Codex Sinopensis

550–600

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This sumptuous bifolium from a luxurious Gospel of Matthew, dyed in purple and illuminated in gold and silver Greek uncial script, reveals the highest level of Byzantine book production. The later appearance of similarly embellished Qur’ans, seen in the exhibition’s final gallery, indicates that these standards transcended religious distinctions.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Codex Sinopensis
Date: 550–600
Geography: Made in Syria, Byzantine Palestine, Constantinople (?)
Medium: Gold ink on parchment; 1 bifolium
Dimensions: Bifolium: 19 11/16 x 22 1/4 in. (50 x 56.5 cm)
Classification: Manuscripts
Credit Line: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris (suppl. grec 1286), folios 13, 16
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters