Details

Subject(s)

• Bible New Testament—Commentaries [Browse]
• Manuscripts, Byzantine—New Jersey—Princeton [Browse]

Donor

• Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961 [Browse]

Former owner

• Marlborough, Charles Spencer, Duke of, 1706-1758 [Browse]
• Blenheim Palace (England). Sunderland Library [Browse]

Related name

• Princeton University. Library. Manuscript. Garrett MS. 7 [Browse]

Rare books genre

• Armorial bindings [Browse]
• Parchment (Paper) [Browse]

Getty AAT genre

• illuminations (paintings) [Browse]
• Illuminated manuscripts—13th century [Browse]
• headpieces (layout features) [Browse]
• initials (layout features) [Browse]

Summary note

Gospels of the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Notes

• Ms. codex.
• Title from printed catalog.
• Collation: Parchment ; fol. ii + 240 + ii ; modern foliation in numerals.
• Layout: 22-24 long lines per page ; hardpoint ruling ; some prick-marks are visible in the upper and lower margins about 4-8 mm from the edge of the parchment.
• Description: The entire manuscript, except fol. 188r-v, was written by a single scribe in a round minuscule, with many ligatures and few abbreviations, in dark brown ink ; titles of the gospels are in epigraphic majuscule script, with liturgical references in alexandrinischer Auszeichnungsmaiuskel, written in red ink ; the prologues are written in a smaller script ; there are also several notes by different hands, all in brown ink.
• Decoration: The manuscript has headpieces that may well have been executed by the scribe himself. Each headpiece is topped by a small cross on steps, flanked by the apotropaic acronyms IC XC NI KA or EEEE. Into this manuscript have been inserted three folios of a slightly different parchment, containing four ink drawings lightly washed with light blue, pale brown, and pink. Three of the drawings are evangelist portraits, while on the recto of the portrait of John are images of Christ Pantokrator and the Virgin. The combination of the two figures has suggested a Deesis group, lacking only John the Baptist. All of the drawings seem to have been executed by the same hand. The dating of these drawings is difficult. They have usually assigned to the second half of the 12th century.

Binding note

Armorial binding, measuring (20.0 x 15.7 cm), made of old Russia calf over pasteboard, with gold-embossed decoration on the spine and edges of the front and back boards. Spine title: “QUATUOR EVANGELIA GRAECE MS.; the Marlborough arms on the outside of the front and back covers. Contemporary marbled paper pastedowns.

Language note

Greek;

Script

minuscule.

Contents

• 1. fols. 3r-63r: Euangelion kata mathaion.
• 2. fols. 66r-104v: Tou kata markon euangeliou.
• 3. fols. 108r-175r: Euangelion kata loukan.
• 4. fols. 179r-231r: Euangelion kata iōannēn.
• 5. fols. 231v-235v: Synaxarion tōn kathēmerinōn euangeliōn.
• 6. fols. 236r-239v: Mēn septemvrios; archē tēs indiktou kai tou hosiou patros hēmōn symeōn tou stylitou.

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Provenance

Bookplate: From the Sunderland Library, Blenheim Palace. Purchased, March, 1883, By Bernard Quaritch, 15 Piccadilly, London.

Source acquisition

Gift ; Robert Garrett, Class of 1897 ; 1942.

References

Kotzabassi, Sofia. Greek manuscripts at Princeton, sixth to nineteenth century: a descriptive catalogue, pages 43-51.

Other format(s)

Also available in an electronic version.

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