1. Divan-ı Atayi ve Divan-ı Nizâmî

Description:

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 850Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; paper, decoration, etc. would suggest 17th century ; dated seal impression can suggest only a very rough terminus ante quem of 1765.Accompanying materials: Slip with description and price of this manuscript cut from a seller's catalog "[ARABIC MANUSCRIPT]. ATTAYI. Divan, or Collection of poems. 84 leaves, double column, headings and titles in solid gold, each poem and page within heavily gilt borders, 2 'unwans in blue and gold. 20 by 11.2 cm., 12mo, contemporary goatskin. Arabia, xviii century. $17.50 Fine calligraphic example, charmingly executed. On the last blank leaf is a detailed flowered ornamental pencil outline in prepared for the illuminator, of interest as showing the method of work."Former shelfmark: "46 . 47" in black ink on cover label.Binding: Pasteboards (thin) covered in brown leather once edged in black leather (see traces on lower cover) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; board linings (doublures) in once marbled paper (mainly pink, yellow, etc.) ; upper and lower covers carry tooled border in a series of s-shaped stamps, originally in gold over black leather, now lost from many areas ; sewn in dark blue thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in pink and yellow, fairly good condition ; overall in fair condition with some abrasion, staining, moisture damage, lifting of leather, etc. ; spine repair in black leather (overlaping flanges visible).Support: non-European (likely Persian or Indian) laid paper with 7 laid lines per cm. (mainly vertical but occasionally horizontal) and occasional chain lines visible, crisp and transluscent though sturdy, well-burnished to glossy, some leaves tinted pink or yellow ; flyleaves in European laid paper ; staining and tidelines.Decoration: Splendid illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening of Divan-ı Atayi on p.6 consisting of rectangular piece with small gold cartouches carrying the title "ديوان عطايى" in black surrounded by swirling arabesques with floral accents in gold, light blue, and black on a lapis lazuli / cobalt ground, bordered in heavy gold band with delicate floral vegetal pattern in blue and black as well as narrower blue and gold bands defined by black fillets, entire piece surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue ; another exquisite illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening of Divan-ı Nizâmî on p.72 consisting of rectangular piece carrying the title "ديوان نظامى" in black surrounded by delicate swirling arabesques with floral accents in gold, black, and light blue on grounds of gold and lapis lazuli / cobalt, entire piece bordered in a narrow gold band defined by black fillets and surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue ; written area throughout surrounded by a gold frame defined by black fillets ; keywords and headings chrysographed.Script: Naskh ; compact, bold Turkish hand ; partially but irregularly seriffed with right-sloping head-serifs on occasional ascenders (even free-standing alif), effect of tilt to the left, curvilinear descenders, freely ligatured, pointing (for two and three dots) in strokes rather than distinct dots, with three dots represented by a c-shaped stroke.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page with written area divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: ii, IV (8), V (18), IV (26), V (36), IV (44), V (54), IV (62), V (72), IV (80), II (84), i ; alternating quinions and quaternions ; leaves between the two works (pp.70-71) and at close (pp.171-172) ruled but left blank ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves).Incipit: [Divan-ı Atayi] "يينه عزم رزم قلدى سرور خاور كنش كم ديار هنده چكدى صبحدم لشكر كنش" ; [Divan-ı Nizâmî] "يا اشرف البرية يا سيد الوري اعلى الاله ذاتك قدرا ومنزلا "Title supplied by cataloguer from inscription on 'title page' (p.5).Ms. codex.4. p.171-p.172 : [blank].3. p.72-p.170 : Divan-ı Nizâmî / Karamanlı Nizâmî.2. p.70-p.71 : [blank].1. p.6-p.69 : Divan-ı Atayi / Nevizade Atayi Ataullah bin Yahya.Elegant copy of the Turkish dīvāns of two Ottoman poets, Nevizade Atayi Ataullah bin Yahya (d.1635) and Karamanlı Nizâmî (Şeyh Nizamettin b. Veliettin of Karaman, fl. 15th cent.).

2. Divan-ı Necâtî Bey

Description:

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 403Origin: As appears in colophon on p.427, copied by Shujāʻ al-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī with transcription completed in Shaʻbān 989 [September 1581].Former shelfmark: "229 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of front flyleaf (p.2) ; "٤٠" on front flyleaf (p.1) ; "٦٩٧" on spine label.Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark red leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; doublures in dark red leather with central mandorla and cornerpieces in gold-painted leather filigree appliqué over blue paper, pendants in black filigree appliqué over gold leaf, as well as gold-painted accents ; upper and lower covers carry stamped (with once gold-painted recessed onlays in dark red leather) mandorla (filled with symmetrical vegetal composition, compare Déroche class. OSd 3), pendants, cornerpieces and border lozenges ; design continues on flap ; sewn in dark pink thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in pink and yellow, poor condition with tailband entirely gone and headband significantly damaged with losses of threads and core exposed ; overall in poor condition with much abrasion, lifting and losses of leather, fore edge flap detaching, etc. ; numerous repairs in another dark red-brown leather (at edges, spine / rebacked, joints, hinges / rehinged, etc.).Support: non-European (likely Persian) laid paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal, fairly distinct, some curving) and occasional pairs of chain lines only faintly visible, somewhat cloudy formation , some inclusions, quite sturdy, well-burnished, dark cream to beige in color ; later flyleaves in European laid paper ; breakthrough at frames in many leaves ; numerous repairs (fills, guards, etc.).Decoration: Exquisite illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.6, consisting of large rectangular piece with empty gold cartouche surrounded by elegant arabesques with floral accents in gold, red, yellow, and light blue on a lapis lazuli ground and bordered in a bands of red and heavy gold interlace, surmounted by a large scalloped w-shaped piece filled with delicate arabesques in gold, light blue, yellow, red and white on grounds of gold and lapis lazuli divided by bands of white and turquoise to a series of scalloped dome or diamond shapes, itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) and set in a well of light blue and gold ; another exquisite illuminated headpiece (rectangular piece surmounted by scalloped dome set in heavy band) at opening of section on p.108 ; written area surrounded by a frame consisting of bands of red, turquoise, and gold defined by black fillets with outermost blue rule, divisions within (some gold-flecked) defined by narrow gold bands outlined with black fillets ; keywords and headings chrysographed ; textual dividers in the form of gold discs.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; elegant hand ; serifless, with effect of words descending to baseline, closed counters, and elongated horizontal strokes.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page, with written area often divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, 6 IV(48), II (52), 20 IV(212), I (214), ii ; almost exclusively quaternions ; leaves between sections left blank (pp.102-107) ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves).Colophon: "Scribal," rectangular, reads "فرغ من تمت الديوان نجاتي عليه الرحمة فى يوم السبت شهر شعبان المبارك سنه ٩٨٩ تسع وثمانين وتسعمائه عن يد الفقير الحقير شجاع الدين محمد شيرازى"Explicit: "دنيا ايچنده باغ ارم كورمك استين سورسن يوزن مزارنه اول يوجه حضرتك"Incipit:"بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم اولدى چو عنوان ديوان قديم كلوكز اولالم كه وبى كاه ذاكر لا اله الا الله ..."Title supplied by cataloguer.Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the Dīvān of Necâtî Bey (İsa) Edirnevî (d.1509).

4. al-Sirājiyah

Description:

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center Isl. Ms. 578Origin: As appears below colophon on p.167, transcription likely completed 905 [1499 or 1500], with the date given in numerals (numeral khamsah looking like an inverted 'B' and numeral ṣifr looking like a closed hāʼ) ; paper, etc. and birth notices on p.168 are consistent with this dating. Colophon indicates that the copy was executed by the owner, one ʻAlī ibn ʻAbdī [?] (علي بن عبدي), though the text of the colophon seems to read "...وقع الفراغ في اول رجب سنه و تسعون [؟] و خمس مائة" indicating first of Rajab 591 [ca. 11 June 1195] as a date of completion. This may represent a mistake on the part of the copyist with "... اول رجب سنه خمس وتسعمائة ..." (or something to that effect) being the intended reading. In such a case the copy may be dated to 1 Rajab 905 [ca. Febrary 1500]. Alternatively, the colophon may have been copied verbatim from another manuscript.Accompanying materials: a. Acquisitions slip from Yahuda (pp.1-2) -- b. Inventory cataloguing slip in hand of Winifred Smeaton Thomas (pp.3-4) -- c. Numerous inserts carrying glosses (pp.11-12, 39-40, 49-50, 51-52, 57-58, 59-60, 111-112, 153-154, 155-158 [bifolium]).Former shelfmark: From interior of upper cover and spine label "IL 160" (likely supplied by Yahuda, see acquisitions slip).Binding: Pasteboards covered in dark brown leather ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings in laid paper ; upper and lower covers carry blind-stamped scalloped mandorla (filled with vegetal composition, compare Déroche class. OAi 4), along with tooled border in a series of rules ; sewn in dull pink or beige thread, two stations ; endbands virtually gone though traces of headband remain ; overall in somewhat poor condition with much abrasion, lifting and losses of leather, some pest damage, etc.Support: non-European laid paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (vertical) and chain lines (horizontal) grouped in threes with 8-10 mm. between chains and 34-49 mm. between groups (see p.66, etc.) ; fairly thick, dense and sturdy, quite well-burnished.Decoration: Keywords, section headings and abbreviation symbols rubricated ; written area of first few leaves surrounded by red rule-border (through p.19) ; numerous diagrams (in red and black ink) tracing inheritance arranged artistically in margins.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; elegant Turkish [?] hand ; serifless with tilt to the right and slight effect of words descending to baseline, elongation and exaggerated thickness of horizontal strokes, freely ligatured ; colophon in script approaching taʻlīq.Layout: Written in 3-5 lines per page, with allowance for extensive interlinear and marginal glosses arranged artisitically in geometric shapes ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, 8 IV(64), III+1 (71), i ; almost exclusively quaternions ; catchwords present ; foliation in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes flyleaves and inserts).Colophon: "Scribal," reads " تمت الكتاب بحمد الله وحسن توفيقه على يد عبد الضعيف المذنب [؟] الى رحمة الله تعالى وقع الفراغ في تاريخ اول رجب سنة وتسعون وخمس مائة [؟] صاحبه ومالكه علي بن عبدي [؟] تاريخ سنة 905 [؟]"Explicit: "يرث بعضهم من بعض الا مما ورث كل واحد منهم من مال صاحبه"Incipit: "الحمد لله حمد الشاكرين والصلوة والسلام على خير البرية محمد واله الطيبين الطاهرين قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تعلموا الفرائض وعلموها الناس ..."Title from inscription on upper board lining.Ms. codex.Elegant copy of the celebrated work on the law of inheritance by Sirāj al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Sajāwandī (fl. 12th cent.), with extensive marginal and interlinear glosses.