Abstract Nersēs Šnorhali (1101–1173), a pivotal ecclesiastical leader, significantly transformed the Armenian Breviary by introducing hundreds of musical compositions. Some are included in codices called the manrusmunk’ – melismatic hymn collections that include an essential part of the Breviary. This study focuses on the visual decoration of manrusmunk’ manuscripts, with a particular emphasis on their relationship to Nersēs Šnorhali and the illuminations accompanying his melismatic songs. While Astġik Gevorgyan has analyzed Šnorhali’s portraits primarily within the Matenadaran collection, research presented here broadens the scope by examining manrusmunk’ manuscripts from various collections, with particular focus on previously unstudied miniatures. The findings reveal that the iconography of Šnorhali in manrusmunk’ manuscripts exhibit distinctive features compared to his depictions in manuscripts of other genres, indicating a unique visual tradition.
Sargsyan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.