UCLA Library Special Collections, A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library, Box 951575, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575. Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu. Phone: (310) 825-4960
Description
Traditional Armenian binding, probably contemporary with text (no evidence of rebinding). Worm, brown leather over thin wooden boards cut with a vertical grain. Very worn blind-tooling. No spine leather; spine now rebacked with a piece of blue cloth with white circles. No fore-edge flap. Two holes on both boards are evidence of clasps, now wanting. Fragmentary traditional raised end-bands. Inside boards line with white fabric, but now covered by paper pastedowns. Edges uncolored. Two sewing stations, and two board attachment loops, but no notches. Fair state of preservation. The MS has suffered damage from fire and dampness. Fols. 47 and 48 are partially worn. Leaves are missing at the beginning and end of the codex, and lacunae exists between fols. 2 and 3, 16 and 17, 48 and 49. 60 and 61, 95 and 96, 114 and 115, 116 and 117. The illustrations of this codex consist of one headpiece (fol. 21) and two decorative initials (fols. 52v and 123v).The small headpiece (measuring 4.8x2.3 cm.) is drawn in wavering lines of dark brow, shaded with an erratic application of magenta, orange, and olive. The forms are traditional, if somewhat awkwardly realized. Double lines define the frame. The rinceau filling the field is a familiar row of lotus –like fan leaves, their curving edhes forming arches to frame pairs of affronted trilobed buds. Oddly, the carefully symmetrical motif has been cut asymmetrically: the left frame cuts down the middle of the fan, while one of the buds faces the right frame. A marginal bird and bird-form initial complete the page.The initial on fol. 52v is formed by a bird, and that on fol. 123v has one ornate design. Both are painted in brilliant colors. Text in notragir, written in one column of 15-16 lines. Opening lines of text in red notragir, and initials in notragir capitals. Fifteen quires of 12 leaves each, numbered with the letters if the Armenian alphabet, written in notragir in the lower margin of the page. Fol. 143-143v. Principle colophon.Later Inscriptions:Fol. 60v. In modern sheghagir in left margin.Fol. 114v. In left margin in notragir.Fol. 133v. Illegible inscription dated A.D. 1697.Fol. 134v. In left margin in crude notragir
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