Illuminated Manuscript - Manoscritto Etiope Ge‘ez - 1780

The Book of the Desert and of Color – Miniature and Colored Ethiopian Codex on Parchment
This manuscript, enclosed in an original leather binding with a patina of use and a hand strap, represents a typical example of private devotion in Christian Ethiopia.
The text, written in Ge‘ez — the sacred and liturgical language of the Coptic-Ethiopian rite — contains prayers and liturgical formulas accompanied by rubrics in red, following the custom of monastic manuscripts. The front miniature depicts three saints or prophets with halos and white beards, drawn with an essential yet powerful stroke, within a chromatic register of pastel tones now faded by time.
Market value
In the international antiquarian market, Ethiopian illuminated manuscripts in good condition with original binding generally range from 900 to 2,000 euros, with higher prices for complete and illustrated copies. This code falls within the middle range, between 1,200 and 1,500 euros, depending on preservation and textual integrity.

condition
Ethiopian manuscript on parchment, written in Ge‘ez language in black and red, 2 columns per page, 14 lines per column. A full-page polychrome miniature at the beginning of the text, depicting three saints with halos. Original brown leather binding with patina of use and an integral strap, wear at the edges, and small gaps; internally well preserved, with browning and traces of use. Pp. 142.

Full title and author
Ethiopian liturgical code in Ge‘ez language.
Ethiopia, 18th–19th centuries.
S.A.

Context
The manuscript testifies to the continuity of Ethiopian Christian tradition, rooted in the ancient Coptic and Greek versions of the Scriptures. The codices of this type were produced in the monasteries of the Gondar and Tigray regions, often on goat parchment, intended for personal or devotional use. The iconography of the three saints with pomegranates can be linked to Trinitarian symbolism or the Three Magi, but also to representations of the saintly monastic founders of Ethiopian communities.

Biography of the Author
Anonymous Ethiopian monk scribe, likely active between the late 18th and early 19th century. The training of Ethiopian scribes took place within monastic schools, where the Ge‘ez language continued to be learned as a sacred and literary language.

Printing History
Ethiopian manuscripts were produced continuously until the 20th century, when printing began to replace them in liturgical production. The copies on goat or sheep parchment, with natural pigments and leather bindings, represent the last reflection of the late medieval African Christian tradition.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mercier, Jacques. Ethiopian Art. Paris: Citadelles & Mazenod, 2007.
Uhlig, Siegbert. Encyclopaedia Aethiopica. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2003–2014.
Leroy, Jules. The Illustrated Ethiopian Manuscripts. Paris: CNRS, 1964.