Khamsa of Nizami, illuminated and illustrated Persian manuscript with 25 miniatures, copied by Jamal al-Din Husain al-Shirazi, Persia, Shiraz, dated A.H.9 87/A.D. 1579

354 leaves of gold-sprinkled paper, 22 lines or less to the page written horizontally and diagonally in four columns per page, intercolumnar illumination throughout in gold and colour, several leaves with small triangular panels of illumination amongst text , headings in white nasta'liq on illuminated panels, margins ruled in colours and gold, opening double page of illumination and six further double pages with illuminated headpieces and interlinear gilt floral illumination, 25 finely executed miniatures in gouache heightened with gold, final page with illuminated shamsa and seal impressions, elegant early 17th century Indian gilt-stamped brown morocco binding decorated with floral scrolls, brown leather doublures, fitted red cloth box, calf spine and gilt

Copied by the scribe Jamal al-Din Husain al-Shirazi, Shiraz A.D. 1579.
Imad Khan, house born of Shah Jahan (seal impression dated A.H. 1063/A.D. 1652 within shamsa on final page.
Suleiman Jah (seal impressions on first and last pages dated A.H. 1244/A.D. 1828).
Two other seal impressions fated A.H. 1260/A.D. 1844 with illegible names.
Philip S.Collins (bookplate dated 1928 on opening flyleaf).
George McMaster Jones (acquired 1971).

In good overall condition, some splits to margins, a few leaves with repairs to edges, some mild staining to the page edges, some miniatures with slight retouching, as viewed.
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The manuscript contains the five stories of Nizami's Khamsa, consisting of the three romances Khusraw wa Shirin, Layla wa Madjnun and the Haft Paykar (the Seven Princesses), the Makhzan al-Asrar (the Treasure of Mysteries) and the Iskandarnama (the story of Alexander the Great).

The text is illustrated with twenty-five particularly fine miniatures. Those on the opening double-page are of the sub-imperial Mughal school of the early seventeenth century and were added to the manuscript while in the possession of Mughal rulers. The remaining miniatures are all contemporary with the manuscript and are good examples of Shiraz painting at the end of the reign of Shah Tahmasp and the beginning of that of his son Isma'il. The style both of the illumination and of the painting is identical to a 1576 Khamsa in the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan collection and undoubtedly both manuscripts originated from the same Shiraz atelier (cf. Sheila Canby, Princes, Poets and Paladins, no. 31, p. 54).

The commissioning patron of the present manuscript evidently had a particular fondness for the story of the Haft Paykar, a romantic story in erotic sensuous verse of the seven favourite wives of the Sasanian King Bahram Gur. The story tells how Bahram discovers locked in a chamber of his palace seven portraits of seven princesses from different parts of the world. Bahram falls in love with the portraits and on his accession to the throne of Iran he builds for the princesses seven palaces with seven domes, each symbolically coloured. Bahram then visits each princess in turn on the seven successive nights of the week in a bedazzling exploration of the pleasures of love.

Although the Haft Paykar was a subject matter which lent itself marvellously to painting, it is nevertheless an unusual feature of the present manuscript to find illustrations of all seven princesses. The miniatures are of a very high quality with minute attention to details in the painting of the interiors of the pavilions complete with tiles, Persian carpets, festooning curtains, musical instruments and ornate costumes which reflected the current fashion in the new Safavid capital at Qazvin.

The illustrations in the miniatures are as follows:

1-2.  Princes enthroned enjoying refreshments and entertained by dancers (Mughal ca. 1610-1620).
3.  Sultan Sanjar and the old woman.
4.  A prince enthroned on a palace terrace with courtiers.
5.  The two lions tethered before Bahram Gur's throne.
6.  Bahram Gur with the Moorish princess in the black pavilion.
7.  Bahram Gur with the Chinese princess in the sandalwood pavilion.
8.  Bahram Gur with the Indian princess in the yellow pavilion.
9.  Bahram Gur with the Russian princess in the red pavilion.
10.  Bahram Gur with the Tartar princess in the green pavilion.
11.  Bahram Gur with the princess of Khwarazm in the blue pavilion.
12.  Bahram Gur with the Greek princess in the white pavilion.
13.  A prisoner hanging by his feet and being punished by stoning.
14.  Khusrau's first sighting with Shirin bathing in a mountain stream.
15.  A game of polo.
16.  Shirin and Farhad on Mount Bisitun (with thumb sketch).
17.  Khusrau and Shirin together in bed.
18.  Layla and Majnun at school.
19.  Ibn Salam falling from Layla's bed.
20.  Majnun visited by his father in the wilderness.
21.  Iskandar enthroned.
22.  Iskandar comforting the dying Dara.
23.  Iskandar and courtiers approach a pavilion in an orchard.
24-25.  Iskandar and a princess enthroned on a palace terrace with musicians and bearers bringing food.