A Shared Artistic Milieu: A Comparative Study of Two 9th-Century Illuminated Manuscripts from the Bagratid Centres

Among the numerous Armenian and Georgian illuminated manuscripts, two exceptional works stand out—the Armenian Gospel of Queen Mlkʿe (862) and the Georgian Gospel of Adishi (897). These are the earliest illuminated manuscripts from the South Caucasus to exhibit such a high level of artistic sophistication. Unaffiliated with any known artistic circle or school in the region, these gospels share notable similarities and display strong affinities with antique artistic traditions. There is little doubt that the miniatures in both manuscripts were modelled on early Christian prototypes introduced to Armenia from Byzantium, a development closely tied to the flourishing of art during the Macedonian Renaissance.
The colophon of the Adishi Gospel confirms it was copied at the Shatberd Monastery in Kgharjk, during the rule of the junior branch of the Bagratid princely family. The recent attribution of the Gospel of Queen Mlkʿe to the senior branch of the Bagratids of Shirak underscores a shared cultural context in which these two illuminated manuscripts emerged.
This cultural commonality between the two principal centres of the Bagratid family is further reflected in the architectural traditions of the time. The strong echoes of ancient and early Christian influences in Bagratid culture can be attributed to their close political and cultural ties with the Byzantine court, as well as to the broader historical legacy of the region.