Book of Hours
King David playing his lyre adorns this Armenian Book of Hours published in 1768. The volume has nine engravings coupled with marginal decorations, headpieces, and uncials (capital letters) that reflect Armenian manuscript tradition. The Book of Hours is one of the most widely published texts used by the Armenian Church because it contains the feast days, prayers, liturgical songs, and services appropriate for each hour of the day in the church calendar. It is also a repository for the literary works of some of the most renowned medieval Armenian authors, such as the liturgical songs of the twelfth-century Armenian Katholikos (head of the Armenian church), St. Nersēs Shnorhali (Nerses the Graceful).
King David playing his lyre adorns this Armenian Book of Hours published in 1768. The volume has nine engravings coupled with marginal decorations, headpieces, and uncials (capital letters) that reflect Armenian manuscript tradition. The Book of Hours is one of the most widely published texts used by the Armenian Church because it contains the feast days, prayers, liturgical songs, and services appropriate for each hour of the day in the church calendar. It is also a repository for the literary works of some of the most renowned medieval Armenian authors, such as the liturgical songs of the twelfth-century Armenian <em>Katholikos</em> (head of the Armenian church), St. Nersēs Shnorhali (Nerses the Graceful).