G-VVM4M3Z5F5

Detail View: Medieval Collection:

Image Number: 
Bookreader Persian MS 6
Reference Number: 
Persian MS 6
Parent Work Title: 
Khusraw va Shīrīn
Alternative Parent Work Title: 
The Loves and Adventures of Khusru, King of Persia, and the beautiful Shirin
Creator: 
Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 1141-1202 or 1203
Creator Role: 
Author
Date Created: 
1421 [824 AH]
Description: 
One of the five poems of Nizami's Khamsa, the story of the love of the Sasanian king Khosrow II for the Armenian princess Shirin. The manuscript consists of 66 leaves, beautifully written, illustrated and illuminated. Remargined throughout with gold-dusted pink paper, the edges trimmed down so that the covers overlap about 3 mm. Illuminated heading on folio 1b of high quality and in very good condition. Sub-headings fully illuminated throughout, with two small decorative panels above the colophon on folio 66a. The colophon is dated by the well-known calligrapher Azhar al-Sultani. Note: B.W. Robinson has questioned the date which the colophon gives, as the middle digit of the date appears to have been altered and the left-hand date was possibly also altered. The date is in agreement with Azhar al-Sultani's known floruit, however. On the other hand, the final triangular portion of the colophon may not belong to the rest of the colophon, from which it is divided by a gold marginal ruling, possibly masking a join in the paper. The illuminations, miniatures and the binding appear to be from the early sixteenth century, rather than from the fifteenth century. Five early sixteenth-century miniatures, exemplifying court artists' work at the beginning of Tahmasp's reign (folios 10b, 37b, 43b, 55a, and 60a). Early sixteenth-century binding of good quality. The outer faces consist of a sunk panel of floral and cloud scrolls, surrounded by a frame of small panels and corner-pieces of similar design. The doublures each have a large medallion with pendants and corner pieces, consisting of cut-out work of brown on blue, on a sunk gilt ground with clouds and floral scrolls. The flowers have been picked out with colour. The cut-out work on the medallions has disappeared and has been replaced by a spray of roses painted onto paper stuck onto the medallion (possibly Indian, 18th century?). Four flyleaves at the beginning are occupied by an account, in the writing of Sir Gore Ousley, of the poem and its author. This is signed and dated 'Hall Barn Park, January 1837'. His bookplate also appears on the end flyleaf.
Language Code: 
per
Language: 
Persian
Subject: 
Epic poetry
Subject: 
Persian poetry--747-1500
Category of Material: 
Manuscripts
Sub-Category: 
Codex
Sub-Category: 
Miniatures (paintings)
Technique Used: 
Illumination (image-making process)
Technique Used: 
Handwriting
Medium: 
Ink
Medium: 
Paint
Support: 
Paper
Item Height: 
305 mm
Item Width: 
202 mm
Current Repository: 
The University of Manchester Library, U.K.
Provenance: 
Ousley, Gore, Baronet, 1770-1844, former owner
Provenance: 
Bland, Nathaniel, 1803-1865, former owner
Provenance: 
Lindsay family Earls of Crawford and Balcarres, former owner
Rights Holder - Image: 
The University of Manchester Library
Rights holder - Work: 
The University of Manchester Library
Access Rights: 
Creative Commons License
References: 
B.W. Robinson, 1980. Persian paintings in the John Rylands Library: a descriptive catalogue. London: Sotheby Parke Bernet
References: 
FIHIRST - Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World
Date Captured (yyyy-mm-dd): 
2014-05-02
Image Creation Technique: 
Digital capture by The University of Manchester Library
Date Image Added (yyyy-mm): 
2014-05
Metadata Language: 
eng-GB
Collection Code: 
Medieval