Basil and the Golden-Plate Thief
Image displayed with permission of Bibliothèque nationale de France
Basil and the Golden-Plate Thief
- This painting (also called an illumination) appears in a manuscript likely made in Gondar, Western Ethiopia, and dated to 1675-1724. You can view this painting in the manuscript Bibliothèque nationale de France, Ethiopien d'Abbadie Collection, Manuscript No. 222, f. 13v, s. 28, or learn more about this manuscript at its PEMM Manuscript page. You can also read the related story at its PEMM Story page.
- Many Geʿez manuscript paintings are in "Synoptic Narrative Art” style; that is, a single painting depicts multiple moments in the story, providing a series of vignettes representing different plot points. PEMM calls these "episodes". This painting of PEMM Story ID 127 has 5 episodes. The painting's episode descriptions, locations, and keywords are:
- 1. The Jewish man hears about the golden plate (top-left). The object(s) are head covering; tree.
- 2. The Jewish man hides in the church after the priests go home (top-right). The object(s) are church; tree. The living being(s) are priest.
- 3. The Jewish man attempts to sell the platter to St Basil (center). The object(s) are throne; handkerchief; lectern; book. The living being(s) are patriarch; Basil; priest.
- 4. The Jewish man is baptized (bottom-left). The object(s) are cross; censer; hand cross; water container; candle; veil.
- 5. The man becomes a deacon in the church and sees the Holy Spirit in the likeness of a dove (bottom-right). The object(s) are church; tree; dove; altar. The living being(s) are Holy Spirit.
- The number of PEMM manuscripts that have paintings of this story is 1. The total number of paintings of this story in PEMM manuscripts is 1.
- PEMM's ID number for this painting is 1769.
- To reproduce this image online or in print, please contact the Bibliothèque nationale de France. PEMM does not own the rights.
- If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the location, date, description, captions), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
