AWDÄ NÄGÄST, or The Circle of the King, and other divinatory texts, in Ge'ez and Amharic, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Ethiopia, late 18th and early 19th century] 182 x 135mm. 1 1 2, 2 7(of 8, vi excised), 3 1 0, 4 5(of 6, v excised), 5 1 0, 6-9 8, 10 1 0, 11 1 0, 12 8, 13 8, 14 1 0, with 4 smaller leaves inserted between gatherings 10 and 11, 32-36 lines written in one column, and 29-35 lines in two columns in black ink in various neat traditional hands, between four scored verticals and 39-35 horizontals, prickings visible in outer margins, rubrics in red, APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-SEVEN SMALL OR HALF-PAGE AND TWENTY-ONE FULL-PAGE DIAGRAMS AND CIRCULAR TABLES in black and red ink, coloured in yellow, brown, orange and grey, and a DRAWING of a prancing lion (modern annotations or marks in biro, ink stains to two leaves, a few leaves excised, some marginal browning.) Contemporary thick wooden boards, housed in two interlocking leather cases; with carrying strap. CONTENT: This compilation of divinatory texts, including the sixteen circular charts of the Awdä Nägäst, or 'Cycle of Kings', is likely to have been created as a manual for diviners and compilers of magic scrolls. A däbtära would transcribe such a treatise for his own use. Further charts scattered amongst the text comprise calendrical calculations, to aid the divinatory or fortune-telling process; also present are square grids enclosing letters or symbols, used on amulet scrolls. The various texts include lists of words of power or magic names ('asmat'), the 'Story or Prayer of Susenyos', also commonly used on magic scrolls, together with instructions for diagnosing patients' ills. The 'Circle of the King', also known as the 'Amashafa Bahr' or 'Book of Lakes', is named after the method by which they are used. Whoever consults the manuscript is guided to one of 16 circular charts containing letters or numbers, each made up of 16 segments representing the day, night, sun and moon within the four compass points. Each segment refers to a text in one of further 'lakes' or chapters. (See C. Conti Rossini, 'La Awda Nagast, scritto divinatorio etiopico', Rassegna di studi etiopici , 1941, pp.127-145).
AWDÄ NÄGÄST, or The Circle of the King, and other divinatory texts, in Ge'ez and Amharic, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM [Ethiopia, late 18th and early 19th century] 182 x 135mm. 1 1 2, 2 7(of 8, vi excised), 3 1 0, 4 5(of 6, v excised), 5 1 0, 6-9 8, 10 1 0, 11 1 0, 12 8, 13 8, 14 1 0, with 4 smaller leaves inserted between gatherings 10 and 11, 32-36 lines written in one column, and 29-35 lines in two columns in black ink in various neat traditional hands, between four scored verticals and 39-35 horizontals, prickings visible in outer margins, rubrics in red, APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-SEVEN SMALL OR HALF-PAGE AND TWENTY-ONE FULL-PAGE DIAGRAMS AND CIRCULAR TABLES in black and red ink, coloured in yellow, brown, orange and grey, and a DRAWING of a prancing lion (modern annotations or marks in biro, ink stains to two leaves, a few leaves excised, some marginal browning.) Contemporary thick wooden boards, housed in two interlocking leather cases; with carrying strap. CONTENT: This compilation of divinatory texts, including the sixteen circular charts of the Awdä Nägäst, or 'Cycle of Kings', is likely to have been created as a manual for diviners and compilers of magic scrolls. A däbtära would transcribe such a treatise for his own use. Further charts scattered amongst the text comprise calendrical calculations, to aid the divinatory or fortune-telling process; also present are square grids enclosing letters or symbols, used on amulet scrolls. The various texts include lists of words of power or magic names ('asmat'), the 'Story or Prayer of Susenyos', also commonly used on magic scrolls, together with instructions for diagnosing patients' ills. The 'Circle of the King', also known as the 'Amashafa Bahr' or 'Book of Lakes', is named after the method by which they are used. Whoever consults the manuscript is guided to one of 16 circular charts containing letters or numbers, each made up of 16 segments representing the day, night, sun and moon within the four compass points. Each segment refers to a text in one of further 'lakes' or chapters. (See C. Conti Rossini, 'La Awda Nagast, scritto divinatorio etiopico', Rassegna di studi etiopici , 1941, pp.127-145).
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
