DESCRIPTION:
Armenian illuminated manuscripts form a separate tradition, related to other forms of Medieval Armenian art. The earliest surviving examples date from the Golden Age of Armenian art and literature in the 5th century. Early Armenian Illuminated manuscripts are remarkable for their festive designs to the Armenian culture; they make one feel the power of art and the universality of its language. The greatest Armenian miniaturist, Toros Roslin, lived in the 13th century.The Library at Yerevan, has the largest collection of Armenian manuscripts, including the Mugni Gospels and Echmiadzin Gospel. The second largest collection of Armenian illuminated manuscripts is stored in the depository of St. James, in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem, of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem of Armenia's Holy Apostolic Church. Other collections exist in the British Library, Bibliotheque nationale de France, and other large collections at the Mechitarist establishments in Venice and Vienna, as well as in the United States.