Walters Ms. 36.10, Gondarine sensul

36.10

Gondarine sensul

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.

Late 17th century CE

Gondar, Ethiopia

Album

Devotional

No linguistic content; Not applicable

Parchment

Medium weight parchment, reinforced with a heavier parchment backing

Foliation: No foliation or pagination present; book consists of a long strip of parchment folded as an accordion book into ten panels

Formula: N/a

Comments: One strip of parchment folded to create ten pages

8.0 cm wide by 8.0 cm high

1. Title: Ethiopian "chain" manuscript
2. Contents: No text except for inscriptions on images
3. Decoration note: Ten full-page miniatures; inscriptions in red, black, and brown ink

Upper board inside:

1. 
2. Title: Joachim and Anna presenting Mary to the temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: How Mary was presented to the Temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   The inscription at the top reads: "[ዘከመ፡ አ]ብስራ፡ ገብርኤል፡ ለእግዝእትነ፡ ማርያም፡," or "How (the Archangel) Gabriel announced to Our Lady Mary."

fol. 2r:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: St. George slaying the dragon
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   The inscription on the bottom reads: "ዘከመ፡ ቀተሎ፡ ለደራጎን፡ ጊዮርጊስ፡," or "How George killed the dragon."

fol. 3r:

1. 
2. Title: Madonna and Child flanked by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   The inscription on the top reads: "ምስለ፡ ፍቁር፡ ወልዳ፡ [. . . ]," or "With her beloved Son [. . .]."

fol. 3v:

1. 
2. Title: Flight into Egypt
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: The Covenant that earned Mary the name Kidanä Mǝḥrät, or "Pact/Covenant of Mercy"
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: The Dormition and Assumption of Mary
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Comment:

   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:

1. 
2. Title: Mary enthroned
3. Form: Full-page miniature

The binding date is undetermined.

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

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

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

Principal cataloger: Getatchew Haile, .

Catalogers: Herbert, Lynley; Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Conservators: Evers, Jennifer; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.