The design of Slavic manuscripts depended on their purpose, the funds put into their production, and on the scriptorium of their creation. Scholars distinguish two manuscript styles according to their ornamentation. Kings commissioned the most beautifully decorated manuscripts, produced in royal scriptoria with gold and colors for illuminations. Monastic scriptoria produced a less decorative style, using earth-colored tones.

According to the prominent literary figure Grigorii Tsamblak, Bulgarian manuscripts date to antiquity. During the First Bulgarian Kingdom, Bulgarian manuscripts established a more eclectic style, faithfully reproducing texts and illustrations from originals coming from all over the Byzantine Empire: Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and the Southern Italian Greek provinces. Although Slavic scribes preserved the Byzantine tradition genre and decorative character, they created a typical style of manuscript decoration quite distinct from the Latin.

The Glagolitic script, with its round character, necessitated the invention of a new style of writing and system of decoration. Sts. Cyril and Methodius knew different languages and alphabets, including Ethiopian, Coptic, and Armenian, and might have copied from manuscripts originating in those provinces. The earliest Glagolitic manuscripts displayed simple ornaments of round initial letters, symmetrically composed without lavished floral ornamentation and developing more the system of intertwined vine design, while Byzantine manuscripts emphasized more the floral elements and palm leaves. Bulgarian manuscripts used simplified initial letters, while Byzantine used colorful. Finally, Bulgarian scribes used capital uncial letters while Byzantine scribes used small uncial letters.

Bulgarian manuscript tradition during the Comnenian dynasty adopted the Byzantine 11th to 12th century flowery/color style, while developing its own barbarian fantastic "terratological" ornamental style:
The miniatures, framed with ornamented square frames, occupy a full page. Large, square headpieces (zastavka) initiate each new work, involving the typical Byzantine palm leaf and a plethora of flowers, branches and birds, structured with a strong symmetry. Initials resemble ancient columns, ornate with zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, and floral elements in styles such as Ostromirovo Evangelie, Mstislavovo Evangelie, and Svetoslavov Sbornik.

The "terratological" style preserves the floral style structure in the zastavka and the initials, but includes fantastic beasts and motifs. Such "terratological" styles are Asemanievo Evangelie, Zographsko Evangelie, Savina Kniga, and Eninski Apostol. Asemanievo Evangelie remains the earliest of extant manuscripts, written in Glagolitic and designed in the Coptic and Syrio-Palestine style of ornamentation.

During the 12th to 14th centuries, these two major styles further developed into neo-Byzantine, terratological, and Balkan styles. The first, the neo-Byzantine style, elaborated more on the geometrical floral elements. The second, the "terratological" style, finally took shape and spread over Southwestern Bulgaria in the 13 to 14th centuries. The period before the fall to the Ottoman Turks saw influences from the "arabesque" and more utilization of the "intertwined vine" style. Finally, the Balkan style, developed at the end of the 13th century, combined features from the Byzantine and terratological styles, while further improving and elaborating on them.

Royalty and the aristocracy could afford manuscripts with gold, more miniatures, and illustrations. For example, the Gospel of Ivan Alexander, Londonsko Evangelie, has 454 miniatures after a Greek original from the Komnin period. The wealthy hired Byzantine scribes from Thessalonica and Mt. Athos, escaping the Crusades and Ottoman ruin, to ornate those manuscripts and leave the imprint of their masterful hands.

n the 15th century, the terratological style slowly faded,replaced by the Neo-Byzantine style with its rich floral elements. Headpieces changed their shape from square to rectangular. Combinations of geometrical figures such as circles and lines took pyramidal, pi-like, and arch-like shapes. Diagonal lines intercrossed this system of intertwined circles. Thus, the headpieces of this time resemble fabric.

New trends began to appear in the 16th century. More Gospel books displayed beautiful decoration. All books became decorated to some extent. More freehand and free-shaped forms, and more realistic natural elements such as flowers and birds replaced old, rectangular forms. Branches, leaves, clovers, and flower buds identify the Neo-Byzantine style, also called Balkan style by Shepkin because of its spread predominantly in Bulgaria and Serbia.

Most artists remained anonymous. Joan Kratovski is one such figure of a precise and distinctive style of decoration. Flowers appear within the headpieces and emerge from them. Very realistic flowers such as hyacinth and forget-me-nots stand by the headpieces. Kratovski combined miniatures with headpieces, portraying the evangelists as working scribes. His earlier manuscripts display a more lavish style, using more gold and bright colors. Knitted branches, buds, and clovers make his style unmistakable.

This style developed further to include terratological elements of birds and snakes. However, that decoration style differed from the 12th to 13th century Byzantine terratological style because of its realism. The 17th century Menayon from the Etropolski monastery demonstrates the revival of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic features as human faces appear in the headpieces and end-pieces.

n the 15th century, the terratological style slowly faded away and became replaced by the Neo-Byzantine style with its rich floral elements. Headpieces changed their shape from square to rectangular shapes. Combinations of geometrical figures such as circles and lines were arranged in pyramidal, pi-like, and arch-like shapes. Diagonal lines intercrossed with this system of intertwined circles. Thus, the headpieces remind one of fabric.

Geometric Headpiece

Etropolsko Gospel

Geometric Headpiece

ew trends began appearing in the 16th century. More Gospel books were produced with beautiful decoration. All the books became decorated to some extent. More freehand and free-shaped forms, and more realistic natural elements like flowers and birds replaced old rectangular forms. Branches, leaves, clovers, and flower buds became features of the Neo-Byzantine style, also known as Balkan style, which Shepkin called it on the basis of its predominant spread in Bulgaria and Serbia.

Most artists remain anonymous. Joan Kratovski is one such figure of a precise and distinctive style of decoration. The flowers are included within the headpieces and also come out of them. Very realistic flowers like hyacinth and forget-me-not stand by the headpieces. Kratovski combined the miniatures with headpieces, portraying the evangelists as working scribes. His earlier manuscripts show more lavish style, using more gold and bright colors. His style is unmistaken, with the knitted branches, buds, and clovers.

Gospel Year 1567

Gospel from Kokalyanski monastery, year 1579

he style further developed to include some terratologial elements of birds and snakes. However, that decoration style differed from the 12th-13th century Byzantine terratological style because of its realism. This 17th century Menayon from the Etropolski monastery is an example of the revival of antropomorphical and zoomorphical features. Human faces appear in the headpieces and end-pieces.

Headpieces

Bogdanov, Ivan. Bulgarskata kniga prez vekovete. Sofia: Narodna Prosveta, 1978.
Dzhurova, Axinia. Vuvedenie v Slavyanskata Kodikologia.
Stoyanov, Manyo. Bukvi I Knigi. Sofia, 1978.

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Last Updated: April 29, 2002