5.7 Lectionary
Late 11th - early 12th c.
Iviron Cod. 1404
Parchment, 32 x 25 cm, ff. 333
In terms of illumination, this manuscript contains only decoration, which appears on every leaf and includes Π-shaped or band-shaped headpieces surmounted by lovely ornaments of fountains and birds, and diverse floral designs between the arms of the cross formed by the text. It contains the Gospel lections for the year in a carefully executed script, with the text laid out in the shape of a cross. The binding consists of two wooden boards covered with silver gilt sheets and metal mesh on the spine. On the covers there are representations of the Crucifixion, the Anastasis (Descent into Hell), the four Evangelists and Sts George, Demetrios, and Theodore Teron. The manuscript is in very good condition.
Bibliography: Thesauroi 1975, p. 347, figs. 268-71. Kadas 1983, p. 55 n. 3, pl. 1α (with the indication x.x. [not numbered]).