Illuminated leaf from an Armenian gospel Armenia, probably 1 - Lot 163

Illuminated leaf from an Armenian gospel Armenia, probably 15th-17th century. Ink, gold and pigments on paper. Sheet size: 24 x 16 cm. This leaf, from a tetra-gospel, is the title page of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. The initial of the text is skilfully formed by an angel holding a Gospel, the iconographic symbol of the first Evangelist. The text, executed in erkatagir (Armenian capital letters), continues in ornithomorphic letters, enriched with stylized avian and plant motifs. The upper frontispiece features an architectural composition of Cilician inspiration, entirely highlighted in gold. The gilded background highlights a network of geometric interlacing and polychrome palmettes. In the upper section, two confronting birds frame a cup or chalice, a symbolic motif evoking Eucharistic communion and highly characteristic of manuscripts in the Cilician tradition. The right-hand margin features a vertical floral decoration ending in a patriarchal cross, highlighted in blue and gold. These decorative elements reveal a perfect mastery of the graphic conventions inherited from 13th-century Cilician miniatures, while also revealing a later hand, directly inspired by models from the Hromkla or Grner schools. Although the provenance of the folio remains uncertain, the style, chromatic palette and generous use of gold testify to a work produced in a scholarly workshop intent on perpetuating the Cilician iconographic tradition. Condition: minor marginal wear and tear, old restorations visible on the paper, but the illumination is preserved in a beautiful state of chromatic freshness. The page is mounted under a black mat.