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Walters Ms. W.917, Apocalypse with patristic commentary

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Shelf mark

W.917


Manuscript

Apocalypse with patristic commentary


Text title
Apocalypse

Author

Authority name: Andrew, Archbishop of Caesarea


Abstract

This manuscript was made around 1800 by the “Old Believers,” a group of Russian Christians who dissented from the Russian Orthodox Church and were subsequently persecuted and excommunicated. Because their books were often confiscated and they were forbidden to use printing presses, they continued to write important works such as this one by hand. The manuscript contains the text of the New Testament book of Revelation along with a patristic commentary, which is accompanied by a series of seventy-one striking full-page miniatures.


Date

Ca. 1800 CE


Origin

Russia


Form

Book


Genre

Scriptural


Language:

The primary language in this manuscript is Russian.


Support material

Paper

Made of a variety of different types of paper, both laid and wove, ranging from thin to very thick; miniatures generally on thicker paper; some small repairs to paper; no watermarks visible; three different small (approximately 17 mm x 12 mm) raised seals appear occasionally, two containing Cyrillic letters and one ornamented


Extent

Foliation: 233

Pastedowns appear to be part of the original quire structure; folios numbered in pencil (arabic numerals) at top right and in ink (Cyrillic numerals) at bottom right; foliation includes the blank pages before and after the written text; one folio missing between fols. 162 and 163


Collation

Formula: The brittle condition of the paper makes it impossible to determine the exact structure of the quires, most of which are made with additional folios (generally those containing images) pasted in

Catchwords: None

Signatures: Signatures on first page of each quire at bottom center, in Cyrillic numbers; some signatures repeated on subsequent folios, probably to indicate where images were to be inserted

Comments: Quires begin on: pastedown(1), 8(2), 15(3), 19(4), 23(5), 29(6), 33(7), 38(8), 44(9), 48(10), 54(11), 58(12), 63(13), 68(14), 72(15), 76(16), 83(17), 88(18), 94(19), 99(20), 103(21), 109(22), 114(23), 118(24), 124(25), 132(26), 138(27), 144(28), 150(29), 156(30), 163(31), 168(32), 173(33), 180(34), 186(35), 190(36), 195(37), 201(38), 206(39), 213(40), 219(41), 225(42), 229(43)


Dimensions

21.0 cm wide by 29.0 cm high


Written surface

14.0 cm wide by 19.0 cm high


Layout
  1. Columns: 1
  2. Ruled lines: 18-20

Contents:
fols. 1r - 233v:
  1. Title: Apocalypse
  2. Hand note: Script squared, semi-uncial
  3. Decoration note: Seventy-one full-page miniatures; three ornamented headpieces; decorated initials throughout (6-8 lines); rubrics in red; text in black ink

Decoration:

fol. 9v:

  1. W.917, fol. 9v
  2. Title: Christ inspiring St. John
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 15v:

  1. W.917, fol. 15v
  2. Title: St. John narrates his vision
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 19v:

  1. W.917, fol. 19v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Ephesus
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 22v:

  1. W.917, fol. 22v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Smyrna
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 25v:

  1. W.917, fol. 25v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Pergamum
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 28v:

  1. W.917, fol. 28v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Thyatira
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 32v:

  1. W.917, fol. 32v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Sardis
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 35v:

  1. W.917, fol. 35v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Philadelphia
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 38v:

  1. W.917, fol. 38v
  2. Title: Christ's message to the church at Laodicea
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 41v:

  1. W.917, fol. 41v
  2. Title: Christ enthroned
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 45v:

  1. W.917, fol. 45v
  2. Title: Elders placing crowns before Christ
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 47v:

  1. W.917, fol. 47v
  2. Title: An angel approaches St. John
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 49v:

  1. W.917, fol. 49v
  2. Title: Christ enthroned with lamb
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 54v:

  1. W.917, fol. 54v
  2. Title: The first seal: the white rider
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 56v:

  1. W.917, fol. 56v
  2. Title: The second seal: the red rider
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 58v:

  1. W.917, fol. 58v
  2. Title: The third seal: the black rider
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 61v:

  1. W.917, fol. 61v
  2. Title: The fourth seal: the pale rider
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 63v:

  1. W.917, fol. 63v
  2. Title: The fifth seal: martyrs
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 65v:

  1. W.917, fol. 65v
  2. Title: The sixth seal: heavenly portents
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 68v:

  1. W.917, fol. 68v
  2. Title: Sealing of the 144,000
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 73v:

  1. W.917, fol. 73v
  2. Title: Those who were sealed behold the throne
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 76v:

  1. W.917, fol. 76v
  2. Title: The seventh seal: seven trumpets
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 79v:

  1. W.917, fol. 79v
  2. Title: The first trumpet: fiery hail
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 81v:

  1. W.917, fol. 81v
  2. Title: The second trumpet: destruction of ships
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 83v:

  1. W.917, fol. 83v
  2. Title: The third trumpet: destruction of the waters
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 85v:

  1. W.917, fol. 85v
  2. Title: The fourth trumpet: obscuring of the sun and moon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 88v:

  1. W.917, fol. 88v
  2. Title: The fifth trumpet: plague of locusts
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 92v:

  1. W.917, fol. 92v
  2. Title: The sixth trumpet: army of 200,000
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 96v:

  1. W.917, fol. 96v
  2. Title: Angel presents book to St. John
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 100v:

  1. W.917, fol. 100v
  2. Title: St. John eats the book
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 103v:

  1. W.917, fol. 103v
  2. Title: The two witnesses and the beast
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 107v:

  1. W.917, fol. 107v
  2. Title: The ascension of the two witnesses
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 109v:

  1. W.917, fol. 109v
  2. Title: The seventh trumpet
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 111v:

  1. W.917, fol. 111v
  2. Title: A dragon and the woman clothed in the sun
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 115v:

  1. W.917, fol. 115v
  2. Title: War in heaven
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 118v:

  1. W.917, fol. 118v
  2. Title: The dragon pursues the woman
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 121v:

  1. W.917, fol. 121v
  2. Title: The dragon and the beast
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 125v:

  1. W.917, fol. 125v
  2. Title: The two-horned beast
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 129v:

  1. W.917, fol. 129v
  2. Title: The lamb on Mt. Sion with the 144,000
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 132v:

  1. W.917, fol. 132v
  2. Title: An angel brings the Gospel to the people
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 134v:

  1. W.917, fol. 134v
  2. Title: The fall of Babylon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 136v:

  1. W.917, fol. 136v
  2. Title: The mark of the beast
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 139v:

  1. W.917, fol. 139v
  2. Title: The harvest of the earth
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 141v:

  1. W.917, fol. 141v
  2. Title: The winepress
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 144v:

  1. W.917, fol. 144v
  2. Title: The seven vials of plague are distributed
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 148v:

  1. W.917, fol. 148v
  2. Title: The first vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 150v:

  1. W.917, fol. 150v
  2. Title: The second vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 152v:

  1. W.917, fol. 152v
  2. Title: The third vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 154v:

  1. W.917, fol. 154v
  2. Title: The fourth vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 156v:

  1. W.917, fol. 156v
  2. Title: The fifth vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 158v:

  1. W.917, fol. 158v
  2. Title: The sixth vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 161v:

  1. W.917, fol. 161v
  2. Title: The seventh vial
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 164v:

  1. W.917, fol. 164v
  2. Title: The whore of Babylon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 167v:

  1. W.917, fol. 167v
  2. Title: The whore of Babylon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature
  4. Comment:

    This image is nearly identical to that on fol. 164v, though some colors are different

fol. 172v:

  1. W.917, fol. 172v
  2. Title: Babylon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 179v:

  1. W.917, fol. 179v
  2. Title: The punishment of the whore of Babylon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 182v:

  1. W.917, fol. 182v
  2. Title: The bride of the lamb
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 184v:

  1. W.917, fol. 184v
  2. Title: The word of God
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 187v:

  1. W.917, fol. 187v
  2. Title: The punishment of the beast
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 190v:

  1. W.917, fol. 190v
  2. Title: The binding of the dragon
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 192v:

  1. W.917, fol. 192v
  2. Title: Wicked souls imprisoned
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 195v:

  1. W.917, fol. 195v
  2. Title: Forces of evil attack city of the saints; demons descend into hell
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 198v:

  1. W.917, fol. 198v
  2. Title: The delivering up of the dead
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 201v:

  1. W.917, fol. 201v
  2. Title: The New Jerusalem as a bride
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 204v:

  1. W.917, fol. 204v
  2. Title: Christ enthroned with angels
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 206v:

  1. W.917, fol. 206v
  2. Title: The New Jerusalem as bride of the lamb
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 219v:

  1. W.917, fol. 219v
  2. Title: The river of life proceeding from the throne of God
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 223v:

  1. W.917, fol. 223v
  2. Title: Prophets assembling in the city
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 225v:

  1. W.917, fol. 225v
  2. Title: St. John falls to the ground before the angel of his vision
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 227v:

  1. W.917, fol. 227v
  2. Title: St. John presents his book
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

fol. 229v:

  1. W.917, fol. 229v
  2. Title: St. John before Christ; Gabriel holds aloft a letter to one of the cities
  3. Form: Full-page miniature

Binding

The binding is original.

Leather over wooden boards, with brass clasps and studs; leather stamped with patterns, but heavily worn


Provenance

Russia, ca. 1800, created by Russian "Old Believers"

Unknown owner and date; ownership inscription in purple pencil on front and rear pastedowns and on fol. 1v: "Rukopis [ms] No7"; name written below appears to have been erased

Unknown owner; inscription in green pencil on rear pastedown: "26. x. 34." "C. K. A. L. I. S."

Walters Art Museum, 2005, purchased from Sam Fogg Rare Books and Manuscripts


Acquisition

Museum purchase, 2005


Bibliography

Cleminson, Ralph. A Union Catalogue of Cyrillic Manuscripts in British and Irish Collections. London, 1988 (see discussion of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum Ms. 7-1972, comparable to W.917 in date and composition)


Contributors

Cataloger: Kauffman, Nicholas

Editor: Herbert, Lynley

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservator: Quandt, Abigail

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


Publisher

The Walters Art Museum


License

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.