Beschreibung:

Anonymous Armenian artist Four Commentaries on King Solomon’s Song of Songs, in classical Armenian (grabar), illuminated manuscript on paper Ējmiatsin, Armenia, 1787. A striking compilation of commentaries on the Song of Songs, written in classical Armenian by the scribe, clerk, and notary Yohan Vagharshapatets’i for the patron Yakob (Hagop) vardapet. 218 x 168 mm., 146 leaves, paginated 2-232 in ink by the scribe below the right-hand column (pp.233-235 paginated in a later hand), collation: π8 χ7 (of 8, lacking viii of which only a stub remains) [1]3 (of 4, lacking iv) 2-158 [16]8 [17]8 ; (missing 1 leaf, pp.7-8 in gathering [1]), 3 detached leaves of a different paper stock at the end, one of which is a red, yellow, green decorated paste paper, catchwords on every verso, 2 columns of 30-31 lines each, the text mostly notrgir (notary) script with some bolorgir (minuscule) and erkat’agir (majuscule) throughout, pp.231-235 in shghagir script (modern ligatured script) by a non-professional scribe dated 30 May 1829, ruled space: c.170 x 56 mm, includes a decorated title page (p. [1]) in one column of 19 lines, decorative bird and animal-shaped initials, three 1-column headpieces indicating the beginning of the first three commentaries, decorative flowers at the end of the first, second, and fourth commentaries and in margins. Modified traditional Armenian binding structure decorated in a western European manner with a blind tooled double border of floral designs and gold tooled using three different stamps repeated 12 times in corners, top, bottom, and sides, and a group in the center. The upper and lower boards are tooled in the same manner. Red silk cloth lines the inner boards. Head, tail, and fore-edge painted with floral decorations. Provenance: (1) Original patron/owner 1787: Yakob (Hagop) vardapet. (2) Probably in the possession of Georg [P’]ilipposean Erewants’i Ghazareants’ in 1829. (3) Prince Georgy Vasilyevich Obolensky (1826-1886): inscription 'В. Г. Кн. Оболенского'. Obolensky was a lawyer and lieutenant general of the Imperial Russian Army. A second inscription is almost illegible and reads: 'Романовъ / Лопачи (?), or 'Romanov / Lopachi (?)'. Content: Title page p.1; prologue pp.2-6; Commentary on the Song of Songs by St. Gregory of Narek pp.9-76; Commentary on the Song of Songs by Origen pp.77-110; Commentary on the Song of Songs by Vardan Arewelts’i pp.110- 171; Commentary on the Song of Songs by Gregory of Tat’ew pp.171-227; colophon pp.229-230; later text (not related to the Song of Songs) dated 30 May 1829 pp.231-235. This manuscript is a compilation of four Commentaries on the Old Testament Song of Songs, copied in a professional notrgir script by the highly skilled scribe and clerk Yohan Vagharshapatets’i in 1787. There are many Armenian manuscripts with multiple commentaries on this biblical text in various combinations. The first commentary in this compilation is by the famous St. Gregory of Narek (or Grigor Narekats’i, ca. 945-1003), beloved by Armenians for his Book of Lamentations, mystical prayers, poetry, hymns, homilies, and other works. His commentary on the Song of Songs, his earliest work, was written at the request of Prince Gurgen Artsruni in 977. The second text is the Armenian translation of the Commentary written by Origen (3rd century Greek theologian and ascetic from Alexandria). The third was penned in the 13th century by Vardan (Arewelts’i) “the Great” (ca. 1200-1271), scholar, educator, and vardapet (learned priest) best known for his History and Geography. The fourth and last commentary was composed by Gregory of Tat’ew (Grigor Tat’ewats’i (ca. 1344-1409), renowned exegete, scholar, and teacher. A later text added after the commentaries on pp.231-235, as well as a short inscription on the first (unnumbered) page of the manuscript, were written in a non-professional shghagir script by Gēorg [P’]ilipposean Erewants’i Ghazareants’ in holy Ējmiatsin and dated 30 May 1829. This text is not co