Collection ID: 0054 | Metadata type: TEI | TEI XML | Data

Title

Other related names

• Robert and Nancy Nooter, former owner (https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88245425.html)
• None, former owner (https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92029907.html)

Call number

Publisher

Language

Origin

Place

Gondar, Ethiopia

Summary

This Ethopian sensul, or "chain" manuscript, was made in the seventeenth century in the Gondarine region. It was created out of a single folded strip of parchment attached to heavy hide "boards" at each end, creating a small book when folded. Comprised solely of inscribed images, this pocket-sized manuscript would have served a devotional function for its owner, who while unidentified, inscribed the first image with a note reminding people under the threat of excommunication not to steal or erase the manuscript. Narrative illuminations, which tell the story of the Virgin Mary, allow for private meditation. The book can also function as something of an icon, for when it is opened to the middle and stood on end, the facing figures of St. George and the Virgin and Child form a small diptych, resembling other icons of this era.

Notes

• Medium weight parchment, reinforced with a heavier parchment backing
   

Extent

Foliation

Collation

Support

Binding

Decoration

Ten full-page miniatures; Inscriptions in red, black, and brown ink

Provenance

• Produced in the Gondar region of Ethiopia, probably late seventeenth century.
   
• Robert and Nancy Nooter collection, Washington, D.C., before 1996.
   
• Museum purchase with funds provided by the W. Alton Jones Foundation Acquisition Fund, 1996.
   

Related resources

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

Keywords

• Christian
• Illumination
• Manuscript
• Miniature
• Painting
• Walters Art Museum
• Accordion book
• Devotion
• Saint's Life
• Ethiopia
• Ethiopian
• 17th Century
• Private devotion

Licenses

• Text

  These images and the content of Walters Art Museum 36.10: Gondarine Sensul are free of known copyright restrictions and in the public domain. See the Creative Commons Public Domain Mark page for usage details, http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/.

  URL

  http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

• Text

  To the extent possible under law, The Walters Art Museum has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this metadata about Walters Art Museum 36.10: Gondarine Sensul. This work is published from: United States. For a summary of CC0, see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. Legal code: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode.

  URL

  https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

Decorations

• Upper board inside — Full-page miniature, Joachim and Anna presenting Mary to the temple
• Upper board inside — The inscription at the top reads: "ኢያቄም፡ ሐና፡," or "Joachim; Anna;" To the left there is insufficiently legible note by the owner, reminding people under the threat of excommunication not to steal it or erase it; The owner's name too is illegible
• fol. 1r — Full-page miniature, how Mary was presented to the temple
• fol. 1r — The inscription at the top reads: "ዘከመ፡ ቦአት፡ ውስተ፡ ቤተ፡ መቅደስ፤," or "How she came into the Temple"; The inscription on the top right reads: "ዘካር[ያስ፡]," or "(Archpriest) Zechariah" who received the child; The inscription on the left reads: "ኢያቄም፡," or "(Her father) Joachim" who brought the child Mary to the Temple"
• fol. 1v — Full-page miniature, the Annunciation
• fol. 1v — The inscription at the top reads: "[ዘከመ፡ አ]ብስራ፡ ገብርኤል፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡," or "How (the Archangel) Gabriel announced to Our Lady Mary"
• fol. 2r — Full-page miniature, the Adoration of the Magi
• fol. 2r — The inscription at the top reads: "ዘከመ፡ አቅረቡ፡ አምሐ፡ ለመድኅ[ን፡]," or "How they offered presents to the Savior"; The inscription on the right reads: "ማሌቅ፡ ዕጣን፡ -------[?]ስባኒልስ፡ ከርቤ፡," or "Maleq (presented) incense ----- [?]basnils (presented) myrrh"; The inscription on the bottom reads: "አድግ፡ ወላህም፡," or "A donkey and a cow"
• fol. 2v — Full-page miniature, Saint George slaying the dragon
• fol. 2v — The inscription on the bottom reads: "ዘከመ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለደራጎን፡ ጊዮርጊስ፡," or "How George killed the dragon"
• fol. 3r — Full-page miniature, Madonna and Child flanked by the Archangels Michael Gabriel
• fol. 3r — The inscription on the top reads: "ምስለ፡ ፍቁር፡ ወልዳ፡ [. . . ]," or "With her beloved Son [. . .]"
• fol. 3v — Full-page miniature, the Flight into Egypt
• fol. 3v — 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 — Full-page miniature, the Covenant that earned Mary the name Kidanä Mǝḥrät, or "Pact/Covenant of Mercy"
• fol. 4r — The inscription on the top reads: "ዘከመ፡ ወሀባ፡ ኪዳነ፡ ወልዳ፡ ክርስቶስ፡ [. . . ]," or "How her Son, Christ, gave her a Covenant," a promise that he will forgive the sins of anyone for whom she intercedes
• fol. 4v — Full-page miniature, The dormition and assumption of Mary
• fol. 4v — The inscription on the bottom reads: "ዘከመ፡ አእረፈት፡ እግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡ አመ፡ ፳ወ[፩፡ ለ]ጥር።," or "How Our Lady Mary rested eternally on the 21st of (the month of) Ṭǝrr"; The inscription on the left reads: "ሚካኤል፡ ---------- ዮሐንስ፡ ወንጌላዊ፡," or "(Archangel) Michael" ------- "John the Evangelist"; The inscription on the right reads: "ገብርኤል፡ -------- ዘከመ፡ ፈለሰት፡ ቅድስት፡," or "(Archangel) Gabriel" ------- "How Saint (Mary) moved," from this world
• Lower board inside — Full-page miniature, Mary enthroned