Details

Subject(s)

• Manuscripts, Persian—New Jersey—Princeton [Browse]

Library of Congress genre(s)

• Poetry [Browse]

Getty AAT genre

• Illuminated manuscripts—Islamic Empire—15th century [Browse]
• Headpieces (layout features)—Islamic Empire—15th century [Browse]

Summary note

Illuminated copy of the author's famous mas̲navī poem, with prose introductions to each mujallad; those of the first, third, and fourth are in Arabic, while the others are in Persian.

Notes

• Ms. codex.
• Title from poem praising the work, contained in the border on fol. 1b-2a.
• On spine: Label reading "Mas̲navī ... 927" in Arabic script.
• Formerly shelved as Islamic Manuscripts, New Series no. 1594.
• Physical description: 15 lines per page; written in nastaʻliq in black on glazed, laid Arabic paper. Outer third column written on a diagonal. A few paper repairs, mainly marginal. Staining around upper and lower margins. In good condition.
• Decoration: Fol. 1b-2a richly illuminated in gold, blue, and other colors, with panegyric poem set within border in gold. Text on fol. 1b-2b set within cloud-bands on gold ground. Heading for Mujallad 1 in gold and decorated with arabesque; remaining headings decorated with small illuminated ʻunwāns. Text framed in blue and gold with double gold lines separating columns; non-text spaces filled with gold discs or orange and gold floral pattern. Headings within each jild in red. Small sections of text filled with gold background. Third column on last page filled with gold arabesque. Gold stenciling on edges.
• Origin: Mujallad 1 completed Shaʻbān 884 H [October-November 1479] (fol. 72b). Mujallad 2 completed by Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn al-maʻrūf bi-Ibn Akhī Turk (fol. 141b); scribe appears to be the same throughout ms. Mujallad 6 completed on 25 Rajab 887 H [9 September 1482] (fol. 466a).
• Border poem (fol. 1b-2a): تا قىامت کرره سورة روى * تا قىامت بوى معنى نشنوى * جان جاوىدان اگر خواهى بخوان * مثنوى معنوى مولوى

Binding note

Full dark brown leather with flap; gold-stamped central mandorla, pendants, and cornerpieces. Spine and flap attachment have been repaired. Green silk pastedowns with gold-painted fillets.

Language note

Persian.

Contents

• fol. 1b-72b: al-Mujallad al-awwal
• fol. 73b-141b: al-Mujallad al-thānī
• fol. 142b-228b: al-Mujallad al-thālith
• fol. 229b-296a: [al-Mujallad] al-rābiʻ
• fol. 296b-378a: al-Mujallad al-khāmis
• fol. 378b-466a: al-Mujallad al-sādis.

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Provenance

Acquired by Ananikian from Egypt, 1924.

Source acquisition

Gift; Robert Garrett (Class of 1897), 1942.

References

Rieu, C. Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts, II, 586

OCLC

816053711

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