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Psalter

Ethiopian (Tigray, Ethiopia)

15th century

Not on view

Ethiopian psalters usually contain the Psalms of David, with the Canticles (praise hymns), the Song of Songs, and the Magnificat of Mary. According to the Ethiopian Church, King David was the sole author of the Psalms. Here, his full-page portrait shows him playing the begena, a type of box-lyre. Until the twentieth century, the instrument was an Ethiopian status symbol, played only by elite and royal men and signifying their high social and economic standing.

Psalter, Ink and tempera on parchment, Ethiopian (Tigray, Ethiopia) — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Psalter

Date: 15th century

Culture: Ethiopian (Tigray, Ethiopia)

Medium: Ink and tempera on parchment

Dimensions: 12 3/16 × 8 11/16 in. (31 × 22 cm)

Classification: Manuscripts

Credit Line: Collection of the Académie des Sciences / Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits, Paris

Rights and Reproduction: Académie des sciences, on deposit at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des Manuscrits, fonds d'Abbadie

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