AA.VV. - Manoscritto Etiope Ge‘ez - 1650

The Sacred Writing of Ethiopia: The Book as a Ritual and Cosmological Object
This ancient Ethiopian manuscript on parchment, datable to the seventeenth to eighteenth centuries (with a high probability of the late seventeenth century), constitutes a significant testimony to the Ethiopian Christian tradition, in which the book is conceived as a liturgical instrument, a devotional object, and a symbolic support. The Ge’ez script, executed in red and black ink according to a codified chromatic hierarchy, reflects a textual culture deeply ritualized, autonomous and vital well beyond the era of European printing.
Market value
On the international antiquarian market, Ethiopian manuscripts on parchment dating to the 17th–18th century typically command a price between 2,000 and 4,000 euros, depending on age, calligraphic quality, legibility of the text, presence of the original binding, and the overall condition. In this specimen, the well-preserved red and black writing and the contemporaneous wooden binding bolster collectible interest; structural defects and signs of woodworm affect the valuation without compromising its historical and documentary value.

Physical description and condition
Contemporary binding on wooden boards, with signs of wear. Parchment with natural irregularities. Manuscript on parchment, text written in red and black ink with simple decorative elements. In ancient books, with a multi-century history, there may be some imperfections, not always detected in the description. Pp. (8); 270nn; (2).

Full title and author
[Ethiopian manuscript in Ge'ez language].
Ethiopia, 17th–18th centuries.
Various Authors

Context
The Ethiopian manuscript tradition represents a unique case in the history of the book: the transmission of sacred and liturgical texts continued for centuries through manual copying, regardless of the introduction of printing. The combined use of red and black ink corresponds to a precise symbolism, where red signals titles, invocations, and passages of particular spiritual significance. The compact structure of the volume and the binding in wooden boards confirm its liturgical or devotional purpose, often also associated with apotropaic functions.

Biography
Not applicable. The manuscript belongs to the anonymous production of the Ethiopian scriptoria, where the authority of the text and tradition prevails over that of the scribe.

Printing History
In Ethiopia, the manuscript culture remained dominant until very late periods. Manuscripts of this kind circulated mainly within the monastic and ecclesiastical spheres, were copied according to established models and passed down for generations within religious communities.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
E. Ullendorff, Ethiopian Manuscripts.
S. Uhlig, Catalogue of Ethiopic Manuscripts.
Marilyn Heldman, African Zion: The Sacred Art of Ethiopia.