Abstract: The ms. consists of pieces of paper of two distinct origin inserted in larger pages of laid paper. A leaf with text written in thuluth is followed by an earlier leaf with the same text written in a script leaning towards New Style 1.Binding note: Lacquered binding. The outer side has a central panel with flowers and leaves and a border consisting of a simply executed -scroll. Daffodil and wallflowers on a red ground on the doublure. Text-block detached from binding.Ms. codex.Title supplied by cataloger.Physical description: 5 lines per page. The inlaid portion is framed in red, gold, and blue; fol. 1 and 12 are plain paper with no inlaid portion. A leaf with text written in thuluth on cream paper is followed by an earlier leaf (dark cream paper, large laid lines) with the same text written in a script leaning towards New Style 1 (see in particular lām-alif and final ṭāʾ), with diacritics consisting of gold circles outlined in black; in these latter leaves, verses marks consist of a circle with a letter surrounded by thin petals in gold outlined in black; juzʾ marks consist of a large medallion filled with decoration in gold and white and outlined in blue with small dots and radiating flecks in black (see fol. 9b) ; vocalization added in red by a later hand.Origin: According to P. Hitti, the thuluth should be dated to the 12th/18th cent. The earlier leaves appear to date to the 6th/12th cent. The final form of the ms. appear to date to the 19th or 20th cent.Beginning: يحيى ويميت وهو على كل شىء قدير هو الاول والاخرEnd: الذين كفروا ما وبكم النار
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 95Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; likely late 14th or 15th century.Accompanying materials: Vast number of slips bearing notes, virtually all tipped in (paginated pp.7-8, pp.11-12, etc.).Former shelfmark: British Museum, London. "No. 123. Kanz al-dakaik."Binding: Pasteboards faced in laid paper with brown leather over spine, fore-edge and edges/turn-ins (paper faced, leather edged, framed binding) ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in laid paper ; sewn in pink thread, two stations ; worked endbands in red and green (headband) and in red and cream (tailband) ; in poor condition with significant abrasion, staining, lifting and losses of leather, delamination of boards, moisture damage, etc.Support: non-European laid paper with extremely faint laid and chain lines, very difficult to examine ; numerous repairs ; added leaf with table of contents in European laid paper.Decoration: Abbreviations rubricated throughout ; overlining in red throughout ; keywords, section headings and abbreviations rubricated in excerpts ; written area of final excerpt (p.275-278) surrounded by rule-border in two fillets.Script: Naskh ; Syrian or Turkish hand ; virtually serifless ; large and clear, quite rounded, with open and closed counters, occasional slight effect of tilt to the left and swooping descenders, section headings in bold thuluth ; two additional hands supply the text of the exerpts (from p.272 to p.278) ; the first of these (see p.272-274) similar but more compact, with many closed counters, swooping descenders, etc. ; the final (see p.275-278) more compact, in a heavier line and with fewer swooping descenders ; pointing in main hand and final hand utilizes inverted caret for two dots ; in second hand inverted caret or distinct dots for two dots, and inverted comma for three dots ; marginalia in numerous other hands.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page ; excerpts of final leaves in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, III+1 (7), 2 III(19), I(21), 6 V(81), VI-1 (92), 2 (94) ; chiefly quinions ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes vast number of inserts).Explicit: "ثم اقسم المبلغ على التصحيح ومن صالح من الورثة على شيء فاجعل كان لم يكن واقسم على سهام من بقي ما بقي"Incipit: "الحمد لله الذي أعز العلم في الاعصار وأعلى حزبه في الامصار ... قال مولانا ... ابو البركات عبد الله بن احمد بن محمود النسفي ... رايت الهمم المائلة الى المختصرات ... واردت ان الخص الوافي ... فشرعت فيه بعد التماس طائفة من اعنان الافاضل ... وسميته بكنز الدقائق ..."Title from opening (p.6).Ms. codex.Extensively annotated copy of the important treatise of Ḥanafī fiqh, a synopsis of the author's own Kitāb al-Wāfī, modelled on the Hidāyah of ʻAlī ibn Abī Bakr al-Marghīnānī (d. 1196 or 7), followed by exerpts.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 220Origin: As appears in colophon at end of roll, main section copied by Ḥusayn Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥusaynī al-Khurāsānī with transcription completed in Dhū al-Ḥijjah 727 [?] [October-November 1327?] ; opening section (and repairs to main section) certainly much later than main section, perhaps 18th or 19th century.Accompanying material: a. Metal case in the form of a cylinder decorated with incised diamond pattern with lid (only slightly convex) ; case retains one ring through which a cord may have passed, a second ring has been lost -- b. Waxy, brown oil cloth now in two pieces which once wrapped roll inside case.Support: Each section in a distinct paper type ; opening section (first 895 mm., roughly 104-107 mm. wide, three pieces of paper) in type with roughly 10-11 laid lines per cm. (parallel with the length of the roll, fairly distinct) and no chain lines or watermarks plainly visible, dense and sturdy, burnished ; bulk of roll (roughly 3530 mm., 110-112 mm. wide, at least six pieces of paper) on a non-European (likely Persian) paper, highly sized and burnished, reinforced with further paper backing and repairs.Decoration: Text of opening section bordered by red double-rule border, table / jadwal with ninety-nine names ruled in red, border texts defined by red rules, openings with depiction of the "seal of prophecy" (مهر نبوت) here "صوره مهر نبوت حضرت رسالت پناهی" ; main section opens with a long cartouche (oriented along the length of the roll) with illuminated heading "اسماء الله تعالى" in thuluth and basmalah in plaited and knotted kufic, a central field filled with floral and vegetal designs executed in micrography, bordering lozenges and alternating circles filled with further micrography (mainly chrysographed, some in blue and black) and Qurʼānic texts in large tawqīʻ approaching thuluth (chrysographed), and further border of rubricated Qurʼānic text in fine riqāʻ ; an even longer cartouche appears next, with illuminated headings for each of several sections ("من اسماء الله تعالى نودونه نام،" "هذا دعاء حرز الاماني،" اسماء الاربعون") which are each in a different layout incorporating the nintey-nine names, Qurʼānic and prayer texts in ghubār, naskh, thuluth, tawqīʻ, etc. in gold, red, black and some blue in a highly symmetrical fashion, with the various elements defined by heavy bands of gold flanked by red double-rules.Script: [opening section] Naskh and tawqīʻ ; [main section] Naskh, thuluth, tawqīʻ, riqāʻ, ghubār, plaited and knotted kufic.Layout: [opening section] central written area in a single column (text written perpendicular to length of the roll) bordered in Qurʼānic and ḥadīth texts along the length of the roll, ninety-nine names arranged in a ruled table / jadwal (five cells wide by twenty cells tall), text following the heading for "the prayer of the bāzūband" ("دعا بازوبند حضرت شاه ولايت پناه") in 26 lines ; [main section] an elaborate arrangement of text consisting of a central narrow panel filled with text first arranged in a series of diagonal arrays (each read across in a zig-zag fashion), next in a series of five circles executed in micrography, and finally in rectangular fields of roughly nine horizontal lines, all interspersed with headings and surrounded by two heavy borders of cartouches, circles and rectangles filled with Qurʼānic and prayer texts in various scripts, closing with dedication and colophon.Dedication: "اللهم وخل بدخلك [؟] دوله الامير الاعدل الاعظم الاعلم الاشجع الاكرم سلطان الامراء في العالم انك دولت همه از دولت اوحي طلبنا والملك العادل ... خلد الله تعالى ملكه ودولته الى يوم الدين"Colophon: "كتبه العبد حسين ابراهيم ابن محمد الحسيني الخراساني في ذي الحجة سنه سبع وعشرين وسبعمائة [؟]"Incipit: "صوره مهر نبوت حضرت رسالت پناهی ..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. roll.[main section] اسماء الله تعالى -- من اسماء الله تعالى نودونه نام -- هذا دعاء حرز الاماني -- اسماء الاربعون[opening section] صوره مهر نبوت حضرت رسالت پناهی -- نودونه نام باری تعالی -- دعا بازوبند حضرت شاه ولایت پناهComposite talismanic scroll (rotulus, i.e. opening vertically) consisting of two sections of distinct production, now joined. Originally wrapped in oil cloth and housed in metal case.
Abstract: Leaf from chapter 29 of the Mūnis al-aḥrār, a collection of poetry. Each verse alternates with a corresponding illustration as follows: battle gear; weapons; fruit trees; four types of doves; peacock, parrot, and nightingale; and jewelry.Ms. leaf.Physical description: Written in large thuluth and medium naskh in gold, blue, black, and red. Each line of verse alternates with an illustration. The leaf is damaged along the bottom; it was cut out of its original frame and glued onto another page of a different text that now forms its margins.Origin: This page is from chapter 29 of a ms. which is now scattered. The ms. is dated Ramaḍān 741 H February-March 1341 and was copied and illustrated in Isfahan according to its colophon (Swietochowski and Carboni, p. 25).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 228Origin: As appears in colophon, executed by Muḥammad ibn ʻAlī [ibn Aḥmad] al-Ziftāwī in the first tenth of Muḥarram 783 [March-April 1381].Binding: Pasteboards covered in a light brown leather ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves in heavy untinted wove paper ; upper and lower covers carry decoration evoking the Islamic style with central oval ornament (wreath stamped in green) and cornerpieces (scrolling vegetal motifs stamped in green) as well as stamped border of repeating floral / shell pattern in red ; sewn in white thread over three heavy white cords (flexible sewing) ; no endbands ; paper label on spine ; in fairly good condition though sewing exposed between a few separated gatherings.Support: non-European (Arab) laid paper with chain lines grouped in threes running horizontally, spaced roughly 12-15 mm. apart with roughly 42 mm. between the groups ; laid lines running vertically spaced roughly 9 laid lines per cm. ; heavy and well-burnished with undissolved fibers and inclusions visible ; staining ; numerous reinforcements and repairs throughout, mainly guards but also fills (see first folio carrying the titlepiece and opening).Decoration: Exquisite, richly illuminated titlepiece ; ansa in the form of roundel with rosette attached to upper panel, which is surmounted by fine arabesque and vertical stalks in blue, lavender, gold, green, etc. ; upper panel contains cartouche carrying title in foliated Kufic lettered in gold on a field of blue with green swirling vegetal pattern ; lower panel contains large scalloped medallion (shamsah) carrying statement of authorship and ex libris lettered in gold with lined cloud-bands and vegetal accents, surrounded by a field of blue with floral vegetal design in gold, lavender, and green ; decorative strapwork border in gold surrounds entire piece ; illuminated headpiece consisting of a rectangular panel with roundel/rosette ansa ; within the panel, the basmalah is executed in gold accented with cloud-bands and cross-hatch pattern ; illuminated tailpiece consists of a rectangular panel with roundel/rosette ansa ; within the panel two roundels with rosettes flank the date of transcription accented with cloud-bands and cross-hatch pattern ; a red rule-border outlines the text itself, with illuminated rosettes flanking the lines of the amplification (takhmīs) ; on the opening and facing page, rosettes in blue and gold along with roundel in gold bearing word "تخميس" [?] ; text partially chrysographed with final words of each line in gold.Script: Very fine Mamlūk calligraphy ; saṭr and first words of ʻajuz for each bayt in thuluth (verging on tawqīʻ), final words of ʻajuz in tawqīʻ and amplification in serifless naskh ; text and takhmīs fully vocalized ; title of titlepiece in foliated Kufic ; ex libris of titlepiece in tawqīʻ ; text of tailpiece in riqāʻ verging on tawqīʻ.Layout: Written in 12 lines per page, 3 lines of the poem and 9 of the amplification, with the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz of each bayt filling the column width horizontally and the remainder of the ʻajuz appended slanting down diagonally, and three lines of amplification centered below the saṭr and first few words of the ʻajuz ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, III (6), II (4), 4 I(18), I+1 (21), 2 I(25), I+1 (28), i ; difficult to discern original gatherings, but appears to consist mainly in single bifolia (singulions) ; no catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Colophon: "Scribal," reads: "تمت مع التخميس بحمد الله وعونه وصلى الله على نبيه محمد كتبها محمد بن علي الشهير بالزفتاوي عفا الله عنه بكرمه في العشر الاول من شهر الله المحرم افتتاح عام ثلاث وثمانين وسبعمائة حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل"Explicit: "ما رنحت عذبات البان ريح صبا واطرب العيس حادي العيس بالنغم"Incipit: "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين ما بال قلبك لا ينفك ذا ألم ... امن تذكر جيران بذي سلم مزجت دمعا جرى من مقلة بدم ..."Title from titlepiece.Ms. codex.An elegant copy of al-Būṣīrī's poem in praise of the Prophet with its amplification (takhmīs) by Nāṣir al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Fayyūmī (mid-14th century), as well as a fine specimen of Mamlūk calligraphy as executed by al-Ziftāwī (d.806/1403 or 4).
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran
Folios from a painted manuscript. Illustrated and signed.Culture: Islamic, IranianMaterials/Techniques: ink, opaque pigment, gold, and paperNote: General note: Single page paintings/drawings later incorporated into an album.Note: Production: Iran