Dobreisho Gospel 1221 - Fine leather Facsimile

Description

AUTHOR: PRIEST
LANGUAGE: CHURCH SLAVIC
DATE: 1221
REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.75 X 8.75 IN
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: THE HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH TWO PIECES OF REAL WOOD ON THE INSIDE. THE LEATHER IS A 2 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NEW YORK STATE. THE GLUE WE USE TO ATTACH THE LEATHER TO THE WOOD IS MADE AT OUR FACILITY, AND IS A PERIOD CORRECT WHEAT GLUE. ALONG THE SPINE, WE USE A MODERN PERFECT BINDING, WITH MODERN GLUE, TO MAKE THE BINDING LAST LONGER. WE ALSO ADD THREE LAYERS OF MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE PERFECT BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT.