Hrvoje's Missal

Hrvoje's Missal Hrvojev misal
Page from Hrvoje's Missal
Created	15th century
Location	Split
Author(s)	Butko
Purpose	Glagolitic missal

The Hrvoje's Missal (Croatian: Hrvojev misal) is a 15th-century Croatian Glagolitic missal, often considered the most beautiful and the most interesting Croatian Glagolitic book.^[1]

History

Illumination of Hrvoje Vukčić (left) and his crest (right).

This liturgical book was written in Split by the resident calligrapher and glagolitic scribe Butko in 1404 for Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić (Kotor around 1350–1416) who was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split.^[1] Hrvoje Vukčić was the most prominent member of the House of Hrvatinić and the strongest of the three main large feudalists of early feudal medieval Bosnia.

Description

This document is both dedicated to Hrvoje Vukčić, and are of great significance to Croatian and Bosnian history. Hrvoje's Missal was plundered by the Turks and taken to the Library of Turkish sultans - Topkapi Sarayi library in Constantinople today's Istanbul, where it still remains. Once bound in precious covers, from 19th century Hrvoje's Missal is in leather binding. Hrvoje's Missal is considered as one of the most beautiful Croatian Glagolitic books. It contains 247 folios, which includes 96 miniatures and 380 initials and many more small initials. Some details are made of golden leaves. It is written in two columns on 488 pp (22.5x31 cm), and contains also some music notation. Some initials contain architectural elements of the Dalmatian city of Split. The particular value of the Hrvoje's Missal lies in its combination of eastern and western principles in terms of composition and contents, thus making it a truly deluxe work and securing it a place in the regional and transregional history of art.

See also

• Glagolitic alphabet
• Hval Manuscript
• History of Bosnia and Herzegovina (958–1463)

References

• V. Jagić - L. Thalloczy - F. Wickhoff: Missale glagoliticum Hervoiae ducis Spalatensis, Wien, 1891.
• Glagoljski misal Hrvoja Vukčića (fototipsko izdanje), Staroslavenski institut-Mladinska knjiga-Akademische Druck - u. Verlagsanstalt, Zagreb-Ljubljana-Graz, 1973.

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