Artwork Page for Text, folio 138 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

Details / Information for Text, folio 138 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

Text, folio 138 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

c. 1000–1100
This object has related works. See

Byzantium, Constantinople

View all records in artwork set
Medium
ink, tempera, and gold on vellum; leather binding
Measurements
Sheet: 28 x 23 cm (11 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1942.152.138.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
105 Byzantine(not visible)
ArtLens App
Print
?

Did You Know?

Gospel Books were carried in procession through Byzantine churches.

Description

Each of the four gospels in this book opens on a page with brilliantly illuminated borders depicting the author of the text as well as birds-principally peacocks, symbols of the immortality of the soul-and fountains, representing the fountain of life and the salvation of the soul. This volume consists of 428 leaves with texts in Greek. Its level of sophistication suggests that it was probably written and decorated in a monastery in Constantinople.
A vertically oriented vellum page features three blocks of brown-inked Greek script. The upper text is clear and spaced, while a dense middle section uses smaller, tighter characters. The bottom section begins with a decorative initial 'K' in red and gold. Faint stains mark the cream-colored surface, and a translucent strip secures the left edge. The calligraphic script possesses an irregular, handwritten quality across the aged page.

Text, folio 138 (verso), from a Gospel Book with Commentaries

c. 1000–1100

Byzantium, Constantinople

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork