Gospels of Vardsia
The Gospels of Vardsia ( Georgian ვარძიის ოთხთავი or ვარძიის სახარება) is a Georgian manuscript from the 12th or 13th century. It is a liturgical book and contains the text of the four canonical gospels . It probably belonged to the Georgian Queen Tamar . The Gospels were kept in the Wardsia Monastery until the 16th century . Persians stole the book from the Vardsia monastery, but Levan, the son of the Kakheti king, released it and brought the gospel back to Vardsia. Today it is kept in the Georgian National Manuscript Center under the call number Q-899.
The Gospels are written on high quality white parchment . The manuscript contains 289 sheets in the format of 23 × 18 cm. The book used to have a silver cover with an enamel icon of Mary . The shell was stolen and is lost.
The text is in the classic Georgian script Nuschuri ( nʊsχʊrɪ ) in two columns, but the titles are written in red ink in the Georgian capital script Assomtawruli . Important parts of the text and the initials are shown in gold ink. The gospel book is distinguished by its illumination . The miniatures of the evangelists are smaller than in other Georgian evangelists. The miniatures are decorated with the original ornaments.
literature
- ქართული ხელნაწერი წიგნი, V-XIX საუკუნეები, თბილისი, 2012, გვ. 75 (Georgian Manuscript Book, 5th-19th centuries, Tbilisi, 2012, p. 75.) (Georgian and English)