Two (2) gold plaques from Ethiopia of the same provenance 1- - Lot 18

Two (2) gold plaques from Ethiopia of the same provenance 1- Prayer in Ethiopian on a gold plaque Gold plaque with repoussé inscription of approx. 45 words in Guéez, forming stanza 15 of the twenty-four-hour prayer of St. Nerses IV the Gracious, Armenian Patriarch (1102-1173). The text is reproduced three times identically, with a vertical line dividing each register. 10.8 x 3 cm. Transcription by line and literal translation below: 1 ኦዐቃቤ፡ኵሉ፡እግዚኦ፡ሢም፡ዓቃቤ፡ 2 ለአዐይንተየ፡ፈረሆተከ፡ቀዱሰ፡ከመ፡ኢይረ 3 አያ፡ገበረ፡አኩይ፡ወአበሳ፡ወለአእዛንየ፡ 4 ከመ ፡ ኢይስምዓ ፡ ወኢያሰተሐውዛ ፡ በነገር ፡ 5 ፀዋግ፡ወነገረ፡ሐሜተ፡ወለአፋየ፡ከመ፡ኢይ 6 ተናገር፡ሐሰተ፡ወለልብኒ፡ከመ፡ኢየሐሊ፡ 7 አኩይ፡ወግብረ፡ከነቱ፡ወለአእዳውየ፡ከመ፡ 8 ከመ፡ኢይገበራ፡ጌጋየ፡ወለአእገርየ፡ከመ፡ኢየሑ 9 ሩ፡በፍኖተ፡ዐመፀ፡ወድፍረተ፡ደእሙ፡ሠ 10 ርህ ፡ ኵሉ ፡ ሑሰቶሙ ፡ ከመ ፡ ይኩኑ ፡ በለ 11 ርዓተ ፡ ኵሎሙ ፡ ተእዛዛቲከ ፡ 12 ወተሣሃሎሙ ፡ ለፍጥረትከ ፡ ወሊተኒ ፡ ለኃ 11 ጥእ ፡ ዓቢይ ። Guardian of all, O Christ, may your dexter be my protection, day and night, whether I sit in my house or walk on the road, whether I sleep or rise: may I never therefore be shaken! Have mercy on your creatures and on me, such a great sinner. According to a PMI test on an XRF analyzer, the gold is 94.64% pure. Dating is difficult to establish, probably 17th or 18th century. 2- Small gold repoussé plaque depicting Saint Nerses the Gracious, Armenian patriarch 3.8 x 2.9 cm. Ethiopia, probably 17th or 18th century (dating difficult to establish). According to a PMI test on an XRF analyzer, the gold purity is 95.02%. Provenance of the two pieces : - Former Shlomo Gabbay collection, Israel. - Noonans Mayfair, London, November 28, 2023, lot 57.