Gondarine sensul, Walters Art Museum MS. 36.10

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A digital facsimile of selections fromWalters Ms. 36.10, Gondarine sensulTitle: Ethiopian "chain" manuscript

Published by: The Walters Art Museum600 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21201

http://www.thewalters.org/

This document is a digital facsimile of selections from a manuscript belonging to the Walters ArtMuseum, in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscriptsthat have been digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment forthe Humanities, and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details aboutthe manuscripts at the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's websitewww.thewalters.org. For further information about this book, and online resources for Waltersmanuscripts, please contact us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message tobe directed to the Department of Manuscripts.

Generated: 2013-09-23 13:30 -04:00

Shelf mark Walters Art Museum Ms. 36.10

Descriptive Title Gondarine sensul

Text title Ethiopian "chain" manuscript

Abstract This Ethopian sensul, or "chain" manuscript, was made inthe seventeenth century in the Gondarine region. It wascreated out of a single folded strip of parchment attachedto heavy hide "boards" at each end, creating a small bookwhen folded. Comprised solely of inscribed images, thispocket-sized manuscript would have served a devotionalfunction for its owner, who while unidentified, inscribed thefirst image with a note reminding people under the threatof excommunication not to steal or erase the manuscript.Narrative illuminations, which tell the story of the VirginMary, allow for private meditation. The book can alsofunction as something of an icon, for when it is opened tothe middle and stood on end, the facing figures of St. Georgeand the Virgin and Child form a small diptych, resemblingother icons of this era.

Date Late 17th century CE

Origin Gondar, Ethiopia

Form Album

Genre Devotional

Language No linguistic content; Not applicable

Support material Parchment

Medium weight parchment, reinforced with a heavierparchment backing

Extent Foliation: No foliation or pagination present; book consistsof a long strip of parchment folded as an accordion book intoten panels

Collation Formula: N/a

Comments: One strip of parchment folded to create ten pages

Dimensions 8.0 cm wide by 8.0 cm high

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Contents fols. 1v - 6r:Title: Ethiopian "chain" manuscriptContents: No text except for inscriptions on imagesDecoration note: Ten full-page miniatures; inscriptionsin red, black, and brown ink

Decoration Upper board inside:Title: Joachim and Anna presenting Mary to the templeForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription at the top reads: "ኢያቄም፡ሐና፡," or "Joachim; Anna." To the left there isinsufficiently legible note by the owner, remindingpeople under the threat of excommunication not to stealit or erase it. The owner's name too is illegible.

fol. 1r:Title: How Mary was presented to the TempleForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription at the top reads: "ዘከመ፡ቦአት፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ መቅደስ፤," or "How she cameinto the Temple." The inscription on the top rightreads: "ዘካር[ያስ፡]," or "(Archpriest) Zechariah" whoreceived the child. The inscription on the left reads:"ኢያቄም፡," or "(Her father) Joachim" who brought thechild Mary to the Temple."

fol. 1v:Title: AnnunciationForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription at the top reads: "[ዘከመ፡አ]ብስራ፡ ገብርኤል፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡," or"How (the Archangel) Gabriel announced to Our LadyMary."

fol. 2r:Title: Adoration of the MagiForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription at the top reads: "ዘከመ፡አቅረቡ፡ አምሐ፡ ለመድኅ[ን፡]," or "How they offeredpresents to the Savior." The inscription on the rightreads: "ማሌቅ፡ ዕጣን፡ -------[?]ስባኒልስ፡ ከርቤ፡," or

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"Maleq (presented) incense ----- [?]basnils (presented)myrrh." The inscription on the bottom reads: "አድግ፡ወላህም፡," or "A donkey and a cow."

fol. 2v:Title: St. George slaying the dragonForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription on the bottom reads:"ዘከመ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለደራጎን፡ ጊዮርጊስ፡," or "HowGeorge killed the dragon."

fol. 3r:Title: Madonna and Child flanked by the ArchangelsMichael and GabrielForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription on the top reads: "ምስለ፡ፍቁር፡ ወልዳ፡ [. . . ]," or "With her beloved Son [. . .]."

fol. 3v:Title: Flight into EgyptForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription on the top reads: "[ዘከ]መ፡[ተሰ]ደት፡ እግዝእትነ፡ ምስለ፡ ዮሴፍ፡ ወሰሎሜ።,"or "How Our Lady fled with Joseph and Salome."

fol. 4r:Title: The Covenant that earned Mary the name KidanäMǝḥrät, or "Pact/Covenant of Mercy"Form: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription on the top reads: "ዘከመ፡ወሀባ፡ ኪዳነ፡ ወልዳ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ [. . . ]," or "How herSon, Christ, gave her a Covenant," a promise that he willforgive the sins of anyone for whom she intercedes.

fol. 4v:Title: The Dormition and Assumption of MaryForm: Full-page miniatureComment: The inscription on the bottom reads:"ዘከመ፡ አእረፈት፡ እግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡ አመ፡፳ወ[፩፡ ለ]ጥር።," or "How Our Lady Mary restedeternally on the 21st of (the month of) Ṭǝrr." Theinscription on the left reads: "ሚካኤል፡ ----------

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ዮሐንስ፡ ወንጌላዊ፡," or "(Archangel) Michael"------- "John the Evangelist." The inscription on theright reads: "ገብርኤል፡ -------- ዘከመ፡ ፈለሰት፡ቅድስት፡," or "(Archangel) Gabriel" ------- "How Saint(Mary) moved," from this world.

Lower board inside:Title: Mary enthronedForm: Full-page miniature

Binding The binding date is undetermined.

Upper and lower boards made of heavy undecorated hide,stitched to ends of parchment strip; uncertain if original tomanuscript

Provenance Produced in the Gondar region of Ethiopia, probably lateseventeenth century

Robert and Nancy Nooter collection, Washington, D.C.,before 1996

Acquisition Museum purchase with funds provided by the W. Alton JonesFoundation Acquisition Fund, 1996

Bibliography Holbert, Kelly, ed. Ethiopian Art: The Walters Art Museum.Baltimore: Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, 2001, pp.116-117, cat. no. 18.

Contributors Principal cataloger: Getatchew Haile, .Catalogers: Herbert, Lynley; Walters Art Museum curatorialstaff and researchers since 1934Editor: Herbert, LynleyConservators: Evers, Jennifer; Quandt, AbigailContributors: Bockrath, Diane; Emery, Doug; Noel,William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

This document is a digital facsimile of selections from a manuscript belonging to the Walters ArtMuseum, in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. It is one of a number of manuscriptsthat have been digitized as part of a project generously funded by the National Endowment forthe Humanities, and by an anonymous donor to the Walters Art Museum. More details aboutthe manuscripts at the Walters can be found by visiting The Walters Art Museum's websitewww.thewalters.org. For further information about this book, and online resources for Waltersmanuscripts, please contact us through the Walters Website by email, and ask for your message tobe directed to the Department of Manuscripts.

Released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcodePublished 2013

The Walters Art Museum600 N. Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland

21201http://www.thewalters.org/