Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Ruzan Orkusyan
Staff Writer
Armenia’s rich, diverse history and culture is perhaps best described through ancient manuscripts and artwork. Since such valuable resources are often unknown, many aspects of the Armenian past are kept secret.
Dr. Thomas F. Mathews, Professor Emeritus of Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU, enlightened a captivated audience on February 8, 2012, discussing “The Mystery of the Gospel of King Gagik-Abbas of Kars.” He compared the 11th century manuscript, housed in the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, to the Parthenon of Athens, noting that both represented the epitome of cultural achievements of their cultures. Although, the paintings in the Gospel are damaged and some images are missing, some of the manuscript’s secrets have begun revealing themselves.
Dr. Mathews was invited to speak by Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, director of the Armenian Studies Program, as part of the Spring ASP Lecture series. While in Fresno, he also spoke to an art history class taught by Prof. Keith Jordan. The Art History Club and the Department of Art and Design at Fresno State were co-sponsors of the event, partially funded with IRA funds. Art History club advisor Laura Meyer was instrumental in arranging for the co-sponsorship.
The Gospel of Gagik-Abbas, who was the last king of Kars before the Seljuk invasion, is arguably the most illuminated Gospel ever executed. It contains 56 carpet ornaments, 256 birds, and 10 decorative index tables. In addition, there were originally 227 narrative miniatures of the Life of Christ, of which only about six percent remain today.
According to Professor Mathews, there are four great secrets that the manuscript holds. The first deals with theology in its original setting. The Gospel was made to explain religion and to defend Armenian Christianity, in the face of the Seljuk advance. In addition, Professor Mathews revealed that the portrait of the royal family, the most famous miniature in the Gospel, was not originally part of the Gospel. It was found in a library and attached to the Gospel at a later date, but the style of writing clearly demonstrates that it belonged to another manuscript. However, the portrait is still important as it presents princess Marem as the successor to Gagik-Abbas. In a sense, this portrait, by depicting Marem on a lion throne wearing the tiraz, or badge of office, was a deed to inheritance.
Another secret was regarding the journeys of the Gospel. When Kars was pillaged, the Gospel was safely stored in the Citadel. From there, it traveled to Tsamandos where it inspired new artists and scribes. Later, it was carried to Hromkla with the Catholicos, and finally, to Jerusalem. Everywhere the Gospel went, it inspired artists; today we can draw parallels between the Gospel of Gagik-Abbas and works created in later centuries. In the Trebizond Gospel (Venice 1400), whose patron was princess Marem, fol. 7v is strikingly similar to fol. 8 of Gagik-Abbas’ Gospel. In addition, since the Gospel migrated to Cilicia after the fall of Tsamandos, motifs seen in Gagik-Abbas’ Gospel are seen throughout Cilician manuscripts.
The last secret was of the fate of the Gospel, which suffered tragic mutilation that some attribute to deliberate vandalism, yet others, to devout Christians. Professor Mathews commented that the figure of Christ had been cut out in all the miniatures. The miniatures that were not harmed were either of very poor quality or did not contain Christ’s image. This led Professor Mathews to hypothesize that the mutilation was the work of a devout Christian collecting images of Christ, sometime after the Gospel’s use in Cilicia but before its rebinding in 1703.
The Gospel remains an important treasure of Armenian past and an inspiration to those who see it. The audience was very fortunate to witness glimpses of a manuscript that very few have access to. And one can hope that with time, more is revealed about the vibrant history of the Gospel and therefore, Armenia