Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 1046Origin: Lacks dated scribal colophon ; hand, dates of composition, and especially paper would suggest the last two decades of the 18th century. Date of 1296 [1879] at the close of Hulâsatü'l-itibar on fol.69 is possibly a corruption of 1195 [1781], the date of composition of this work ; it appears to have been entered by the rubricator who supplied many of the textual dividers and some overlining.Accompanying materials: Slip with inscription in black ink between fol.11 and fol.12.Former shelfmark: On front flyleaf, from Bouwman Books "msturk194".Binding: Pasteboards (thin) covered in dark red brown leather ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures (board linings) in fine marbled paper (ebru) in grey, light blue, light brown and black ; upper and lower covers carry a ruled rectangular central panel and gold-tooled borders in a series of s-shaped stamps ; sewn in red thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in red and yellow, tailband damaged ; overall in fairly goold condition with minor abrasion, etc.Support: European laid paper with 10 laid lines (horiztonal) per cm., chain lines (vertical) spaced 26 mm. apart, and watermark of scrollwork with horn in shield, crown above, trefoil and "D& C Blauw" below (mark of the Dutch papermaking firm of Dirk & Cornelius Blauw, see Voorn pp. 543-4 ; 558-9, roughly 115 x 115 mm. including name of firm, compare Gravell Nos. TJ 163, TJ 162, TJ 137, TJ 709, TJ 351 / SLD.349.2, SLD.349.1, SLD.345.1, SLD.400.1, SLD.378.1 dated 1783-1793).Decoration: Keywords and many notabilia rubricated ; written area surrounded by red rule-borders ; overlining in red ; textual dividers in the form of inverted commas in red.Script: Naskh ; fine, very neatly formed Ottoman hand, in a medium line ; partially but irregularly seriffed with right-sloping head-serif on occasional lām, slight effect of tilt to the left, curvilinear descenders, many open counters, pointing mainly in strokes or conjoined dots, partially vocalized.Layout: Written in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: IV+1 (9), V+1 (20), V (30), V+1 (41), V+1 (52), V (62), V+1 (73), III (79) ; final five leaves left blank ; catchwords present ; foliation in pencil, Western numerals (supplied by book seller).Incipit: [Sefaretname] "حمد موفور وسپاس نامحصور مالك ملكوت آسمان زمين اولان خدواند جهان آفرينه سزادركه ارسال رسل ورسائل ضمننده تبيين ملل واديان ... اما بعد تقرير كمترين بندكان ديوان سامى الحاج احمد رسمى بودركه بلاد شماليۀ غربيه دن جرمانيا او آلمانيا مملكتى داخلنده في الاصل سقصونه ايالتندن معدود اولان برآنده برق سنجاغنه القطورلق نشانى ..." ; [Hulâsatü'l-itibar] "ايفاى حمد وثناى خداوند علام واجراى وضيفۀ صلوة وسلام ختامندنصكره معروض انديۀ بهيۀ كرام بودركه فاتحۀ معمورۀ عالم ..." ; [Kıta-yi Halifetü'r-rüesa] "اشبو مقالۀ مشكين كلاله بيان وفيات ... محصوره اولميوب على العموم كتاب معارف انتسابه مسرح عيون اعتبار ومنهاج رفتار وانحدار اولمق ملاحظه سيله اواخر ملوك بني اميه واوائل دولت عباسيه ده رئيس الكتاب وفن كتابت وانشاده مقتداى شيخ وشاب اولان عبد الحميد بن سعيدك شرذمۀ [؟] كتابه دستور شمائل وشعار ... بلاغت علامه سى بطريق الترجمه بو محله ذيل وخاتمه قلنمشدر وهى هذه صناعت كتابت ومنقبت فصاحت وخطابتله موصوف اولان ..."Title from inscription on front flyleaf.Ms. codex.5. fol.69b-fol.74b : [Kıta-yi Halifetü'r-rüesa] / Ahmet Resmî Efendi.4. fol.28b-fol.69a : [Hulâsatü'l-itibar] / Ahmet Resmî Efendi.3. fol.27b-fol.28a : [blank].2. fol.22b-fol.27a : [Layiha] / Ahmet Resmî Efendi.1. fol.1b-fol.22a : [Sefaretname-yi Ahmet Resmî] / Ahmet Resmî Efendi.Fine collection (mecmua) of works by Ahmet Resmî Efendi, opening with his Sefaretname, an account of his embassy to Berlin in 1177-78/1763-64, followed by the Layiha he presented to Muhsinzade Mehmed Paşa (d.1188/1774) as the Ottomans undertook negotiations with the Russians to end the Russo-Ottoman War (1768-74), next his critical and satirical history of that war Hulâsatü'l-itibar, and closing with an excerpt from Halifetü'r-rüesa (see pp.73-81 of the 1853 Istanbul edition), his biographical work on Ottoman chief scribes, addressing the scribal arts as modeled in the work of the first great scribe of Islam, ʻAbd al-Ḥamīd ibn Yaḥyá ibn Saʻīd al-Kātib (d.750).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 369Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; paper, etc. would suggest 18th century.Former shelfmark: "۱٦٨" from label affixed to upper cover ; "341 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of front flyleaf.Binding: Pasteboards covered in quite dark brown (to black) leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in yellow-tinted silver-flecked paper, flyleaves in untinted silver-flecked paper ; upper and lower covers carry stamped (with orange recessed onlays, gold-painted) scalloped mandorla (filled with vegetal composition, compare Déroche class. NSd 7), pendants and cornerpieces, with tooled rosette and gold-painted accents as well as tooled border in a series of s-shaped stamps evoking guilloché roll ; design continues on envelope flap ; sewn in blue-green thread, two stations ; overall in poor condition with upper cover fully detached, spine split through in several places, endbands virtually gone (only small section of core and primaries remains at tail), abrasion and losses of media, lifting and losses of leather, etc. ; housed in box for protection.Support: European laid paper mainly with 8-9 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 27-28 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermarks of grapes (raisin) under crown (see p.4, 8, 10, 30, 250, etc.) and "DE IZERON" (see p.6, 16, etc.), crisp and transluscent though sturdy, well-burnished ; flyleaves in another European laid paper with 6 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 22-23 mm. apart (horizontal), and three crescents watermark ; some staining.Decoration: Keywords, headings and some abbreviation symbols (mainly signes de renvoi), marginalia and vocalization rubricated ; textual dividers in the form of red discs ; occasional overlining in red ; written area surrounded by a heavy copper colored frame defined by black fillets and outermost red rule.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; clear Turkish hand ; serifless with slight inclination to the left, elongation of horizontal strokes, many closed counters, pointing in conjoined dots ; opening (p.2) and pp.19-20 supplied in another nastaʻlīq (talik), serifless, with inclination to the right and slight effect of words descending to baseline, pointing in strokes rather than distinct dots.Layout: Written in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, 15 V(150), II (154), i ; almost exclusively quinions ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization.Explicit: "طلب دعاء اجابت قرين وجناب ستار العيوبدن در يوزۀ بهرۀ واجعل لى لسان صدق في الاخرين در رباعيه ... در عيب نظر مكن كه بى عيب خداست تمت م م م"Incipit: "الحمد لله الذى نزل احسن الحديث ومن اصدق من الله حديثا ... اما بعد وقتا كه نظم بو ضعيف ومقصر ومكتر اوقجى زاده محمد افقر ... و بعد توفيق الاتمام بو مجموعه براعت اتسام احسن الحديث اسمى ايله وسم اولنمق ..."Title from opening matter on p.6.Ms. codex.Fine copy of the elegant versification with prose commentary of forty ḥadīth by Okçuzade Mehmet Şahî Bey (d.1629).
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 271Origin: Versified chronogram at end (fol.182b, "اخلاق محسنى") gives dating for completion of composition; this reading, without the preposition "ز", yields the more widely accepted date of 900 H. As appears in colophon on fol.182b, copied by Maḥmūd ibn Najīb. Transcription finished ("tamma al-kitāb bi-ʻawn al-Malik al-Wahhāb taḥrīran fī tārīkh...") 12 Rabīʻ I 922 [ca. 15 April 1516].Binding: Pasteboard covered in red-brown leather; Type II binding (with flap); upper and lower covers bear gold-stamped central mandorla (Déroche class. NSh1) with pendants and simple gold rule-border; smaller mandorla on envelope flap; doublures in light-blue coated paper embossed with vegetal pattern; in good condition.Support: Persian laid paper; laid lines oriented vertically but too faint to count; chain lines not visible; flyleaves are fashioned from a light-blue coated paper, embossed with a vegetal pattern, that is also used for the doublures.Decoration: Illuminated headpiece on fol.2b; marvelously rendered in two rectangular panels; lower panel contains the basmalah, executed in red nastaʻlīq, in a central cartouche flanked by two, smaller palmette-like lozenges; lower panel is framed by an elaborite golden braid; background is predominantly lapis-lazuli, with vegetal/floral patterns executed in gold, red, pink, green, black, and white; upper panel continues the background motif and color palette; three small, predominantly black, palmette-like lozenges serve as the pivot for the repeating vegetal pattern in this panel, but these are subdued figures and are rather absorbed into the lapis-lazuli background and intriquate vine patterns; upper panel is surmounted by five verticle, decorative stalks; written area framed by a rule-border in dark blue, black, and gold; gold frames set off verses and some chapter titles; text is polychrome, with main text in black, Arabic quotations in dark blue, gold, and occasionally red, and chapter titles in dark blue or gold; the words "شعر" and "بيت" as they occur throughout the text introducing verses of poetry are rendered in red and blue, and occasionally, gold; main text of incipit page decorated with gilt cloudbands.Script: Main text in nastaʻlīq; chapter headings in tawqīʻ; Arabic quotations of Qur'anic verses and Hadith in naskh and vocalized; basmalah in cartouche of illuminated headpiece in nastaʻlīq.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page.Collation: ii, 23 IV (184), i; quaternions; cacthwords present; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, referenced in cataloguing; foliation in red ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals, begins with ١ on fol.3a (Western pagination) and concludes with ١۸۰ on fol.182a; fihrist of chapter titles (fol.6a-7a) corresponds with foliation.Dedication: Composed for Shāh Abū al-Muḥsin (شاه ابو المحسن ), one of the sons of the Tīmūrid pādishāh Ḥusayn Bāyqarā, on the occasion of his coming to court (in Herat) from Marv (see fol.4a-4b, Western pagination).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, in Arabic, reads: "رب اختم بالخير والحسنى تمت [كذا] الكتاب بعون الملك الوهاب تحريرا في تاريخ اثنى عشر شهر ربيع الاول سنه اثنى عشرين و تسعمايه بخط العبد الحبيب [المجيب ؟] محمود بن نجيب"Explicit: "با خامه گفتم ای كه زهر ساختى قدم وز مقدم تو چشم سخن يافت روشنى اخلاق محسنى بتامى نوشته تاريخ هم نويس ز اخلاق محسنى"Incipit: "حضرت يادشاه على الاطلاق غرت كلمته و جلت عظمته منشور دولت سلطان المرسلين"Title from opening on fol.5a.Ms. codex.A work on ethics in 40 chapters, composed by Kāshifī for Shāh Abū al-Muḥsin, a son of Sulṭān Ḥusayn Bāyqarā. Description provided by Derek Mancini-Lander.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 380Origin: As appears in colophon on pp.990-991, copied by Mahmut, the translator/author's son, for the vizier Hazret Osman Paşa ( حضرت عثمان پاشا) with transcription completed 1 Ṣafar 1112 [ca. 18 July 1700].Accompanying materials: Slip of blue wove paper carrying notes in black ink (between pp.202-203).Former shelfmark: "٢٤٧" in black ink on spine label ; "362 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis] on verso of front flyleaf.Binding: Pasteboards covered in tan / light brown leather framed in black leather (over spine, fore edge flap, and edges/turn-ins) ; Type II binding (with flap) ; doublures / pastedowns and flyleaves in heavy laid paper with a speckled ebru design (marbled) in red, white, blue, green, purple, and black ; upper and lower covers carry blind-stamped (with gold-painted, red recessed onlays) scalloped mandorla and pendants, as well as wide, tooled and gold-painted border in a series of s-shaped stamps (forming guilloché roll) flanked by gold rules ; design continues on flap ; sewn in blue thread, broken for many of the gatherings in the first half of the text and sometimes repaired with red thread ; worked chevron endbands in brown and light blue, losses exposing cores of head and tailband ; overall in fair condition with minor abrasion, lifting (particularly where cover flanges overlap on spine) and losses of leather, envelope flap detaching from fore edge flap, etc.Support: European laid paper of at least three types ; first type with roughly 11 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines (vertical) roughly 28 mm. apart, well-burnished, thick and creamy (see p.20, etc.) ; second type with roughly 14 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines (vertical) spaced roughly 23 mm. apart, well-burnished, thin and crisp, scrollwork / arms watermark (see p.571, etc.) ; third type with roughly 13 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines (vertical) spaced roughly 14 mm. apart, well-burnished, thin and crisp, watermark with grapes surmounted by a cartouche with "...RBE..." written inside surmounted by a crown (compare to Heawood 2385, see p.791, etc.).Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.4 consisting of rectangular piece with empty gold cartouche flanked by floral vegetal accents in green and red on a gold ground, surmounted by a scalloped, semi-circular piece (dome) with floral floral designs in pink, lavender, red, and teal on a gold ground, itself surmounted by delicate vertical stalks (tīgh) in dark blue and flecked with gold above ; entire piece set in a well of white crosses on a thin red band ; text of written area surrounded by frame consisting of a heavy gold band flanked by black fillets and outermost gold rule ; section headings, keywords, notabilia and some vocalization rubricated ; overlining in red ; textual dividers in the form of discs and inverted commas in gold (incipit and facing page, pp.4-5) and red ; edges of text block decorated with floral-vegetal motifs in gold.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; elegant Ottoman hand in a medium line ; serifless with effect of words descending to baseline and elongated horizontal strokes, fully vocalized at times.Layout: Written in 19 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, IV+1 (9), 48 V (489), III+1 (496), ii ; chiefly quinions ; oblique catchwords on the verso of each leaf ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Colophon: "Scribal," rectangular, reads "قد استراحت قديمة القلم عن السياحت في ميادين الرقم ... على يد افقر من مشى تحت الخضرا... محمود ابن مترجم هذا الكتاب المستطاب ... وجعله هدية لخزانة كتب الوزير المكرم والدستور المفخم ... حضرت عثمن پاشا اناله الله بما يحبه ويشا وكثر من المستعدين من اولاه وجعل اخراه اولى من اوليه ... حرر في غرة صفر المظفر ختم بالخير والظفر من شهور سنه اثنى وعشرة و مائة بعد الالف من هجره من انزل عليه القران حرفا بعد حرف"Explicit: "وضلع امرأه ايله تعبير اولنور زيرا رسول اكرم غرابه فاسق الطلاق ومراه يي ضلعه تشبيه بيورديلر والله اعلم وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وله و صحبه اجمعين"Incipit: "ان احسن الاحاديث بعد الحمد لمن جعل السقف الاخضر مرفوعا ... وبعد بو كمينۀ كم بضاعه وفقير قصير الباعه ..."Title from titlepiece on 'title page' (p.3).Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the extensive Ottoman Turkish rendering (with commentary) by İshak Hocası Ahmet b. Heyreddin (d.1708) of al-Tirmidhī's (d.892) Kitāb al-Shamāʼil, a collection of traditions comprising the Prophet’s characteristics. Copy apparently executed by the author's son (see colophon) and collated by the author himself (see collation statement on p.1). Descriptive contributions from Nick Krabbenhoeft.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 379Origin: As appears in colophon on p.1391, copied by Muḥammad ibn Khalīl (Mehmet b. Halil) ; date of transcription not specified ; paper suggests 18th century (perhaps mid century).Accompanying materials: a. Slip of wove paper with notes in black ink (between pp.230-321) -- b. Slip of laid paper with notes in black ink (between pp.726-727).Former shelfmark: "340 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of opening leaf (p.2) ; "٣٢ع | ٤خ" on spine label.Binding: Pasteboards covered in gold-flecked red leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in untinted laid paper ; upper and lower covers carry blind-stamped (with orange paper onlay) and gold-painted mandorla filled with vegetal composition (compare Déroche class. NA 4), surrounded by a tooled border consisting of an s-shape stamped chain in gold flanked by thin gold fillets ; sewn in pink thread, two stations ; worked endbands in pink and yellow thread in a chevron pattern ; overall in fair condition with fore edge flap lost, repairs to spine and fore edge of lower board in a darker red leather, and abrasion on upper and lower covers.Support: European laid paper of several types ; one opening type with roughly 12 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines (horizontal) spaced roughly 12 mm. apart, and watermark of grapes surmounted by a crown (see p.32) ; another with roughly 13 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines (horizontal) spaced roughly 25 mm. apart, and watermark of "?AHE?NE" and figure (see p.46) ; another with roughly 10 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines (horizontal) spaced roughly 25 mm. apart, and watermark of grapes surmounted by a crown with a heart motif (see p.136) ; another with roughly 8 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines (horizontal) spaced roughly 21 mm. apart, watermark of grapes (see p.578) ; another with roughly 9 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines (horizontal) spaced roughly 24 mm. apart, and watermark of LANGUEDOC (see p.592) ; all well-burnished, thin and crisp.Decoration: Illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.10 consisting of rectangular piece with emtpy gold cartouche outlined in orange and flanked by floral vegetal accents in gold, light pink, and pale blue, surmounted by a scalloped semicircular piece (dome) outlined in orange and filled with floral vegetal accents in blue, pale blue, light pink, orange, and white, itself surmounted by delicate vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue, and set in a well consisting of a thick band of light pink ; written area throughout surrounded by a thick gold frame with outer black rule ; Qurʼānic passages rubricated in a range of red shades ; overlining in red ink.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; elegant Ottoman hand in a medium to bold line ; serifless, with effect of words descending to baseline, closed counters, and elongated horizontal strokes.Layout: Written in 21 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: II (4), 169 V (694), II (698) ; chiefly quinions ; final two leaves (following close of text) left blank ; foliation in Hindu-Arabic numerals ; oblique catchwords on the verso of each leaf ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during cataloguing.Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "كتبه اضعف العباد محمد بن حليل م"Explicit: "ومراه يي ضلعه تشبيه بيورديلر صلى الله على سيدنا محمد واله و صحبه اجمعين و الحمد الله حمدا يوافي نعمه ويكافي مزيده كلما حمده الحامدون و ذكره الذاكرون تمت بعون الحق"Incipit: "ان احسن الاحاديث بعد الحمد لمن جعل السقف الاخضر مرفوعا ... وبعد بو كمينۀ كم بضاعه وفقير قصير الباعه ... لمؤلفه احمدم ... واقوم الوسائل في ترجمة الشمائل ديو نام زد قيلدم ... "Title from opening matter on p.14.Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the extensive Ottoman Turkish rendering (with commentary) by İshak Hocası Ahmet b. Heyreddin (d.1708) of al-Tirmidhī’s (d.892) Kitāb al-Shamāʼil, a collection of traditions comprising the Prophet’s characteristics. Descriptive contributions from Nick Krabbenhoeft.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center, Isl. Ms. 451Origin: As appears in colophon on p.261, transcription completed Rajab 1171 [March-April 1758].Accompanying materials: a. Acquisitions slip from Yahuda (pp.1-2) -- b. Inventory cataloguing slip in hand of Winifred Smeaton Thomas (pp.3-4).Former shelfmark: From inscription on interior of upper cover and spine label "IL 26" (likely supplied by Yahuda, see acquisitions slip).Binding: Pasteboards covered in block-stamped paper (repeating pattern of squares filled with rows of diamonds in contrasting black on dull yellow and red-orange on white, also lining fore edge flap and covering envelope flap) with red leather over spine, fore edge of upper board, and fore edge flap ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in untinted Europea laid paper (three crescents watermark visible) ; sewn in light pink thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in dark blue and yellow, quite good condition ; overall in fairly good condition with only minor abrasion, etc.Support: European laid paper with 10-11 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 25-27 mm. apart (horizontal), grapes (raison) surmounted by crown watermark (see p.16, 17, etc.), and several words including "LANGUEDOC" (p.36, 37, etc.) ; sturdy though fairly thin and transluscent, burnished, medium cream in color.Decoration: Simple headpiece (ʻunwān) at opening on p.8 consisting of two empty rectangular pieces surmounted by a double semi-circular piece set into a well, all in red rules ; keywords, section and table headings, abbreviation symbols (letters representing the juzʼ, ḥizb, ʻushr and āyah, explained in opening table on p.9), sūrah titles and notabilia (side-heads) rubricated ; written area and table within outlined in a red rule-border.Script: Naskh ; elegant Ottoman hand in a narrow line ; mainly serifless (though occasional serif appears) with slight effect of tilt to the left, some elongation of horizontal strokes, curvilinear descenders (some sweeping), pointing in strokes rather than distinct dots ; Qurʼānic excerpts vocalized.Layout: Written in roughly 25 lines per page with written area divided to tabular format of 25 lines and 6 columns (passage of text, juzʼ, ḥizb, ʻushr, āyah and sūrah title).Collation: i, 3 V(30), V-1 (39), V (49), IV (57), 6 V(117), V+1 (128), i ; chiefly quinions ; catchwords present ; quire numbering in the form of Hindu-Arabic numerals above letter ك in the upper outer corner of the opening recto of each quire from the second ; foliation in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (includes inserts and flyleaves).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "تم وكمل هذا الكتاب الشريف في رجب الفرد سنة احدى وسبعين ومائة والف من هجرة من له العز والشرف صلى الله عليه وسلم"Explicit: "يهدي به الله من اتبع و - - و مائدة"Incipit: "الحمد لله الذي انزل على عبده الكتاب واتاه الحكمة وفصل الخطاب ... وبعد فيقول العبد الحقير عبد الله الوزير الشهير بچته جى ... لما احتجت الى وجدان ايات القرآن في اكثر الزمان سنح لخاطري الفاتر ان اجمع كتابا مع قلة البضاعة مشتملا على جداول في بيان مواضع الايات بطرح عزيب ووضع عجيب فلما يسر الله الاتمام سميته بانهار الجنان من منابيع آيات القرآن ..."Title from opening matter (preface) on p.8.Ms. codex.Fine copy of a concordance by Çetecî Abdullah Paşa b. İbrahim el-Cermakî (ʻAbd Allāh ibn Ibrāhīm, d.1760) outlining various subjects addressed in the Qurʼān in tabular form ; preceded by preface and table elucidating the meaning of the abbreviation symbols employed (pp.8-9).
Text is written in nastaʻlīq shekasteh script in black ink with some red. The initial page, which seems to have been added later when the codex was rebound, contains the title of the work and a brief sketch of the author's life and works in Persian, written in blue ink in nastaʻlīq script. These notes also present the same information about the time and place of production of this codex as is presented on the last page of the manuscript(noted above). In addition, written in English cursive in pencil, this page contains a note which states, erroneously, that this codex is the Masnavi of Jalal al-Din Rumi.Last page of the manuscript states that this copy was made in the 12th year of the reign of Khān Muhammad Awrangābādī, more commonly known as Awrangzeyb, the Mughal Emperor. Awrangzeyb reigned from 1658-1707; thus this manuscript must have been completed in 1080/1670 in India. The codex does not have original binding; it has clearly been rebound, probably in the 19th century with a plain binding; many of the pages have been remounted on a different kind of paper. There is no title page on the original paper.Vāʻiẓ Kāshifī's florid Persian version of the 8th century Arabic book of fables, Kalīlah wa Dimnah, by Ibn al-Muqaffaʻ, which is itself a translation of the Pahlavī version of the original Sanskrit work by Bidpai. Kāshifī's Anvār-i Suhaylī has been published many times, sometimes under the Arabic title, Kalīlah wa Dimnah.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 7Origin: As appears in colophon on p.1178, copied by Ḥasbī Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥasan al-Arzanjānī in Erzincan. Transcription finished mid-Rajab 1177 [January 1764].Accompanying materials: Roughly ten inserted slips, most carrying glosses, some tipped in, all paginated (see pp.17-18, pp.49-50, pp.51-52, pp.107-108, pp.523-534, pp.885-886, pp.893-894, pp.895-896, pp.1151-1152, pp.1163-1164).Former shelfmark: British Museum, London "No. 49. Anwar al-tanzil." ; possible former shelfmark on tail of textblock.Binding: Pasteboards covered in deep red-brown leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; doublures and interior of flap in brown leather ; upper and lower covers bear large, blind-stamped, scalloped mandorla with symmetrical vegetal composition (compare Déroche class. OSd 9) ; upper and lower doublures carry gold-painted outline of scalloped mandorla with pendants ; along with gold-painted roll border consisting of a series of s-shaped stamps ; sewn in dark blue thread, two stations ; fine chevron endbands in yellow and blue ; in fair condition with some abrasion, staining, ill-fitting flap, etc.Support: European laid paper in at least two types ; the first type with roughly 9 laid lines per cm. (horizontal) and chain lines spaced 26-28 mm. apart (vertical), watermarks include grapes with initials and crown and "P P [?]" countermark ; a second type with roughly 13 laid lines per cm. (vertical) and chain lines spaced 22 mm. apart (horizontal), watermarks include lion rampant in scrollwork with crown above ; thin, crisp and fairly transluscent, though sturdy.Decoration: Fine illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān) on fol.1b (p.10) consisting of rectangular piece surmounted by semi-circular piece (dome) ; rectangular piece (surrounded by interlace border in lavender) carries empty gold cartouche flanked by floral vegetal accents in gold on fields of blue; semi-circular piece (set in a well of interlace in blue and black) contains floral motifs in gold and red on fields of blue, bordered in gold, red and blue and surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue with red accents ; written area (and margin) of incipit and facing page outlined in gold frame, thereafter written area bordered in red rule-border ; text rubricated with keywords, overlining, sigla other abbreviations, etc. in red.Script: Naskh ; elegant Turkish / Eastern Anatolian hand ; partially seriffed with right-sloping (nearly horizontal) head-serif appearing often on lām of definite article ; rounded though adhering to baseline (apart from occasional superscripting) ; very slightest effect of tilt to the left.Layout: Written in 27 lines per page ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, V+1 (11), 4 V(51), V+1 (62), V (72), IV+1 (81), 22 V(301), VI (313), 12 V (433), V+1 (444), 14 V (584), iv ; chiefly quinions ; catchwords present ; foliation in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals, begins with first folio of text proper, continues with numerous mistakes (e.g. skips ۸۲, repeats ۲۳۷ then skips a leaf, etc.) ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves and inserts, skips two pages between pp.493-494 and between pp.529-530, drops from p.899 to p.890).Cololphon: "Authorial," rectangular, reads: "قال المصنف ... قد اتفق اتمام تعليق سواد هذا الكتاب المنطوي على فرائد قواعد ذوي الاباب ... الموسوم بانوار التنزيل واسرار التأويل وهو سبحانه حقيق بان يحقق الرجا" ; "Scribal," rectangular then triangular, reads: "الحمد لله الذي وقفنا بخدمة كتابه المبين ... قد من الله تبارك وتعالى باتمام هذا الكتاب المستطاب بيد الفقير الى رحمة ربه العليم وشفاعة نبيه الكريم حسبي سليمان بن احمد بن حسن الارزنجاني ... بمدينة ارزنجان حماها الله ... في اواسط رجب المبارك لسنة سبع وسبعين ومائة والف ... اعننا الله فيما يحبه ويرضاه لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله"Explicit: "من الجنة والناس بيان للوسواس او الذي او متعقلق يتوسوس اي يوسوس في صدورهم من جهة الجن والناس وقيل بيان للناس على ان المراد به ما يعم القبيلتين ... فكانما قرأ الكتب التي انزلها الله تعالى"Incipit: "الحمد لله الذي نزل الفرقان على عبده ليكون للعالمين نذيرا ... وبعد فان اعظم العلوم مقدارا وارفعها شرفا ومنارا علم التفسير الذي هو رئيس العلوم الدينية ورأسها ومبنى قواعد الشرع واساسها ..."Title from authorial colophon.Ms. codex.Fine copy of al-Bayḍāwī's celebrated commentary on the Qurʼān. Table of contents, listing of commentaries upon the work, and biographical sketch for the author included at opening.
Table of contents on pp. [1-2]; illuminated ʻunwān and chapter heading on pp. [5-6]; illuminated tailpiece; subsequent chapter headings treated more simply; gold rosettes mark sentence breaks on pp. [5-6]; text rubricated, Koranic citations overlined in red; text enclosed within gold borders; marginal supercommentaries written in hand of copyist; edges painted with gilt in foliate patterns."Baiḍāwī's commentary on the Koran, with supercommentaries by Shihāb, Sheikh Zādah, Saʻdī Efendī, ʻAṣām, Ghanī Zādah, Sinān Efendī, and others." Cataloging by William Hoyt Worrell, 1925. This is the author'smostfamous and popular work.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 977Origin: Lacks dated scribal colophon ; likely copied in Egypt in the late 1930s and bound for James Heyworth-Dunne (d.1974).Former shelfmark: Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 126Binding: Boards covered in dark green cloth with dark green leather over spine (quarter binding) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in wove paper printed with a floral vegetal pattern in green ; spine gold-stamped with title and decorative accents over raised bands "شروح تهذيب الاخلاق | J.H.D." ; sewn in heavy white thread, seemingly over two recessed cords, though difficult to examine ; overall in fairly good condition.Support: Wove paper.Script: Ruqʻah ; quick, compact, elegant hand in a thin to medium line (line thickness changes) ; serifless and freely ligatured with effect of inclination to the left and of words descending to baseline, mainly closed counters, pointing somewhat careless and in strokes rather than distinct dots, final yāʼ usually unpointed.Layout: Written mainly in 17-21 lines per page.Collation: i, 2 VIII(32), i ; two octonions (gatherings of eight bifolia) ; pages between sections (corresponding to gatherings) left blank, with one serving as section 'title page' (see p.33) ; pagination in pencil and black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals, in opening section only through page٢٨ ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization.Explicit: "ثم اعلم ان من وصل الى مرتبة اكتساب الفضائل وجب عليه تأديب غيره وافاضة ما اعطاه الله على ابناء جنسهIncipit: "نحمدك اللهم ولا نحصى ثناء عليك ونستغفرك ونسترضيك ونتوب اليك ... اما بعد فان الله تعالى بعد ان خلق الخلائق وذرأ البرايا اصطفى منها نوع الانسان وجبله من طين مؤلف من مختلف الاركان والمواد ... وكان مما ظفرت به يدي واسعدني به دهري كتاب تهذيب الاخلاق وتطهير الاعراق للحكيم الفاضل ... ابو [كذا] علي احمد بن محمد بن يعقوب بن مسكويه ... فلهذا وذاك وجدتني نشطا الى تهذيبه وتلخيصه ... فما زلت اعاني النفس في ذلك ... فذلكة الكتاب والكتاب يشتمل على مقدمة ومقالات اربع ..."Title from inscription on 'title page' (p.1).Ms. codex.Careful though incomplete copy of an anonymous abridgement of Abū ʻAlī Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad Miskawayh’s (d. 1030) treatise on ethics, Tahdhīb al-akhlāq wa-taṭhīr al-aʻrāq. See Isl. Ms. 934 for another manuscript copy.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 987Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; likely copied in Egypt in the late 1930s and bound for James Heyworth-Dunne (d.1974).Former shelfmark: Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 136Binding: Boards covered in dark green cloth with dark green leather over spine (quarter binding) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in wove paper printed with a floral vegetal pattern in green ; spine gold-stamped with title and decorative accents over raised bands "اقوال الاقدمين في الكونيات حكم سقراط | J.H.D." ; sewn in white thread over two recessed cords ; stuck-on endbands (blue and white stripe) ; overall in fairly good condition though with curvature in boards (negative draw in upper board, positive draw in lower board).Support: Wove paper of two types ; opening type (first gathering, through p.32), machine wove, lined / ruled in blue ; thereafter in a sturdy machine wove type, dark cream to beige in color.Decoration: Text executed entirely in red ink.Script: Ruqʻah ; quick, compact hand in a medium to bold line ; serifless and freely ligatured with effect of inclination to the left and of words descending to baseline, mainly closed counters, pointing somewhat careless and in strokes rather than distinct dots, final yāʼ usually unpointed.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page.Collation: i, 2 VIII (32), V (42), IV (50), i ; catchwords present ; pages left fully or partially blank between sections (each comprising a single gathering), some (corresponding to the opening recto of the gathering ) to serve as 'title pages' (see pp.33, 65, 85) ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization.Explicit: "فانه يفتضح بها على رؤوس الاشهاد يوم الدين"Incipit: "حكم سقباط الباري لم تزل هوية فقط وهو جوهر فقط وهو غير مدرك من جهة كنهه ووصفه الاخص لان الحقائق كلها من جهة جوهره ..."Title from inscription on opening 'title page' (p.1).Ms. codex.Careful copy of a collection of excerpts from ancient philosophy, including that of Socrates (سقراط), Plato (افلاطون), Pythagoras (فيثاغورث), Empedocles (ابندقلس), Plutarch (فلوطرخيس), Porphyry (فرفوريوس), etc., addressing cosmology.
Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 431Origin: As appears in colophon on p.16, executed by Sulṭān ʻAlī [possibly Sulṭān ʻAlī Mashhadī?] ; date of transcription not specified ; decoration, hand, etc. suggest early 16th century.Former shelfmark: "450 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of both front flyleaves.Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark purple leather ; Type III binding (without flap) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in light-blue textured paper ; upper and lower covers bear gold-painted central floral motif with tooled borders in gold (two different shades) ; sewn in heavy yellow thread, four stations ; overall in fair condition with some abrasion, lifting and losses of leather and paper, etc.Support: Written area mounted in lovely silhouette paper (floral designs in pink) in leaves of non-European (likely Persian) laid paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal, fairly distinct) and no chain lines visible, thin and transluscent though sturdy, well-burnished ; some staining and tide lines.Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān) at opening on p.2 consisting of rectangular piece with empty gold cartouche and surrounding floral vegetal accents in gold, red, lavender, orange, pink, light blue, white, etc. on a field of lapis lazuli bordered in bands of lapis, gold and orange-red, surmounted by a scalloped triangular piece or hasp set in a narrow rectangular piece continuing the floral vegetal design and itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in lapis lazuli ; written area throughout surrounded by frame in bands of green and gold with outermost blue rule ; panels within written area (and entire written area of incipit page) gold-flecked ; ḥadīth text in light-blue and white ink.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; elegant hand ; serifless with characteristic descent of words to baseline and superscripting of final words and letters ; elongation of horizontal strokes.Layout: Written in roughly 9 lines per page, three of ḥadīth text and six of the Persian verse paraphrase with the hemistiches of four lines of verse divided and arranged on the diagonal ; written area divided to set off the ḥadīth text and elucidation ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, IV (8), ii ; single quaternion ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization.Colophon: "Scribal," reads "احقر العباد سلطان على"Explicit: "ومن كلامه صلى الله عليه و آله لا يشبع المؤمن من دون جاره هر که در خطه مسلمانی باشد از نقد دین گر انمایه ... تمت ترجمه هذه الاربعين بتوفيق من هو ناصر ومعين سنه ست و ثمانين و ثمانمائة متع الله بها كل فريق فيه و الحمد لله على الاتمام و الصلوه و السلام على محمد و آله البررة الكرام اربعینهاى سالکان جامی هست بهر وصول صدر قبول منست از فضل حق عجیب و غریب که بدین اربعین رسی بوصول"Incipit: "صحیح ترین حدیثى که راویان مجالس دین ... این چهل کلمه است ازان کلمات که سهولت فهم و حفظ را بنظم فارسی ترجمه گر ده مي آید امید ... لا يؤمن احدكم حتى يحب لاخيه ما يحب لنفسه هر کسی را لقب مکن مؤمن گرچه از سعی جان وتن کاهد ..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of Jāmī's verse paraphrase of forty ḥadīth, possibly executed by renowned Timurid calligrapher Sulṭān ʻAlī Mashhadī (d.1520).