Shelfmark

Zanasi-Li Volsi 4

Owning institution

Private collection of Giuseppina Zanasi, Rome

Typology

Codex

The manuscript is composite: it consists of 2 codicological units, made with distinct materials and written by distinct hands: I (ff. 1–5, sheep parchment), II (ff. 6–87, goat parchment).

Title

Mäṣḥafä säʿatat (“Book of the hours”)

Subject

Liturgy, Hymns, Prayers.

Language

Gǝʿǝz

Outer size (included the binding)

137 x 112 x 50 mm

Outer size of the textblock

135 x 109 x 33 mm

Number of folia

87

Binding

Two uncovered wooden boards. Four sewing stations.

Sewing

Original sewing: two Z-twisted threads (each thread is S-twisted) of animal origin.

Additional sewing: two S-twisted threads (each thread is Z-twisted) made of white cotton and ten Z-twisted threads (each thread is S-twisted) made of red cotton.

Sewing pattern

Bozzacchi A4

Slip case

–

State of preservation of the binding

Discrete.

Provenance and history

Unknown provenance.

The manuscript came into possession of the Zanasi-Li Volsi family at an unspecified time in the 20^th century.

Folia

Ff. 1–5

Copying date

19^th century, dated on a paleographical basis.

Short description of the content

Ff. 1r–5v: Prayer in honour of Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus

Incipit: መፍቀሬ፡ ጸሎት፡ ወጾም፡ ኮከበ፡ ገዳም፡ ገብረ፡ መንፈስ፡ ቅዱስ፡ እንቋ<ዕ>፡ ሰ<ላ>ም፡ ሰላም፡ ለከ፡ ሰላም፡ ብእሲ፡ ጊጉይ፡ ድህረ፡ ን<ስ>ሐሁ ዘሰረይከ፡ ሎቱ፡ አበሳሁ፡ ሰረየ፡ ሊተ፡ አባ፡ ከማሁ።

Writing material

Sheep parchment

Blank folia

–

Quires

1

Quire marks

–

Layout

1 column

Number of lines per column

14–18

Ruling

The quire is unruled. Blind pricking (only ff. 4–5 have pricks).

Ruling pattern

–

Scribe

Unknown

Colophon

–

Additional notes

F. 5v: short writing in black ink, almost completely illegible due to faded ink.

Decoration

–

State of preservation of the textblock

Discrete.

Folia

Ff. 6–87

Copying date

19^th century, dated on a paleographical basis.

Short description of the content

Ff. 6ra–85va: Mäṣḥafä säʿatat (“Book of the hours”)

This text incorporates numerous liturgical readings, prayers, hymns, and New Testament excerpts. The text begins with the following hymns:

1. Ff. 6ra–6rb: Hale luya aʿattǝb wäʾǝtnäśśaʾ (“Hallelujah, I make the sign of the cross and rise up”, Hymn to God).

2. Ff. 6rb–7rb: Qǝddus qǝddus qǝddus Ǝgziʾabǝḥer “Holy, holy, holy God”, Hymn to God)

3. Ff. 7rb–8va: Gǝnäyu läʾƎgziʾabǝḥer wäṣäwwǝʿu sǝmo hale luya (“Prostrate yourself to God and call upon his name, Halleluja”, Hymn to God).

4. Ff. 8va–9vb: Ǝweddǝsäkki odǝngǝl mǝlǝʿt wǝddase (“I praise you, o virgin full of praise”, Hymn to Mary).

5. Ff. 9vb–11ra: Nǝʿi ḫabeyä odǝngǝl mǝslä wäldǝki fǝqurǝki (“Come to me, o virgin, with your beloved son”, Hymn to Our Lady Mary).

6. Ff. 12va–13va: Säʾali länä Maryam ǝmmǝnä wäʾǝmmu läʾƎgziʾǝnä (“Pray for us Mary, Our mother and mother of Our Lord”, Hymn to Mary).

Etc.

Writing material

Goat parchment

Blank folia

87r–87v

Quires

9 (8 + 1 final protective quire)

Quire marks

Indicated in black pale ink on the upper corner of the first folio of each quire. Undecorated.

Layout

2 columns

Number of lines per column

15–16

Ruling

Blind ruling, from the inside to the outside. Blind pricking, from the inside to the outside. Lines are written above the ruling.

Ruling pattern

Nosnitsin 1

Scribe

Unknown

Colophon

–

Additional notes

F. 85vb: the hymn Hale luya aʿattǝb wäʾǝtnäśśaʾ (“Hallelujah, I make the sign of the cross and rise up”) is written in a thick, mediocre, and strongly right-sloping handwriting.

Ff. 86ra–86rb: calendar note written in a mediocre hand in black ink, indicating the commemoration feasts of the apostles for each month. The text begins as follows: ሠረቀ፡ መስከረም፡ በ፩በርተሎሜ<ዎ>ስ፡ ሠረቀ፡ ጥቅምት፡ በ፲ወ፪ማቴዎስ፡ በ፳ወ፪ሉቃስ። ሠረቀ፡ ኅዳር፡ በ፲ወ፰ፊልጶስ፡ ሠረቀ፡ ታኅሣሥ፡ በ፬እንድርያስ፡.

Decoration

F. 86v: polychrome drawing of a winged saint (red, yellow, green), perhaps Gäbrä Mänfäs Qəddus. The drawing is executed in a rudimentary style.

State of preservation of the textblock

Discrete.

The only serious and unfortunately irreversible damage is the general browning of the parchment. For the rest, there are coherent and incoherent superficial deposits. Small folds and tears (e.g. on f. 72) are the only mechanical damage.