EDLD+5366+Projects

EDLD 5366, ET 8037, Cohort 23 Assignment 1.2: Analysis of Ancient Manuscripts and Books

I analyzed the __Bible from Ethiopia__. I was struck by how colorful the images are. The images are simple, clear, and beautiful. I will focus on one image to identify examples of each of the four principals of design. //Bible from Ethiopia// at The British Library

On page 2, Moses is depicted receiving the laws from God. The principle of //contrast// is demonstrated in the use of contrasting colors. Moses’ dark hair is contrasted in the yellow halo and the halo contrasts against the background; yellow lines in the frame contrast against the blue lines around the entire image, while red is used to show the detail in the yellow part of the frame. The principle of //repetition// is demonstrated in the triangular shapes that are shown in a vertical line on the left side of the picture, which are also repeated in the edge of the fabric draped over Moses’ shoulder and also in the detail of the print on his garment. The blue is repeated in several areas of the picture: the triangles, the frame, Moses’ garment, and the “sun” in the upper right corner. //Alignment// is demonstrated in that Moses is in the center of the picture with his feet on the ground. However, his gaze is upward, pointing toward something higher than himself, and he is reaching in that same upward direction. The tablet is lined up with his head, with Moses’ eyes at the bottom edge of the tablet. The celestial hand is aligned with the top of Moses’ head. //Proximity// is demonstrated with the caption at the top of the picture. Also, the tablet is right next to Moses’ head. Moses has his feet on the ground, connecting him to the earth. The hand is protruding from what appears to be a sun or some other celestial body and is far away from the ground which shows it’s clearly not of the earth. The types of colors used give clues as to what century this book was created. When the author goes on to relay Genesis, he uses trees with birds in them to symbolize the Garden of Eden. The types of vines and colors used in them were carefully chosen to give proper importance to each page.

Turning the Pages: High quality version of the Ethiopic Bible. (n.d.). //THE BRITISH LIBRARY - The world's knowledge//. Retrieved January 22, 2012, from http://www.bl.uk/collections/treasures/ethiopic/ethiopic_broadband.htm?top