Some Remarks on the Latest Binding of the Siya Gospel and the Origin of the Miniature “The Adoration of the Magi”

Abstract

The paper is concerned with the latest binding of the Siya Gospel of 1339 which was renovated in the 18th century. Having been extracted from the Siya Gospel, fol. 0 with the miniature “The Adoration of the Magi” could have been primarily cut to fit in a smaller codex, or to be put into the Siya Gospel without sewing or gluing. It cannot be excluded that the leaf was cut for a usage as a flyleaf in a certain codex. In the middle of 18th century the Siya Gospel obtained its present binding, for which a leaf of parchment with Empress Elisabeth’smonogram was used. It is argued that the leaf could originate from discarded materials of the Heraldmaster Office which, from the 1750s, was actively occupied with the issue of diplomas granting coats of arms and titles to nobles.