Add MS 57728

THE CHUDOV GOSPELS: from the Chudov monastery in the Kremlin, Moscow; early 16th cent. Church Slavonic. See R. Cleminson, A Union Catalogue of Cyrillic Manuscripts in British and Irish Collections (1988), no. 88. Minute notes at the foot of the rectos of ff. 2-7 record the gift of the book in 1591 by the priest-monk Nifont of St. Catherine's to his heir, the monk Nifont of Surozh, of the Chudov monastery to place upon the altar of St. Alexei's church there. The book left Chudov during the troubles of 1600-1612 when the monastery was sacked by the Poles. Note of purchase (f. 7v) in 1614 by the merchant Andrei Ignatovich of Tishevetsk and his wife, who donated it to the church of St. Paraskeve in Tishevetsk. Inserted slips point to Polish ownership in the 19th cent. Sold at Sotheby's, 29 Feb. 1972, lot 537. Purchased from Paul Grinke, cat. no. 5, item 2, 16 Sept. 1972.

Paper; ff. vi+311. 248 x 180mm. Fragment of a printed book used as a flyleaf (f. ii). Gatherings (52) of 6, except xx-xxi8, xxii-xxiii4, lii6 (lacks 6). This is not the original collation. Losses include at least 2 leaves after f. 89 and at least one after f. 228 (the beginnings of the Gospels of Mark and John). Written space 185 x 110mm. Script is a formal semi-uncial. Watermarks similar to Briquet 3630 (1519) and 3629 (1484-1494). Modern British Library binding, apparently replacing a damaged one of green velvet over wooden boards.

Finely illuminated in Byzantine fashion, with rastitelny (formalised vegetation) and much gilding. The introduction to Mark's Gospel (f. 88) may have been copied from a western printed book and exhibits Renaissance influences in its headpiece and foliate border, with St John's eagle. Further Byzantine style headpieces occur on ff. 85, 137, 139, 142, 292. Major decoration has been lost from the beginnings of the Gospels of Mark and John (see above). Gold display script and some key words and headings in gold. 6-line major initials occur on ff. 88, 139, 142. Minor initials, litterae notabiliores and titles in red throughout. Marginal decorations mark the beginning of lessons, including an Orthodox Cross with Instruments of the Passion (f. 269v). Green silk windows with penwork borders protect the illumination on ff. 8, 87, 141, 291.