Zakariyya ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Qazwini (d.1283 AD), Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat (Wonders of Created Things and Marvels of Existing Beings), on cosmology and natural history, Egypt or Syria, Mamluk, circa 1450-75
Auction Closed
March 31, 12:40 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Arabic manuscript on cream and buff papers, 214 leaves plus 2 fly-leaves, 21 lines to the page, written in neat black naskh script, key words picked out in red, catchwords, f.39b with a grid chart, f.1a with later illuminated title panels, brown leather binding with tooled and stamped central medallion and borders
25.7 by 18cm.
An inscription on the last page states that this manuscript was examined by Ahmad ….. al Muhammadi in 882 AH/1477-78 AD. Therefore the manuscript can be dated to the third quarter of the fifteenth century.
Abu Yahya Zakariya ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Qazwini (1203-82 AD) was a physician, astronomer and geographer who was born in Qazwin and travelled extensively in Mesopotamia and the Levant. He dedicated his cosmography entitled 'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Maujudat to 'Ata-Malik Juwayni (d.1283 AD), a Persian historian who was appointed governor of Baghdad by the Mongol ruler Hulagu after its sacking in 1258 AD.
As for the place and date of production, according to S. Carboni, "originally written in Arabic around 1270, the text was later translated into Persian and Turkish and a very large number of copies were executed until the 19th century". He lists the other manuscripts and dispersed folios including a manuscript produced in the Deccan and dated c.1570-1600 (see S. Carboni, Pages of Perfection, Islamic Paintings and Calligraphy from the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Milan, 1995, pp.86-89 and pp.164-171).
Another copy of this work dated 2 Jumada II 838 AH/1434-35 AD is in the British Library, see C. Rieu, Supplement to the Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the British Museum, Hildesheim, 2013, pp 473-4. Rieu states that for other copies of this work see Wustenfeld’s Preface; Pertsche, no.1503-8; the Paris Catalogue 2173-8; Rosen Institute, no.46 and the Khedive Library, Cairo, volume V, p.85.
A further copy of this work copied in Damascus and dated 22 Jumada II 894 AH/1488-89 AD is in the John Rylands Library, Manchester (see A. Mingana, Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, 1943, pp.531-2). Mingana describes the work as follows: “A work upon the universe and its wonders, upon strange animals and minerals , and all things of peculiar character, legendary or real.”
The text is divided into four muqaddamahs (introductions) and two maqalahs (essays), which are subdivided into nazar (points of view), nau’ (species) and fasls (chapters). The subjects are as follows: firmament; angels; time; months; fire; air; fish and aquatic animals; form of earth; mountains; rivers; springs and wells; minerals; oleiferous substances; plants; stars; man; Jinns and animals in particular and in general.
The John Rylands ‘Aja’ib appears to be the closest to the present manuscript. Both manuscripts were copied within ten years of each other (1478 and 1489), in Mamluk Syria, the beginning and end of text are the same. Both copies end with a description of a chicken with two heads and four legs. The text divisions and subjects are also the same.
Abu Yahya Zakariya ibn Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Qazwini (1203-82 AD) was a physician, astronomer and geographer who was born in Qazwin and travelled extensively in Mesopotamia and the Levant. He dedicated his cosmography entitled 'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Maujudat to 'Ata-Malik Juwayni (d.1283 AD), a Persian historian who was appointed governor of Baghdad by the Mongol ruler Hulagu after its sacking in 1258 AD.
As for the place and date of production, according to S. Carboni, "originally written in Arabic around 1270, the text was later translated into Persian and Turkish and a very large number of copies were executed until the 19th century". He lists the other manuscripts and dispersed folios including a manuscript produced in the Deccan and dated c.1570-1600 (see S. Carboni, Pages of Perfection, Islamic Paintings and Calligraphy from the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Milan, 1995, pp.86-89 and pp.164-171).
Another copy of this work dated 2 Jumada II 838 AH/1434-35 AD is in the British Library, see C. Rieu, Supplement to the Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the British Museum, Hildesheim, 2013, pp 473-4. Rieu states that for other copies of this work see Wustenfeld’s Preface; Pertsche, no.1503-8; the Paris Catalogue 2173-8; Rosen Institute, no.46 and the Khedive Library, Cairo, volume V, p.85.
A further copy of this work copied in Damascus and dated 22 Jumada II 894 AH/1488-89 AD is in the John Rylands Library, Manchester (see A. Mingana, Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the John Rylands Library, Manchester, 1943, pp.531-2). Mingana describes the work as follows: “A work upon the universe and its wonders, upon strange animals and minerals , and all things of peculiar character, legendary or real.”
The text is divided into four muqaddamahs (introductions) and two maqalahs (essays), which are subdivided into nazar (points of view), nau’ (species) and fasls (chapters). The subjects are as follows: firmament; angels; time; months; fire; air; fish and aquatic animals; form of earth; mountains; rivers; springs and wells; minerals; oleiferous substances; plants; stars; man; Jinns and animals in particular and in general.
The John Rylands ‘Aja’ib appears to be the closest to the present manuscript. Both manuscripts were copied within ten years of each other (1478 and 1489), in Mamluk Syria, the beginning and end of text are the same. Both copies end with a description of a chicken with two heads and four legs. The text divisions and subjects are also the same.