Hrvoje's Missal


The Hrvoje's Missal is a 15th-century missal written in Glagolitic alphabet.

History

This liturgical book was written in Split by the resident calligrapher and glagolitic scribe Butko in 1404 for Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić who was a Ban of Croatia, Grand Duke of Bosnia and a Herzog of Split. 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, who in addition held lands and titles in Croatia and Hungary.

Description

This document is both dedicated to Hrvoje Vukčić, and is of great significance to Croatian and Bosnian history. Hrvoje's Missal is kept at the Topkapı Palace Museum Manuscript Library in Istanbul). 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, 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.