Walters Ms. 36.10, Gondarine sensul Ethiopian "chain" manuscript Principal cataloger Getatchew Haile, . Cataloger Herbert, Lynley Cataloger Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934 Editor Herbert, Lynley Contributor Bockrath, Diane Contributor Emery, Doug Contributor Noel, William Contributor Tabritha, Ariel Contributor Toth, Michael B. Conservator Evers, Jennifer Conservator Quandt, Abigail 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.

 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. Baltimore The Walters Art Museum 36.10 No linguistic content; Not applicable 1v - 6r Ethiopian "chain" manuscript No text except for inscriptions on images

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 panels8.0 8.0

N/a One strip of parchment folded to create ten pages

 Ten full-page miniatures; inscriptions in red, black, and brown ink Joachim and Anna presenting Mary to the temple Full-page miniature

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.

 How Mary was presented to the Temple Full-page miniature

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."

 Annunciation Full-page miniature

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

 Adoration of the Magi Full-page miniature

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."

 St. George slaying the dragon Full-page miniature

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

 Madonna and Child flanked by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel Full-page miniature

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

 Flight into Egypt Full-page miniature

The inscription on the top reads: "[ዘከ]መ፡ [ተሰ]ደት፡ እግዝእትነ፡ ምስለ፡ ዮሴፍ፡ ወሰሎሜ።," or "How Our Lady fled with Joseph and Salome."

 The Covenant that earned Mary the name Kidanä Mǝḥrät, or "Pact/Covenant of Mercy" Full-page miniature

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.

 The Dormition and Assumption of Mary Full-page miniature

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.

 Mary enthroned Full-page miniature

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

 Late 17th century CE Gondar, Ethiopia 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 Relevant Works Holbert, Kelly, ed. Ethiopian Art: The Walters Art Museum. Baltimore: Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, 2001, pp. 116-117, cat. no. 18. Art Medicine Museum Poetry Script Muhammad, the Prophet Kashmiri Horses Walters Art Museum Document Astrology Devotion History Legal Literature -- Poetry Literature -- Prose Liturgy Philosophy Science Science -- Medicine Scripture Sufism Theology Mineralogy Logic Geography Geomancy Cosmology Cartography Fortune-telling Koran Qur`an Firman Palimpsest Prayer Bible Gospels Psalter Missal Lectionary Book of Hours Antiphonary Homilary Processional Horologion Breviary Hymnal Chronicle Maghreb Sub-Saharan (West) Africa Turkey Afghanistan Central Asia Egypt England India Iran Iraq Pakistan Germany France Austria Netherlands Ethiopia Armenia Flanders Greece Mamluk Mughal Ottoman Ottonian Armenian Byzantine Abbasid Qajar Rajput Christian Arabic Austrian Dutch Egyptian Fatimid German Indian Islamic Persian Safavid Timurid Turkish Umayyad English French Flemish Ethiopian Carolingian Calligraphy Colophon Headpiece Illumination Illustration Medallion Miniature Ornament Painting Early Abbasid script Ragini Romanesque Gothic Watermark Grotesques Historiated initial Inhabited initial White-vine lettering Textura Batarda Humanistic Uncial Accordion book Album Book Codex Manuscript Heraldry Saint's Life Drawing Grisaille Binding New Abbasid style Musical notation Russia Romania Charter Russian Genealogy Mass book Prayer book Gospel Lectionary Psalter-Hours Treatise Grammar Gloss Pontifical Private devotional text Gradual Protective scroll Scroll 10th century 11th century 12th century 13th century 14th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century 8th century 9th century Block book Caroline minuscule Central Arab lands (Near East) Chart English secretary hand Kufic Gothic book hand Original binding Treasure binding Gospel Book Spanish Spain Italian Italy Coptic Scrapbook American United States Maryland Historical Society Friendship book Friendship Biography Liturgical Devotional Scriptural Theological Legal Historical Scientific Scientific -- Medical Literary -- Prose Literary -- Poetry Philosophical Astrological Sufi English Private devotional text Saint's Life Christian Ethiopian Accordion book Manuscript Miniature Painting Walters Art Museum Ethiopia 17th century Devotion Illumination