Walters Ms. W.547, Hymnal

W.547

Hymnal

Hymnal

Vernacular: Շարակնոց

This hymnal was completed in Constantinople on August 15, 1678 [AE 1127], by the priest Yakob Pēligratc‘i, having been commissioned by Člav, son of Nawasard, as a dedication to his sons, Astuacatur and Sahak. The structure of the hymns adheres approximately to the standard Armenian hymnal (Շաբակնոց), with minor variations in order and a few substitutions (see Sanjian in the bibliography). The book is illuminated extensively, with thirty-eight full- and half-page polychrome miniatures against gold backgrounds, eight decorated head-pieces marking the principal divisions of the hymnal, and numerous marginal miniatures marking individual hymns, including biblical figures, saints, bishops, and vignettes. The style of the miniatures is largely in imitation of western European models, though more traditional Armenian and Byzantine influences stand out, such as the vibrant color palette, an iconic frontality for depictions of saints and bishops, and the highly abstracted floral motifs and zoomorphic incipits marking hymn divisions.

1678 CE

Constantinople

Supplied name: Yakob Pēligratc‘i

Known as: The Priest of Peligrat

Book

Devotional

The primary language in this manuscript is Armenian.

fols. 118r to 298r:

2. In vernacular: Fol. 118r Շօշ քաղաք որ էր թագաւորն Շահ Սէլիմն, ի ժամանակն ռ՟ճ՟ի՟է՟ (= 1678) թվին: Fol. 125r Այս շարակնոցս Ղափանայ երկրէ Մուղանճուղու գեղն Շռնուղու Նաւասարդի որդի Ճլավ և սորա որդոցն է: Fol. 298r Փառք ամենասուրբ երրորդութեան հօր և որդւոյ և հոգւոյն սրբոյ, այժմ և միշտ և յաւիտեանս յաւիտենից, ամէն: Աստուածաւանդ սուրբ շարակնոցս գրեցաւ ի խնդրոյ աստուածապաշտ Նուասարդի որդի Ճլավս, ի վայելումն որդոցն, և ետ երկուցունց յիշատակ Աստուածատուրին, և միւս որդոյն (Ս)ահակին, և սա գրեցաւ ձեռամբ Պէլիգրատցի Յակոբ երէցվէ ի մայրաքաղաքն Կոստանդինուպօլի, ի թվականիս Հայոց ռ՟ճ՟ի՟է՟ (= 1678) օգոստոս ամսոյ ժ՟ե՟ (15) պատկերաւրն զ՟շ՟ի ի հայրապետութեան Հայոց տեառն Յակոբայ, և առաջնորդ [SDN 92] սուրբ Երուսաղեմայ Մարտիրոս վարդապետ Կաֆհայեցոյ, և ի պատրիարգութեան Կոստանդինուպօլի տէր Անդրէաս քահանայի, որ մականուամբ Ճիհանլամ մարտիվանի ասեն, որ է դժոխաց սանդուխտ: Եւ ի թագաւորութեան Ոսմանց, սուլթան Մահմատ, ասեն որ ի (20) տարի եկաց ի Անդրիանուպօլի, յետ այս տարովս ռ՟ճ՟ի՟զ՟ (= 1677) Ապրիլի բ՟ (2) օրն, երկուշաբտի մտաւ Իսլամպօլ ինքն և մայրն: Յիշատակ է որդոցն Աստուածատուրին, Սահակին, և ես Նաւասարդի որդի Ճլավս որ եմ ի գեղջէն Շռնըղու, ով ոք յիշէ սրտի մտօք յիշատակօղսդ և ինքն օրհնեալ է և եղիցի յամէնից, ամէն: Հայր մեր որ յերկինս, սուրբ եղիցի անուն քո: Fol. 298v Այս է շարակնոցս Մոսէսի, Մոսէսի որդի Ոհանջայ թվս. ռ՟ճ՟կ՟ ումն (= 1711) Հուլիսի ժ՟ ումն (10).
3. Translation: Fol. 118r The city of Shosh (Isfahan), which was [word(s) missing?] The King Shah Sulayman (lit: Sēlimn), in the time of the year 1127 ( = 1678). Fol. 125 This Hymnal is from the region of Ghap‘an from the village of Mughanchugh (Mughanjigh), from Chlav the son of Nawasard of Shŕnughi (Shuŕnukhi) and his sons. Fol. 298v Glory to the most holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and in all eternity, amen. This holy Hymnal confessing God was written on the request of the pious Chlav son of Nawasard, for the enjoyment of his sons, and he gave it to both in memory of Astuacatur, and his other son (S)ahak, and this was written by Yakob the priest from Pēligrat (Bely Grad?), in the capital Constantinople, in the year of the Armenians 1127 (= 1678) in the month August, on the 15th, [two words unclear] during the patriarchate over the Armenians of Lord Yakob and the leader(ship) over holy Jerusalem of Martiros vardapet from Kaffa, and during the patriarchate over Constantinople of Lord Andreas the priest, who is called by his nickname Chihanlam Martivani, which is the Ladder of Hell. And in the reign over the Ottomans of Sultan Mehmed, they say that he came into A(n)drianople at twenty years, after this year 1126 (= 1667), on the second day of April, on Monday he and his mother entered into Islampol. This is in remembrance of (my) sons Astuacatur and Sahak, and I Chlav, Nawasard’s son, who am from the village of Shŕnĕghi (Shuŕnukhi), whoever remembers with the thoughts of his heart those who (are) remember(ed), he himself also is blessed and will be by all, amen. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
4. Comment: Inscriptions found on fols. 118r and 125r in addition to main colophon on fol. 298v

Parchment

Carefully selected and prepared calfskin, scraped thin, though with varying thickness of folio leaves, ranging from medium to thick; lower folio corners are stained from handling; occasional buckling of folios at mid-point; yellow paper pages inserted opposite of full- and some half-page miniatures

Foliation: 300

Foliation marked in pencil in upper right corner, rectos; fol. 1 ruled on both sides but not used for text; fols. 299-300 unruled

Formula: 1(14,-13), 2(12), 3(10), 4(12), 5(10), 6(12), 7(12), 8(12,-12), 9(12), 10(12), 11(12), 12(12), 13(12), 14(12), 15(12), 16(12), 17(12), 18(12), 19(12), 20(12), 21(12), 22(12), 23(12), 24(12), 25(12), 26(4)

Catchwords: None

Signatures: None

Comments: First folios of each quire on fols. 1(1), 14(2), 26(3), 36(4), 48(5), 58(6), 70(7), 82(8), 93(9), 105(10), 117(11), 129(12), 141(13), 153(14), 165(15), 177(16), 189(17), 201(18), 213(19), 225(20), 237(21), 249(22), 261(23), 273(24), 285(25), 297(26)

10.0 cm wide by 15.5 cm high

5.9 cm wide by 10.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 27

fols. 1r - 300v:

1. Title: Hymnal
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Hand note: Bolorgir
4. Decoration note: Thirty-eight full- and half-page polychrome and/or gilded miniatures; eight decorated head-pieces; and decorated incipits and accompanying marginal ornament for each canon division, the majority of which consists of abstract floral designs, birds, trees, and occasionally temples, but more figural elements also appear, including saints, Christ, an archangel, a bishop, and scenes of martyrdom; text frames in red double lines with black knot motifs in the four corners; rubrics in red; text in black ink

fols. 2v - 10r:

1. Title: Canon of the Birth of the Virgin
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: One full-page miniature; two half-page miniatures; one decorated head-piece; and one canon-division incipit with marginal floral motif

fols. 10v - 49v:

1. Title: Canon of the Eve of the Theophany
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Four full- and eight half-page miniatures; one decorated head-piece; and nineteen canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 50r - 93r:

1. Title: Canon of Shrove Tuesday
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Two full- and four half-page miniatures; one decorated head-piece; and fifteen canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 93v - 117r:

1. Title: Canon of the Raising of Lazarus
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Fols. 93v-117r: six full- and one half-page miniatures; one decorative head-piece; and ten canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 118v - 159r:

1. Title: Canon of the Resurrection
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Two full- and two half-page miniatures; one decorative head-piece; and twelve canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 159v - 199r:

1. Title: Canon of Pentecost
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Fols. 159v-199r: two full-page miniatures; one decorative head-piece; and twenty-one canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 199v - 243r:

1. Title: Canon of the Eve of the Holy Cross
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Fols. 199v-243r: one full-page miniature; one decorated head-piece; and thirty-four canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fols. 243v - 297v:

1. Title: Canon of All the Martyrs
2. Scribe: Yakob Pēligratc‘i
3. Decoration note: Fols. 243v-297v: three full-page miniatures; one decorated head-piece; and twenty-two canon-division incipits with marginal decoration

fol. 2v:

1. 
2. Title: Joachim and Anna
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Birth of the Virgin

fol. 3r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of the Birth of the Virgin
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of the Birth of the Virgin

fol. 7v:

1. 
2. Title: Annunciation
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Annunciation

fol. 10r:

1. 
2. Title: Adoration of the Magi
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Eve of the Theophany

fol. 10v:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of the Eve of the Theophany
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of the Eve of the Theophany

fol. 12r:

1. 
2. Title: Nativity
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Theophany: First Day

fol. 23r:

1. 
2. Title: Baptism of Christ
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Eve of the Theophany: Eighth Day

fol. 26r:

1. 
2. Title: Temple
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Magnificat of the Resurrection

fol. 29r:

1. 
2. Title: Presentation in the Temple
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Christ at the Temple

fol. 31r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Anthony the Hermit
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of St. Anthony the Hermit

fol. 32v:

1. 
2. Title: Holy Kings Theodosius and Trdat
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Emperor Theodosius

fol. 34v:

1. 
2. Title: King David and St. James
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Prophet David and the Apostle James

fol. 37v:

1. 
2. Title: Stoning of St. Stephen, Protomartyr
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Protomartyr Stephen

fol. 38v:

1. 
2. Title: SS. Peter and Paul
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Chief Apostles Peter and Paul

fol. 40r:

1. 
2. Title: SS. John and James, Sons of Thunder
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Sons of Thunder, the Holy Apostles James and John

fol. 46r:

1. 
2. Title: Jonah Cast into the Sea
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Prophet Jonah

fol. 47r:

1. 
2. Title: Jonah outside the city of Nineveh
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Prophet Jonah

fol. 48r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Sergius
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Hymn of St. Sergius the General

fol. 49v:

1. 
2. Title: Adam and Eve
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Shrove Tuesday

fol. 50r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of Shrove Tuesday
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of Shrove Tuesday

fol. 51r:

1. 
2. Title: Old man praying
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of Repentance

fol. 54v:

1. 
2. Title: Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Shrove Tuesday

fol. 67r:

1. 
2. Title: Two men in discussion
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Fourth Sunday of the Salt and Bread Fast

fol. 73v:

1. 
2. Title: Forty Martyrs of Sebasteia
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Forty Saints

fol. 76r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Fifth Sunday of the Salt and Bread Fast

fol. 81v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Gregory the Illuminator
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Casting of St. Gregory the Illuminator into the Pit

fol. 88v:

1. 
2. Title: Virgin and Child
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Sixth Sunday of the Salt and Bread Fast

fol. 93v:

1. 
2. Title: Raising of Lazarus
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Raising of Lazarus

fol. 94r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of the Raising of Lazarus
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of the Raising of Lazarus

fol. 96r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ's Entry into Jerusalem
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Palm Sunday

fol. 98r:

1. 
2. Title: Tree
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of Palm Sunday

fol. 99r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ greeted by the people of Jerusalem
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Palm Sunday

fol. 99v:

1. 
2. Title: Adam and Eve
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Holy Monday

fol. 104v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Washes the Disciples' Feet
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Maundy Thursday

fol. 107r:

1. 
2. Title: Crucifixion
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Good Friday

fol. 116r:

1. 
2. Title: Lamentation and Entombment of Christ
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Holy Saturday

fol. 118v:

1. 
2. Title: Resurrection of Christ
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Resurrection

fol. 119r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of the Resurrection
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of the Resurrection

fol. 124v:

1. 
2. Title: Beheading of St. John the Baptist
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: On the Saturday commemorating the beheading of St. John the Baptist

fol. 125v:

1. 
2. Title: Doubting of St. Thomas
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of New Sunday (or the next, untitled canon?)

fol. 149v:

1. 
2. Title: Ascension of Christ
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Ascension

fol. 153v:

1. 
2. Title: Tree
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Second Palm Sunday

fol. 159v:

1. 
2. Title: Pentecost
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of Pentecost

fol. 160r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of Pentecost
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of Pentecost

fol. 169r:

1. 
2. Title: St. John the Baptist, winged
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Birth of St. John the Baptist

fol. 174r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Gregory the Illuminator
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Removal of St. Gregory the Illuminator from the Pit

fol. 177r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Nersēs the Patriarch
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Great St. Nersēs the Patriarch

fol. 179r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Hṙip‘simē
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of St. Hṙip‘simē and Her Companions

fol. 185r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the First Day of Transfiguration

fol. 190r:

1. 
2. Title: Temple
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of Šołakat‘

fol. 191v:

1. 
2. Title: Dormition of the Virgin
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Dormition

fol. 199v:

1. 
2. Title: Two kings flanking a jeweled cross
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Eve of the Holy Cross

fol. 200r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of the Eve of the Holy Cross
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of the Eve of the Holy Cross

fol. 204r:

1. 
2. Title: Temple
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Fourth Day of the Holy Cross

fol. 216v:

1. 
2. Title: St. James of Nisibis, the Patriarch
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of St. James of Nisibis, the Patriarch

fol. 218r:

1. 
2. Title: Archangel
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and of All the Heavenly Host

fol. 219v:

1. 
2. Title: Massacre of the Innocents
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Children of Bethlehem

fol. 220v:

1. 
2. Title: Bishop
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Holy Patriarchs

fol. 223v:

1. 
2. Title: SS. John Chrysostom and Basil and Great
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Hymn of St. John Chrysostom; Hymn of St. Basil the Patriarch

fol. 224r:

1. 
2. Title: SS. Nicholas and Ephrem
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Hymn of the Patriarch Nicholas; Hymn of St. Ephrem

fol. 225r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Gregory Theologus
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Hymn of St. Gregory Theologus

fol. 226v:

1. 
2. Title: St. Menas
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: Hymn of SS. Menas, Hermogenes, and Grabos

fol. 243v:

1. 
2. Title: Scene of martyrdom
3. Form: Full-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of All the Martyrs

fol. 244r:

1. 
2. Title: Head-piece for the Canon of All the Martyrs
3. Form: Head-piece and marginal decoration
4. Text: Canon of All the Martyrs

fol. 260r:

1. 
2. Title: Resurrection of the Dead
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of All the Dead

fol. 282r:

1. 
2. Title: Harrowing of Hell
3. Form: Half-page miniature
4. Text: Canon of the Resurrection of Christ

The binding is original.

Upper and lower wooden boards lined with smooth, medium-brown leather, blind-tooled with an outer rectangular border with four parallel lines, followed by eight-petaled rosettes; inner frame made of double lines with fleurs-de-lis in the corners and four quatrefoils framing a central diamond composed of four additional quatrefoils; a larger, single-lined diamond frames the central diamond; single vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines intersect; two silver pins are affixed to the upper board, and two holes remain on the lower board, indicating that clasps were once attached; the leather spine of the book is not original; inner pastedown of upper board made of red-and-white-striped cloth; inside of lower board is missing its pastedown, leaving the wood exposed

Commissioned by Člav, son of Nawasard, from Šṙnuł, as a dedication to his sons, Astuacatur and Sahak (fol. 298r); the scribe was the Constantinopolitan priest Yakob Pēligratc‘i, who finished the hymnal on August 15, 1678 (AE 1127) during the pontificate of Katholikos Yakob IV at Ēǰmiacin and the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mahmat IV

Mosēs, son of Ohanǰay, from Constantinople, owned the book in the eighteenth century, based on an inscription dated to July 10, 1712 (fol. 125r)

Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased between 1895 and 1931

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest

Thanks are expressed to Professor Bernard Coulie (Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve) for kindly making available his bibliography on the Armenian manuscripts kept in the Walters Art Museum.

De Ricci, Seymour, and W. J. Wilson. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935; p. 763, cat. no. 33.

Der Nersessian, Sirarpie. Armenian Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Baltimore: Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, 1973; pp. 76-82, 91-92, cat. no. X, plates H, 230-241.

Sanjian, Avedis K. A Catalogue of Medieval Armenian Manuscripts in the United States. University of California Publications, Near Eastern Studies 16. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Press, 1976; pp. 326-331, cat. no. 64.

Evans, Helen C. "Baltimore, Walters Art Gallery, MS W.547." In Treasures in Heaven: Armenian Illuminated Manuscripts. Eds. Thomas F. Mathews and Roger S. Wieck. New York; Princeton: Pierpont Morgan Library and Princeton University Press, 1994; pp. 155-156, cat. no. 14, figs. 75, 102.

Principal catalogers: Der Nersessian, Sirarpie; Landau, Amy; van Lint, Theo M

Cataloger: Dennis, Nathan S

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; 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.