Článek 1270
Evangeliarium Strahoviense – The Strahov Evangeliary
A priceless manuscript from the Early Middle Ages, it dates back to around 860 in Tours (France). It is written in Latin. It contains 222 folios (444 pages) measuring 270x168 mm. The evangeliary is written in uncial script (Latin alphabet of capital letters) with the headings written in Roman capitals. Rubrication is used in the manuscript, and it contains some marginalia. Parts of the text, some of the headings, and the illuminations are decorated with gold.
It contains four figural illuminations of the evangelists St. Matthew (with the symbol of an angel), St. Mark (with the symbol of a lion), St. Luke (with the symbol of an ox), and St. John the Evangelist (with the symbol of an eagle). As for the style, it is a pure example of the Ottonian style, the pictures of the evangelists are an early work of the most famous Ottonian painter, Master of the Registrum Gregorii. Originally, these were presumably separate leaves, bound into an older codex later. The quality of the painting is exceptional, the rendering highly sophisticated. Purple background is often used in the text, painted over with vermilion. Inscriptions in gold are written over such background. At some places, green background is also used, besides the purple.
The covers and binding of the manuscript are supposedly of Czech origin, from around 1500. The front is covered in red velvet, and richly decorated. There are four dominant gilded figures in high relief. A silver figure of the Crucifixion is positioned in the centre, with the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist, and two saint bishops on the sides. Furthermore, there are four silver medallions of the Evangelists. The top and the bottom of the cover are decorated with Romanesque enamel discs. Between them, there is a figure of Christ Benedictory on the throne at the top, and the Madonna and Child at the bottom. The composition is completed with cut crystals and semi-precious stones. The binding is protected with decorated silver book corners (on both the front and back covers), the body with gilded gauffered edges is clasped with two decorated clasps.
The manuscript originated sometime around 860 in the scriptorium of Tours. Later it passed into the ownership of the Church of St. Martin in Trier where paintings were added. The evidence of the manuscript’s presence in Trier can be found, for instance, in the entry from 1097 describing the consecration of the altars in the Church of St. Martin in Trier with the names of the Trier bishops.
The original manuscript is kept at the library of the Royal Canonry of Premonstratensians at Strahov in Prague under the book number DF III 3. The Tempus Libri company has obtained the exclusive rights to facsimile the manuscript. The facsimile of the Strahov Evangeliary will be published in a limited edition of 199 copies.
The selling price of this facsimile is 14.000 EUR (incl. decreased VAT rate).