Ethiopia 8 Coptic Ge'ez handwritten Bible leaves

This Bible leaves are written in Ethiopic (Ge'ez), a Semitic language that is no longer spoken, but is still used for liturgical and other religious purposes by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The leaves are vellum, usually calfskin, prepared by a lengthy exposure in lime, scraped with a rounded knife and finally rubbed smooth with pumice stone. The vellum is often scored with a pin, and they are written in black ink with titles and holy names often being in red ink. The subjects of these Bibles are always Christian, but actual content varies. It is difficult to date these pieces, which were made as early as the fourteenth century.For more information and fine examples, see Appleyard's ETHIOPIAN MANUSCRIPTS and Mercvier's ETHIOPIAN MAGIC SCROLLS