D’azur et d’or. Analyse spectrométrique des miniatures de la Bible de Paris

The Paris Syriac Bible (BnF Syriaque 341) was written in northern Mesopotamia during the sixth century. This imposing codex, which contains both the Old and New Testaments, preserves a fragmentary decoration which ranks among the earliest evidence of Syriac illumination. The spectrometric analysis of inks, dyes and pigments, carried out by an international team between 2018 and 2023, confirms the great artistic value of this manuscript; it reveals the rarity of certain colourants while highlighting the many relations between Syriac, Greek and Latin illumination during Late Antiquity. This article presents the results of the latest research on the manuscript’s colours, carried out as part of the author’s post-doctoral research. A compari­ son of the colourants used on two major painted leaves, attributed to different painters (fol. 8r and fol. 25r), confirms several hypotheses of attribution and dating, shedding light on the working methods of Syriac craftsmen.