4 Introduction This catalog brings together research by Portland State students on a spectacular group of items recently acquired by our library through the generosity of one man, Gordon Hunter. He loved books and had a deep knowledge of the history of our local collections; he made his bequest to Special Collections at Portland State Library so that students could have the opportunity to learn from works such as those in The Gift of the Word exhibition documented in this catalog. The six manuscript traditions challenge us to reconsider assumptions we might carry with us about the written word and our shifting relationship to it. The owners of the Ethiopian Magic Scroll, for instance, likely could not read it but the scroll was nevertheless a powerful emblem probably carried around daily in a special container. In as similar way, the Italian Book of Hours and the Armenian Prayer Scroll were also worn as much as they were read—these texts were an intimate part of daily lives. The Coptic Prayer Book and two Qur’an pages likely served in religious services and likewise testify in their distinctive ways to the power of the word. I would also like to give thanks to the library staff and the students who have all worked so hard to bring this exhibition to fruition just months after the arrival of many of the works in Oregon. At the library, Cristine Paschild, Carolee Harrison, and Jennifer Wilkerson were indefatigable in their support of facilitating student research and planning the exhibit. The first phase of work on the new acquisitions was done by the summer 2011 University Studies Medieval Portland Capstone students: Mark Abby, Christopher Brummer, Kurt Carlsen, Natalie Hategan, Brian Horn, Mohammad Kohistany, Juanita Llamas, Jordan Long, Rhiannon RasmussenSilverstein (who also designed the exhibit poster and labels), Darcie Riedner, Ezra Roberts and Dawn Stevick. My fall 2011 art history seminar students, who likewise brought great tenacity and creativity to researching and writing the entries here in
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz