Details

Subject(s)

• Epic poetry, Persian—Early works to 1800 [Browse]
• Illumination of books and manuscripts, Iranian—Specimens [Browse]
• Persian poetry—747-1500 [Browse]

Scribe

• Qummī, Muḥammad ibn Shaykh ʻAqīl al-Sharīf, active 1592 [Browse]
• قمي، محمد بن شيخ عقيل الشريف،, active 1592، [Browse]

Former owner

• Antiquatchi, Ali Asghar, active 1928 [Browse]
• Lewis, John Frederick, 1860-1932 [Browse]

Conservator

• Dickson, Marty, active 1980 [Browse]

Donor

• Lewis, Anne Baker, 1868-1937 [Browse]

Auctioneer

• Anderson Auction Company [Browse]

Related name

• Free Library of Philadelphia. Rare Book Department. John Frederick Lewis Collection of Oriental Manuscripts [Browse]

Summary note

Complete, illustrated copy of the Shāhnāmah with 21 miniatures; no rubrications between f. 197v-373v.

Notes

• Binding: Bound in black leather over pasteboard with flap (Type II). Front covers have inlay gilded and red embossed floral central mandorla with two pendants on the vertical axis and cornerpieces. Flap has matching design. Inside covers have bright red leather doublure with the same pattern as the outside covers recreated in green, blue, red, and black textile inlay with gold filigree overlay; a set of filigree cartouches in gold over pink, blue and green create a frame. The same filigree cartouches appear on the inside flap. Endbands in red and green.
• Decoration: Illuminated headpiece in blue, red and gold (f. 1v); 21 polychrome miniatures (f. 8r, 15v, 22v, 39r, 41r, 47r, 58r, 63v, 92v, 109v, 121v, 142v, 161v, 175r, 202r, 228v, 241r, 247r, 289v, 304r, 308v). Rubrications in red, blue, gold, and darker red; no rubrications between f. 197v-373v. Textblock border-ruled in gold, red and darker red.
• Foliation: Modern foliation added in pencil, upper left recto; catchwords every verso, lower left, some have been trimmed.
• Layout: 33 lines in four columns; border-ruled and columns ruled.
• Ms. codex.
• Notes dated 1231, 1234 and 1269 A.H. recorded in ink (f. 1r).
• Origin: Copy completed by Muḥammad ibn Shaykh ʻAqīl al-Sharīf al-Qummī in Jumādá al-Ūlá in the months of the year after 1000 (February or March 1592 CE) (f. 385v).
• Repaired by Marty Dickson May 1980 (note in pencil first flyleaf recto at front of book).
• Script: Written in naskh with elements of nastaʻliq in black ink; pointed.
• Title from colophon (f. 385v).

Location of originals

• Original Columbia, Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
• OPenn University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

Language note

Persian.

Provenance

• Formerly owned by John Frederick Lewis.
• Sold at the Ali Asghar Antiquatchi sale Anderson Auction Company (New York) 1-2 February, 1928, lot 251 (note in pencil on catalog entry pasted to first flyleaf recto). The note says 26 January, but the sale was in February of that year.

References

Simsar, Muhammed Ahmed. Oriental manuscripts of the John Frederick Lewis Collection, 53

OCLC

1111686808

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