Astrological tables written for the reign of Fatḥ-ʻAlī Shāh of the Qajar dynasty. The text has been rebound and is missing the end; flyleaves have been remounted and are covered in pen tests.
Manuscript. Persian and Arabic. Caption title. Scribe not identified. Gift of A.A. Kachif, Nov. 20, 1930. Written in Iran. Paper; thick, polished light cream color paper with no watermarks; elaborate floral unwan in gold, blue, red, and white with wide borders of a similar floral pattern and similar colors of fol. 1b and 2a; an outer border of two very thin lines accompanies all the text on facing pages; the text itself is enclosed in a border of black, white, gold, and red; floral section headings in gold, red and blue; lines of the text are separated by a cloud design in gold; text in black ink with small red overlining of some letters; catchwords. Nastaʻliq; in written area 13 x 7.5 cm. Fol. 1b-24a. Library of Congress. Persian manuscript, M100. Binding; dark brown half leather with lacquered papier-mâché floral design on a copper colored background surrounded by contrasting green, red and green borders also with floral designs; inner sides of cover also lacquered with a paintings of dark pink roses on a brown background. Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress website.
A wedding invitation to celebrate the marriage of Aḥmad ʻAlī Khān Bahādur addressed to Dr. George Ranken of the East India Company and his wife Lady Agnes Allan Ranken. The invitation is on red paper, written in Persian, and the script in painted gold leaf. Accompanied by an envelope with a personal stamp of the sender addressed to Dr. Ranken.
Manual of arithmetic and geometry for merchants' use including how to calculate the area of a ship. According to the compiler, the work includes excerpts from the following texts: Muntakhab al-ḥisāb, Līlāvatī, and Dastūr al-ʻamal.
Fihrist: Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate WorldRecord origin: Image descriptions based in part on Topsfield, A. (2007), Paintings from Mughal India.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 885Origin: As appears in colophon on p.969 (and at close of باب الف ممدوده on p.978), copied by Mathurādās Khatrī, date not specified ; decoration, paper, etc. would suggest late 18th or early 19th century.Accompanying materials: a. Scrap cut from a Luzac catalog page with description and price for this manuscript "PERSIAN AND HINDUSTANI MSS. 175 Bahar i ʻajam. The well-known Persian dictionary. MS. Folio. Over 1000 pp. Leather binding. The colophon is dated A.H. 1243 ( = A.D. 1827), under the reign of Muhammad Akbar Shâh (II.) £2 10s." (paginated pp.1-2) -- b. Recycled card with handwriting of Emilie Savage-Smith [?] "ʻunwān or illum. frontispiece or heading." (paginated pp.3-4) -- c. Scrap of paper with title in ink "Bahār i ʻAjam." (paginated pp.5-6) -- d. Slip with note "Persian MSS (Heyworth-Dunne?) No Husselman or Meredith-Owens notes" (paginated pp.7-8).Former shelfmark: Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 34Binding: Pasteboards covered in deep red leather ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves in untinted wove paper ; upper and lower covers carry delicate gold-tooled border in a rope pattern ; spine stamped "BUHARE | UJUM" ; now sewn in white thread over three cords ; worked chevron endbands in yellow and blue, good condition ; overall in somewhat poor condition with upper cover fully detached, some abrasion, staining, lifting of leather, etc.Support: non-European laid paper with 10 laid lines per cm. (vertical or horizontal, fairly distinct, some curving) and irregular chain lines faintly visible, sturdy, well-burnished, dark cream in color ; flyleaves / added leaves in wove paper.Decoration: Splendid illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.10 consisting of rectangular piece with cartouche (carrying the basmalah) flanked by pendants and delicate swirling floral vegetal decoration in blue, red, orange, and white on a gold ground, surmounted by scalloped w-shaped piece filled with more elaborate swirling floral vegetal decoration in red, orange, white, blue, green, etc. on grounds of gold with blue, green and white accents, itself surmounted by a pendant filled with similar decoration as well as fine vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue, entire piece set into a well consisting of a rather heavy gold band outlined by narrow bands of orange and gold defined by black fillets ; written area throughout surrounded by a gold frame with innermost red rule, and outer red and blue rules, further blue rule defines margin ; keywords and headings rubricated ; overlining or two-teeth abbreviation symbol in red.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; elegant hand in a medium line ; serifless with slight effect of words descending to baseline, elongation of horizontal strokes, pointing (two and three dots) mainly in distinct or conjoined dots.Layout: Written in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, 14 IV(112), III (118), IV+1 (127), 12 IV(223), IV+2 (233), 26 IV(441), II (445), IV+1 (454), 3 IV(478), IV-1 (485), iii ; chiefly quaternions ; lacuna on p.458 marked with "ص" ; p.970 prior to opening of Bāb-i alif-i mamdūdah left blank ; lacks proper catchwords but last word of final line on the verso of each leaf is usually repeated at the beginning of the first line on the following recto ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes inserts).Colophon: "Scribal," reads "الحمد لله والمنة که باتمام رسید منتخب کتاب بهار عجم تالیف استادی مخدومی تیک چند بهار بخط فقیر حقیر اضعف العباد متهراداس قوم کهتری فقط"Incipit: "مهار آفرینی که کلبرک ... دیباچه اصل بهار عجم سپاس و ستایش ایزد متعال را در خور که هريکى ار افراد انسان ..."Title from opening matter (p.11) and colophon (p.978).Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the dictionary of words and idioms used by the Persian poets compiled by Tīk Chand Bahār (d.1766) with added preface.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 894Origin: As appears in colophon on p.189 (accompanied by scribal verses), copied by Murtaz̤á ibn Muḥammad with transcription completed in 1073 [1662 or 3].Accompanying materials: a. Slip with description (in hand of E. Husselman ?) "ʻAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad, called Jāmī. Bahāristān | Have many parts of the Haft Awrang, and some other poems, but apparently not this in Mich. MS. Isl." (paginated pp.1-2) -- b. Slip of paper with description in hand of G. Meredith-Owens "MO 18 Bahāristān of Jāmī | copied in 1073" (paginated pp.3-4) -- c. Slip with note "counted for 1968/69 Annual Report" (paginted pp.5-6) -- d. Slip with note "Persian MSS (Heyworth-Dunne?) with Husselman and Meredith-Owen notes" (paginated pp.7-8).Former shelfmark: Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 43Binding: Boards covered in grey mottled (sponge-stained look) paper with green fading to tan leather over spine and board corners (half binding) ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves in untinted laid paper ; spine accented with raised bands and gold-stamped title, author and shelfmark "BEHĀRI- STĀN E DJĀMĪ | MS. 1073" ; head edge of text block gilt ; sewn in white thread, over recessed cords ; stuck-on endbands ; overall in fair condition with slight abrasion, loss of pigment, etc. ; not original, note on upper pastedown describes rebinding.Support: European laid paper of a few types ; opening type with 7 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 27-28 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermark of three crescents (about 80 mm. long, perpendicular to chains, see p.24, 30, 84, 42, etc.) ; another type with 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 26-28 mm. apart (horizontal), and crown-star-crescent watermark (see p.38, 42, 54, 56, 190, etc.) ; another type with 8 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain line spaced 26-28 mm. apart (horizontal) and three crescents watermark (75 mm. tall, perpendicular to chains, see p.118, 150, etc.) ; all quite sturdy, dark cream in color, well-sized and burnished.Decoration: Keywords and headings rubricated ; textual dividers in the form of red discs ; written area of incipit page surrounded by red rule-border.Script: Naskh with influence of nastaʻlīq ; elegant hand in a medium line ; mainly serifless with slight effect of tilt to the left, exaggerated elongation of horizontal strokes, curvilinear descenders, pointing (two and three dots) mainly in strokes rather than distinct dots, occasional effect of words descending to baseline ; hand changes just before close (pp.187-189) to a more compact nastaʻlīq.Layout: Written in 13 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: iv, V (10), 2 VI(34), 4 V(74), VI (86), I (88), iii ; quinions and senions ; catchwords present ; text of p.26 apparently mistakenly entered by the copyist upside down (dotted lines provided for navigational clues) ; foliation in black ink, Western numerals ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes inserts and flyleaves).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "تمت الكتاب بعون الله الملك الوهاب على يد الضعيف عباد الصمد مرتضى بن محمد غفر الله له ولوالديه ولمن دعا له بالمغفره ... سنه ثلث وسبعين بعد الالف سنه ۱۰۷۳ ..."Incipit: "چو مرغ امر ذی بالی ز آغاز نه از نیروی حمد آید به پرواز ..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Fine copy of Jāmī's collection of sayings, anecdotes, short notes and stories.
Collection of memorable sayings, witticisms, anecdotes, etc., in prose and poetry in 8 books; concerning (book 1) Sufis and saints, 2) sayings of the philosophers, 3) justice of kings, 4) generosity, 5) love, 6) jokes and witticisms, 7) poets, and 8) on animals; the text is incompete and breaks off shortly after the beginning of book 7.
Poems. Manuscript. In Persian. Title from fol. 1a. Date from cover. Written by Ghulām Ismāʻīl. Written in Afghanistan. Paper; modern cream color paper; black ink; some sections written diagonally; no catchwords. Nastaʻliq; 15 lines, with some pages of fewer lines written diagonally. Binding is marbled paper over cardboard; light tan leather spine; text block separated from binding.
Selections from the Bhāgavatapurāṇa. Text begins with invocation to Krishna and Ganesha in Sanskrit transliterated into Persian. Some pages are missing.
Manuscript. Persian. Title from fol. 1a. Scribe not identified. Possibly written in India. Date on fol. 1a; manuscript may be older. Paper; medium cream color paper with no visible watermarks; fol. 1b has floral unwan in gold, blue, red and white contains the Basmalah; text block enclosed in ruled border of one thin blue and one wide gold line; text itself is set off by single gold line on either side; hemistichs and sections are also separated by a thin gold line; black ink, section titles in red; catchwords. Nastaʻliq; 19 lines in written area 16.5 x 6.3 cm. Fol. 1b-114a. Library of Congress. Persian manuscript, M76. Binding is tan paper over boards with black cloth spine and corners. Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress website.
In Persian. Preface signed: M. Youness. Label pasted on back cover: "Khayr Allāh Afandī kih az Masīḥīyat va baʻd az ʻAbd al-Bahāʼ murtadd shud". Probably written in Iran.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 303Origin: As appears in colophon on fol.163b, copying completed in the year 989 [1581 or 1582] in Qazvīn.Binding: Pasteboard (quite thin) covered in dark brown leather; Type III binding (without flap); upper and lower covers bear a gold-tooled central crosshatched diamond figure with emanating vertical lines that evoke pendants; doublures covered in orange paper; initial and final leaves covered in blue marbled paper; likely not the original binding since traces of a flap are found on fol.1a; in good condition.Support: non-European (Persian) laid paper with laid lines running horizontally at roughly 8 laid lines per cm., chain lines running vertically and evenly spaced 30 mm. apart.Decoration: Illuminated headpiece on incipit page (fol.1b) consists of two rectangular panels; the lower panel contains an empty gold cartouche on a lapis lazuli field flanked by two palmettes and vegetal accents, dominant colors are gold, red, light blue, white; upper panel features a semi-circular piece protruding through the top of the panel, executed in gold, black, red, lapis lazuli, and reddish-brown and decorated with vegetal designs including gold vines and flowers in light blue, red, pink, and some yellow; text is bordered by frame in red (reddish-orange), green, black, and gold; frame of incipit page adds light blue band and eliminates green band; text of incipit and facing pages is decorated with gold cloud-bands; text on all pages following the incipit and facing pages is set in a field of light blue flecked with gold; hemistiches are separated by two fine golden bands; text partially rubricated with headings in red and yellow (or gold), now faded.Script: Nasta‘līq; single hand.Layout: Written in 12 lines per page; single column of text, each line comprising a verse of poetry, with the two hemstitches of each verse divided by two thin, golden, bands.Collation: 20 IV (160), II (164); chiefly quaternions with one binion; catchwords lacking; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (referenced in cataloguing).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads: "تمت الكتاب بعون الله الملك الوهاب على يد الفقير الحقير المحتاج الى رحمة الله الغني عزيز في شهور سنة ۹۸۹ بدار السلطنة القزوين"Explicit: "جز اين اعتمادم بيارى تست اميدم به آمرزگارى تست بضاعت نيارم الا اميد خدايا ز عفوم مكن نااميد"Incipit: " بنام خداوند جان آفرين حكيم سخن در زبان آفرين خداوند بخشنده دسنگير كريم خطابخش و پوزش پذير"Title from preface fol.5a.Ms. codex.Fine copy of Saʻdī's Būstān. Description provided by Derek Mancini-Lander.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 299Origin: As appears in colophon on p.321, copied by Bābā Shāh ibn Sulṭān ʻAlī (بابا شاه بن سلطان علی) with transcription completed in Shaʻbān 989 [September 1581].Former shelfmark: "594 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" in pencil on verso of front flyleaf.Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark brown leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in magenta surface-dyed and gold-flecked European paper upper and lower covers gold-painted in mitred-panel style, with large floral vegetal designs filling central rectangle and guilloché roll border around the perimeter ; sewn in red thread, two stations, some leaves loose ; worked chevron endbands in pink and yellow, fairly good condition ; overall in fair condition with some abrasion and lifting of leather.Support: non-European (likely Persian) laid paper of perhaps two types ; written area with roughly 9 laid lines per cm. (vertical, quite indistinct) and faint chain lines irregularly visible, sturdy, well-burnished, dark cream to beige in color ; written area mounted in leaves tinted deep blue with roughly 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal, fairly distinct) and faint chain lines irregularly visible, sturdy though fairly transluscent, well-burnished.Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.2, consisting of rectangular piece with rubricated title in gold cartouche flanked by scalloped pieces in gold and red on field of lapis lazuli (with effect of book cover design) overlaid with delicated, swirling vegetal decoration in gold with floral accents in red, pink, yellow, lavender, and blue, bordered in bands of gold, pistachio green / turquoise and white and surmounted by scalloped dome in gold and lapis with similar vegetal decoration, itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in white ; illuminated marginal decoration in saz leaves and floral forms completes illuminated double-page opening (pp.2-3) ; written area throughout delicately gold flecked and bordered in frame of gold, pistachio, red and white bands with columns within defined by narrow gold bands flanked by black fillets ; written area mounted in leaves tinted deep blue ; headings rubricated, chrysographed or in blue ink ; illustrated with five paintings (see p.67, 114, 150, 176, 298).Script: Nastaʻlīq ; exquisite calligraphic hand in a delicate line ; characteristically serifless with effect of words gently descending to baseline, elongation and contrasting thickness of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct dots, bowl of nūn wide with dot set just down within.Layout: Written in 12 lines per page with written area divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, 5 IV (40), II (44), III+1 (51), 8 IV (115), III+1 (122), 4 IV (154), IV-1 (161), ii ; chiefly quaternions ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Colophon: "Scribal," mainly Arabic, reads "فرغت من تحرير هذه الكتاب الشريف فى تاريخ شهر شعبان سنه تسع وثمانين وتسعمايه حرره العبد بابا شاه بن سلطان علي غفر الله ذنوبه وستر عيوبهExplicit: "بضاعت نیاوردم الا امید خدایا ز عفوم مکن نا امید"Incipit: "بنام خداوند جان آفرین حکیم سخن در زبان آفرین ..."Title from illuminated headpiece at opening on p.2.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of the Būstān, the celebrated mas̲navī of Saʻdī (d.1292), renowned Persian poet and prose writer. Apparently attributed in the colophon to the calligrapher Bābā Shāh Isfahānī (d.1587 or 8). Illustrated with five miniatures. Contributions to the cataloguing from Elizabeth Kunze.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 300Origin: As appears in colophon, copied by Muḥammad al-Kātib al-Nūr with transcription completed in Rabīʻ I 993 [March 1585] in the village of Zarah [Zirih ?] in Bākharz.Former shelfmark: "536 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" in pencil on verso of front flyleaf.Binding: Pasteboards faced in spring green silk with red leather over spine and edges / turn-ins (silk faced, leather edged framed binding) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures and hinges in marbled paper (in dark blue and white) ; upper and lower covers carry gold-tooled guilloché borders defined by gold rules ; sewn in pink thread, four stations ; overall in fairly good condition with minor abrasion, etc.Support: Written area on non-European (likely Persian) laid paper set into border of tinted paper and mounted in frame of tinted (or marbled) paper of varying shades (dark blue, yellow, dark greek, pale pink, etc.), hinged together with contrasting tinted and gold-painted guards ; frames with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal or vertical, quite distinct) and occasional chain lines visible (possibly grouped), quite well-burnished ; flyleaves in European laid paper with 7 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 27 mm. apart (vertical) and crown watermark (front) and with 12 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 20 mm. apart (vertical), and three hats watermark (back).Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening consisting of rectangular piece with gold cartouche carrying the title in red "بوستان" surrounded by delicate swirling floral vegetal designs in gold, white, and red on a field of lapis lazuli with gold accents, surrounded by bands of white (with black crosses), gold and turquoise and surmounted by a much narrower rectangular piece with black cartouches filled with delicate swirling vegetal design in gold, white and red and set off by orange, turquoise and gold accents, itself surmounted by a band of gold and black interlace and flanked by bands of white (with black crosses) and turquoise ; headings rubricated ; written area gold-flecked and surrounded by a frame consisting of a colored width of the paper (surface-dyed in shades varying by page) flanked by narrow bands of gold, turquoise, red, gold, blue and black, divisions within defined by narrow gold bands outlined in black fillets ; marginal decoration in grand floral vegetal motifs in gold.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; exquisite hand in a delicate line ; serifless with effect of inclination to the right, words descending to baseline, elongation of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct dots.Layout: Written in 12 lines per page, mainly divided to two columns. ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, 3 (3), 3 III(21), i ; catchwords present.Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "تحريرا فى شهر ربيع الاول سنه ٩٩٣ كتبه العبد المذنب محمد الكاتب النور غفر ذنوبه وستر عيوبه بولايت باخرز در قريۀ رزه صورت تحرير يافت"Explicit: "بضاعت نیاوردم الا امید خدایا ز عفوم مکن [نا] امید""Incipit: "بنام خداوند جان آفرین حکیم سخن در زبان آفرین ..."Title from inscription on 'title page' and illuminated headpiece at opening.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of selections from the Būstān, the celebrated mas̲navī of Saʻdī (d.1292), renowned Persian poet and prose writer. Contributions to the cataloguing from Ali Rafi.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 301Origin: As appears in colophon on p.261, transcription completed 1 Dhū al-Qaʻdah 942 [ca. 22 April 1536].Former shelfmark: "188 T. De. M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" in pencil on recto of front flyleaf (p.1).Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; doublures in light brown leather with central mandorla in filigree appliqué (once gold-painted) over area of blue pigment as well as tooled and gold-painted border and accents ; upper and lower covers carry stamped and gold-painted mandorla (filled with vegetal composition, compare Déroche class. OAi), pendants and cornerpieces as well as tooled and gold-painted border ; design continues on fore edge flap ; edges of text block gold-painted ; now sewn in white thread, two stations, other sewing holes visible ; worked chevron endbands in green and gray, fairly good condition ; overall in fair condition with minor abrasion, lifting and losses of leather, etc. ; subtle repairs at board edges, hinges, etc. in dark red-brown leather ; fore edge flap may be a replacement.Support: non-European (likely Persian) laid paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (fairly indistinct) ; replacement leaves in a different (likely Persian or Indian) paper, medium cream in color, quite sturdy, crisp, well-sized and burnished to glossy ; some leaves guarded or repaired ; some pigment breakthrough at frames ; flyleaf in European laid paper, possibly recycled as it bears a leather burn pattern not corresponding to the present cover.Decoration: Splendid once double-page illumination at opening (pp.2-3, though opening leaf has been replaced with a complementary piece of different style and quality) originally consisting of large rectangular panels each divided to central rectangular panel carrying opening text set off by cloud-bands (in gold with floral accents), flanked by vertical rectangular panels with gold lozenges on a lapis lazuli ground overlaid with swirling arabesques in gold, red, lavender, white, light blue, etc. and set off by upper and lower rectangular panels with gold cartouches carrying the title (originally) and author ("شيخ مصلح اليدن عليه الرحمة والغفران") in white surrounded by similar swirling arabesques on fields of gold and lapis lazuli evoking book cover design with borders of gold interlace ; entire rectangular panel surrounded by a border of lozenges in lapis lazuli with floral vegetal decoration in white, gold, red, etc. and a series of scalloped domes in gold on a lapis lazuli ground overlaid with similar swirling arabesques with perpendicular stalks (tīgh) ; elsewhere throughout, written area surrounded by frame consisting of a series of gold, light blue, dark red, and turquoise bands with outermost blue fillet, divisions within defined by narrow gold bands outlined with black fillets ; section headings set off in rectangular headpieces (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) carrying headings in blue.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; exquisite hand in a thin to medium line ; serifless with effect of inclination to the right, words descending to baseline, elongation and slight contrast in thickness of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct dots.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page, mainly divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, IV-4+4 (8), 3 IV(32), 2 (34), II (38), 11 IV(126), III (132) ; chiefly quaternions ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes opening flyleaf and skips two pages between pp.145-146).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "تحريرا فى تاريخ غره شهر ذي القعدة الشريفه سنه ۹۴۲ تم"Explicit: "بضاعت نیاوردم الا امید خدایا ز عفوم مکن نا امید"Incipit: "بنام خداوند جان آفرین حکیم سخن در زبان آفرین خداوند بخشنده ی دستگیر کریم خطا بخش پوزش پذیر عزیزی که هر کز درش سر بتافت..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the Būstān, the celebrated mas̲navī of Saʻdī (d.1292), renowned Persian poet and prose writer.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 302Origin: As appears in colophon, copied by Sulṭān Ḥusayn ibn Jamshīd with transcription completed in Ramaḍān 953 [October-November 1546]. Mounting carried out much later ; paper with embossed mark suggests 19th century.Former shelfmark: "186 T. D. M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" in pencil on recto of front flyleaf.Binding: Semi-limp boards faced in dull red leather with dark green leather over spine and edges / turn-ins (leather faced and edged framed binding) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures in dull green-brown leather ; doublure hinges in same dark green leather ; upper and lower covers carry traces of stained blue border defining a central rectangular panel ; now sewn in cream thread over two cords (quite wide, not recessed, flexible sewing, apparent as ridges on spine), other sewing holes visible ; overall in fair condition with staining, abrasion, etc. ; framing may constitute a repair.Support: non-European (likely Persian) laid paper ; written area later mounted in borders of tinted (in varying shades of blue, lavender, etc.) and gold-flecked wove paper with almond shaped embossed mark ("... SMYRNA [SMYRNA]" see fol.7, 9, etc. compare embossed mark in paper of Isl. Ms. 10, copied in Kharparūt [i.e. Harput, Kharberd / Kharpert, etc. now Elazığ] in 1853) ; some breakthrough at frames.Decoration: Exquisite double-page illumination at opening consisting of large rectangular panels each divided to central rectangular panel carrying opening text set off by cloud-bands (in gold with delicate floral motifs in blue), flanking vertical panels filled with delicate arabesques in red, black, gold, lavender, yellow, etc. on fields of blue set in lozenges defined by narrow white bands, and upper and lower rectangular panels with gold lozenges carrying verses ("خوشتر از كتاب در جهان يارى نيست در غمكده زمانه غمخوارى نيست هر لحظه از او بگوشه تنهائى صد راحتى است هرگز آزادى نيست") in white surrounded by rich, swirling arabesques with floral accents in gold, white, pink, lavender, etc. on fields of gold and blue set off by looping bands in white ; elswhere throughout, written area surrounded by a gold frame with outermost blue rule ; section headings set off in splendid rectangular headpieces (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) carrying headings in white.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; exquisite hand in a thin to medium line ; serifless with effect of inclination to the right, words descending to baseline, elongation and slight contrast in thickness of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct dots.Layout: Written mainly in 12 lines per page, mainly divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: III (6), III-3 (9), III (15), 2 II(23) ; ternions and binions ; catchwords present.Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "وقع الفارغ من كتابته فى شهر رمضان المبارك سنه ثلاث وخمسين وتسعمائة كتبه العبد سلطان حسين بن جمشيد "Explicit: "بضاعت نیاوردم الا امید خدایا ز عفوم مکن نا امید"Incipit: "بنام خداوند جان آفرین حکیم سخن در زبان آفرین خداوند بخشنده ی دستگیر کریم خطا بخش پوزش پذیر عزیزی که هر کز درش سر بتافت..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of selections from the Būstān, the celebrated mas̲navī of Saʻdī (d.1292), renowned Persian poet and prose writer.