OF ST. MICHAEL, in ge'ez, ILLUMINATED ETHIOPIAN MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM
[Gondar, first half of the 18th century]
275 x 235mm, 98 leaves + original vellum fly-leaf, collation: 14 (lacking the probably blank first 2 leaves) 28 (lacking 2/1) 32 48+1 58+1 68+1 7-138 144, many of the miniatures are inserts. Double column, 20 lines, ruled in plummet, justification: 188 x 188mm, written in black ink, rubrics in red in a fine early räqiq hand. 31 LARGE FULL-PAGE AND 2 HALF PAGE MINIATURES. Contemporary red blind-tooled leather over wooden boards, patterned fabric doublures, in later carrying case. IN UNUSUALLY FRESH CONDITION
PROVENANCE:
(i) Wäyzäro [i.e. Lady] Bafäna, who gave it to the famous monastery church of St. Täklä Haymanot at Däbrä Libanos in Shoa, the original donor
(ii) Kidanä Wäld, who gave it to the church of St.Michael at a place called ?Säfit. Kidanä Wäld's name and that of his wife Wälättä Giyorgis has been inserted throughout in the blessings closing each section of the text. Their names have also been inserted against the images of the supplicants in the miniatures on folios 9, 96v, 97 and 97v.
TEXT: (ff 3-6v) a homily of St.Michael (beginning lacking); (ff 6v-7v) a miracle of St.Michael; (ff 7v-9) readings for the 12th of the month of Hedar [the 12th day of each month is dedicated to St.Michael]; (ff 12-16) homily of St.Michael for the month of Tahsas; (f.16-16v) a miracle of St.Michael; (ff 16v-25v) readings for the month of Tahsas and miracle of St. Michael; (ff 25v-26v) another miracle; (ff 26v-30v) homily of St.Michael for the month of Yäkkatit; (ff 30-31) miracle of St.Michael; (ff 31-32v) reading and miracle of St.Michael for the month of Yäkkalit; (ff 34v-47) homily by the 'bishop of Antioch' on St.Michael; (ff 47v-48v) a miracle of St.Michael, followed by readings for the month of Mäggabit; (ff 50-53v) homily of St.Michael for the month of Miyazya; (ff 53v-55) miracle of St.Michael; (f.55-55v) readings for the month of Miyazya; (ff 57-58v) homily by 'Yohannes, bishop of Ethiopia' on St.Michael; (ff 58v-59v) miracle of St.Michael; (ff 59v-60) readings for the month of Genbot; (ff 61v-66v) homily by the bishop of Axum on St.Michael; (ff 66v-68) Miracle of the barren woman; (ff 68-73v) readings for the month of Säne; [f.73v endnote inventory of amulets, ornaments and vestments, in a later hand; f.74v various notes of lists of gifts located at Jirru in Shoa, dated the 17th year of King Menilek, i.e. c.1880]; (ff 75-78v) homily for the month of Hamle; (ff 78v-79v) a miracle; (ff 79v-80) readings for the month of Hamle; (ff 81-83) homily for the month of Nähase; (ff 83-84) a miracle; (f.84-84v) readings for the month of Nähase; (ff 86-88) homily for the month of Mäskäräm; (f.88-88v) a miracle; (ff 88v-89) readings for the month of Mäskäräm; (ff 90-93) homily for the month of T'egemt; (ff 93-94v) miracle of Dorotheus and Theopista; (ff 94v-95) readings for the month of T'egemt; (f.98v) various endnotes
DECORATION:
The illumination is very fine and luxurious, representative of the high Gondarine style of the first half of the 18th century. There is no colophon to identify the artist.
The subjects of the miniatures, as far as we have been able identify them are:
folio 1v St.George on a white horse killing the Dragon
folio 2 The Virgin and Child
folio 9v Two donors in positions of supplication. Above Kidanä Wäld, below Wälättä Giyorgis (the names are later insertions)
folio 10 The Trinity, with two donors beneath
folio 10v St.Michael binding the Devil
folio 11 St. Michael rescuing souls from hell
folio 11v St.Michael leading souls into paradise
folio 18 Two panels, above: St.Michael encounters Dortawos; below: Dortawos and the shepherd
folio 18v Two panels, above: Dortawos opens the belly of the fish in front of St.Michael; below: Dortawos holds a feast on St.Michael's day folio 27 Two panels, above: The mother of Tälafinos in the nobleman's field; below: the nobleman sentences Tälafinos to death
folio 27v Two panels, above: St.Michael addresses Tälafinos; below: the sentence of death is read
folio 33 Two panels, illustrating the miracle for the 12th of Yäkkatit (without identifying text)
folio 34 Two panels, both illustrating the miracle of Dortawos and the fish (inserted out of sequence)
folio 49 The miracle for the month of Mäggabit (without identifying text). The old woman who was cured of her ailment (elephantiasis) by St.Michael in a dream
folio 49v Two panels. Miracles without identifying text
folio 56 Two panels, above: Moses and the serpent before Pharaoh
folio 56v Pharaoh's army drowns in the Red Sea
folio 60v The empress Eudoxia and St.John Chrysostom
folio 61 Without identifying text. Two men on horse with spears and a priest
folio 74 Two panels, illustrating the miracle of St.Michael freeing the man beset by an evil spirit
folio 80 [½ page] A miracle without identifying text
folio 80v Two panels, without identifying text
folio 84v Without identifying text. St. John Chrysostom and four supplicants
folio 85 St.Michael with sword and three men split through the middle
folio 85v Two panels, above exorcizing demons; below: the supplicant donor, Kidanä Wäld's name added later
folio 89 [½ page] The miracle of St.Michael curing a blind man
folio 89v Two panels, without identifying text. Demons taking the soul of the dead
folio 95v Christ in Majesty
folio 96 Symbolic representation of the Crucifixion - the souls of the blessed either side of the Cross, Mary and John beneath, seraphim and cherubim above
folio 96v The icon called Kwer'atä Re'esu (Christ with a crown of Thorns), with the donor's wife Wälättä Gyorgis beneath (name added later)
folio 97 The Crucifixion, the donor Kidanä Wäld beneath (name added later)
folio 97v The Ascension. The figure of a Zäwäldä Maryam (the donor's son?) at one side
folio 98 The two Ethiopian saints, Gäbrä Mänfäs Queddus and Täklä Haymanot, the figure of Iyagem beneath (identifiable as a priest - the family father confessor)
[Gondar, first half of the 18th century]
275 x 235mm, 98 leaves + original vellum fly-leaf, collation: 14 (lacking the probably blank first 2 leaves) 28 (lacking 2/1) 32 48+1 58+1 68+1 7-138 144, many of the miniatures are inserts. Double column, 20 lines, ruled in plummet, justification: 188 x 188mm, written in black ink, rubrics in red in a fine early räqiq hand. 31 LARGE FULL-PAGE AND 2 HALF PAGE MINIATURES. Contemporary red blind-tooled leather over wooden boards, patterned fabric doublures, in later carrying case. IN UNUSUALLY FRESH CONDITION
PROVENANCE:
(i) Wäyzäro [i.e. Lady] Bafäna, who gave it to the famous monastery church of St. Täklä Haymanot at Däbrä Libanos in Shoa, the original donor
(ii) Kidanä Wäld, who gave it to the church of St.Michael at a place called ?Säfit. Kidanä Wäld's name and that of his wife Wälättä Giyorgis has been inserted throughout in the blessings closing each section of the text. Their names have also been inserted against the images of the supplicants in the miniatures on folios 9, 96v, 97 and 97v.
TEXT: (ff 3-6v) a homily of St.Michael (beginning lacking); (ff 6v-7v) a miracle of St.Michael; (ff 7v-9) readings for the 12th of the month of Hedar [the 12th day of each month is dedicated to St.Michael]; (ff 12-16) homily of St.Michael for the month of Tahsas; (f.16-16v) a miracle of St.Michael; (ff 16v-25v) readings for the month of Tahsas and miracle of St. Michael; (ff 25v-26v) another miracle; (ff 26v-30v) homily of St.Michael for the month of Yäkkatit; (ff 30-31) miracle of St.Michael; (ff 31-32v) reading and miracle of St.Michael for the month of Yäkkalit; (ff 34v-47) homily by the 'bishop of Antioch' on St.Michael; (ff 47v-48v) a miracle of St.Michael, followed by readings for the month of Mäggabit; (ff 50-53v) homily of St.Michael for the month of Miyazya; (ff 53v-55) miracle of St.Michael; (f.55-55v) readings for the month of Miyazya; (ff 57-58v) homily by 'Yohannes, bishop of Ethiopia' on St.Michael; (ff 58v-59v) miracle of St.Michael; (ff 59v-60) readings for the month of Genbot; (ff 61v-66v) homily by the bishop of Axum on St.Michael; (ff 66v-68) Miracle of the barren woman; (ff 68-73v) readings for the month of Säne; [f.73v endnote inventory of amulets, ornaments and vestments, in a later hand; f.74v various notes of lists of gifts located at Jirru in Shoa, dated the 17th year of King Menilek, i.e. c.1880]; (ff 75-78v) homily for the month of Hamle; (ff 78v-79v) a miracle; (ff 79v-80) readings for the month of Hamle; (ff 81-83) homily for the month of Nähase; (ff 83-84) a miracle; (f.84-84v) readings for the month of Nähase; (ff 86-88) homily for the month of Mäskäräm; (f.88-88v) a miracle; (ff 88v-89) readings for the month of Mäskäräm; (ff 90-93) homily for the month of T'egemt; (ff 93-94v) miracle of Dorotheus and Theopista; (ff 94v-95) readings for the month of T'egemt; (f.98v) various endnotes
DECORATION:
The illumination is very fine and luxurious, representative of the high Gondarine style of the first half of the 18th century. There is no colophon to identify the artist.
The subjects of the miniatures, as far as we have been able identify them are:
folio 1v St.George on a white horse killing the Dragon
folio 2 The Virgin and Child
folio 9v Two donors in positions of supplication. Above Kidanä Wäld, below Wälättä Giyorgis (the names are later insertions)
folio 10 The Trinity, with two donors beneath
folio 10v St.Michael binding the Devil
folio 11 St. Michael rescuing souls from hell
folio 11v St.Michael leading souls into paradise
folio 18 Two panels, above: St.Michael encounters Dortawos; below: Dortawos and the shepherd
folio 18v Two panels, above: Dortawos opens the belly of the fish in front of St.Michael; below: Dortawos holds a feast on St.Michael's day folio 27 Two panels, above: The mother of Tälafinos in the nobleman's field; below: the nobleman sentences Tälafinos to death
folio 27v Two panels, above: St.Michael addresses Tälafinos; below: the sentence of death is read
folio 33 Two panels, illustrating the miracle for the 12th of Yäkkatit (without identifying text)
folio 34 Two panels, both illustrating the miracle of Dortawos and the fish (inserted out of sequence)
folio 49 The miracle for the month of Mäggabit (without identifying text). The old woman who was cured of her ailment (elephantiasis) by St.Michael in a dream
folio 49v Two panels. Miracles without identifying text
folio 56 Two panels, above: Moses and the serpent before Pharaoh
folio 56v Pharaoh's army drowns in the Red Sea
folio 60v The empress Eudoxia and St.John Chrysostom
folio 61 Without identifying text. Two men on horse with spears and a priest
folio 74 Two panels, illustrating the miracle of St.Michael freeing the man beset by an evil spirit
folio 80 [½ page] A miracle without identifying text
folio 80v Two panels, without identifying text
folio 84v Without identifying text. St. John Chrysostom and four supplicants
folio 85 St.Michael with sword and three men split through the middle
folio 85v Two panels, above exorcizing demons; below: the supplicant donor, Kidanä Wäld's name added later
folio 89 [½ page] The miracle of St.Michael curing a blind man
folio 89v Two panels, without identifying text. Demons taking the soul of the dead
folio 95v Christ in Majesty
folio 96 Symbolic representation of the Crucifixion - the souls of the blessed either side of the Cross, Mary and John beneath, seraphim and cherubim above
folio 96v The icon called Kwer'atä Re'esu (Christ with a crown of Thorns), with the donor's wife Wälättä Gyorgis beneath (name added later)
folio 97 The Crucifixion, the donor Kidanä Wäld beneath (name added later)
folio 97v The Ascension. The figure of a Zäwäldä Maryam (the donor's son?) at one side
folio 98 The two Ethiopian saints, Gäbrä Mänfäs Queddus and Täklä Haymanot, the figure of Iyagem beneath (identifiable as a priest - the family father confessor)