AUTHOR: PRIEST

LANGUAGE: OLD CHURCH SLAVIC

DATE: 1221

PAGE #: 175

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN

VIEW THIS MANUSCRIPTS IN THE DIGITAL LIBRARY

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: "DOBREISHO GOSPEL 1221", A PARCHMENT MANUSCRIPT, OF WHICH ONLY A PART HAS SURVIVED. THE MANUSCRIPT IS FROM THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 13TH CENTURY. THE YEAR 1221 WAS WRITTEN ON THE MANUSCRIPT AT A SIGNIFICANTLY LATER DATE, AND MAY HAVE BEEN COPIED FROM AN ORIGINAL COLOPHON, BY A LATER OWNER. KNOWN AS THE DOBREISHO GOSPEL, THE MANUSCRIPT IS AN IMPORTANT WITNESS TO THE HISTORY, AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT, OF THE BULGARIAN LANGUAGE. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE RICH ILLUMINATION, INCLUDING TWO FULL-PAGE MINIATURES OF THE EVANGELISTS LUKE AND JOHN. THE PORTRAIT OF THE LATTER IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE FIGURE OF THE PRIEST, DOBREISHO, WHO WAS THE DONOR AND/OR THE COPYIST OF THE MANUSCRIPT. THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE MINIATURES REVEALS MANY UNUSUAL FEATURES, NOT YET FULLY EXPLICATED. THE OTHER PART OF THE MANUSCRIPT FORMERLY WAS KEPT IN THE NATIONAL LIBRARY IN BELGRADE, BUT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY FIRE, CAUSED BY THE GERMAN BOMBING OF THE CITY IN 1941.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.