Lot 22

SULTAN HUSAYN BAYQARA. MAJALIS AL-USHAQ, ASSEMBLIES OF LOVERS, ILLUMINATED PERSIAN MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER, ILLUSTRATED WITH ONE DOUBLE-PAGE MINIATURE AND 75 SMALL MINIATURES, PERSIA, PROBABLY QAZWIN, dated 15 Shawwal 984/5th January 1577

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Description

196 leaves, 17 lines to the page written in one or two columns of fine nasta'liq script in black ink, titles and significant words picked out in gold throughout, double intercolumnar rules with gold foliate decoration, margins ruled in blue and gold, one illuminated headpiece, preceded by one double-page frontispiece depicting an enthroned prince picnicking, preceded by two illuminated central medallions (shamsa), 75 small miniatures executed by more than one artist, edges frayed at beginning, tears crudely repaired, areas of illumination retouched, some waterstaining, corners rather thumbed, modern black shagreen with gilt-stamped central medallions decorated with geese in flight, with flap, doublures and end-leaves of gilt paper

Provenance

1. H.P. Kraus, New York

2. Ownership inscripton by Rajab Quli ibn Mirza Muhammad Ibrahim, dated Ramadan A.H. 1269 / June-July A.D. 1853

3. Ownership inscription and a seal impression of Reza Quli al-Sharif, dated A.H. 1270/ A.D. 1853-4

4. Traces of a note in Persian on last page states that "this books of Majalis al-'Ushaq of Sultan Husayn... on Samarqandi paper, ruled, gold illuminated, illustrated, with filigree covers... of the property of the deceased Muhammad Akbar I entered the library... the date... " This note indicates that the manuscript was probably in a Safavid Royal Library.

Catalogue Note

The author is the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara (died A.D.1506). He was a poet and a patron of men of letters and artists such as Jami and Bihzad. His work, Majalis al-'Ushaq, is a biographical work of the great mystics and celebrated lovers (See C. Rieu, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum, London 1966, pp.351-3, Or.208).

The miniatures are as follows:

f.2v-3r Double-page painting representing an outdoor court-scene. A young prince enthroned, attended by courtiers, falconer and musicians.

f.9r Two angels appearing to Yusuf

f.17v Yusuf fleeing from Zulaykha, who catches him by the tail of his coat

f.19v Zulaykha's maid overcome by the beauty of Yusuf

f.22v Three sages discussing in a landscape

f.26r The Imam Ja'far Sadiq conversing with two young men

f.27v Shaykh Dhu'l-nun Misri addressing a young man in a landscape, in which appear a snake and a scorpion

f.32v Mourning of Sultan Ibrahim Adham

f.35r Sultan Bayazid Bistami holding a discourse with a disciple

f.43v Shaykh Mansur Hallaj led to execution

f.44v Discovery of the decapitated body of Abul-Hasan Kharraqani

f.45r The poet Abu Sa'id Abul-Khayr sitting in a landscape

f.48v Khwaja 'Abdallah Ansari conversing with two disciples

f.51r The mystic Ahmad al-Ghazali discoursing to a young man in a landscape, a book lies between them

f.55r Shaykh Ahmadi Jam (Zhandapil) seated on a carpet with a broken decanter before him

f.57v A prince dancing in the presence of the Shaykh and an attendant (illustration to the biography of Shaykh Awhad al-din Kirmani)

f.58v Shaykh-Awhadi discoursing to a young man in a landscape

f.59r Shaykh Shihab al-din Maqtul conversing with a disciple in a landscape

f.60r Shaykh Sa'd al-din Hummu'i conversing with a young man in a landscape

f.61v Shaykh Ruzbahan preacing at Shiraz

f.63r Shaykh Majd al-Din Baghdadi preaching

f.64r A disciple paying homage to Shaykh Najm al - Din Kubra, founder of the Kubrawi order of Shaykhs

f.68v The Shaykh of San'an before the house of the Christian maiden

f.74v The poet Farid al-Din 'Attar discoursing in a landscape

f.76r A man in a landscape looking at a black mule (illustration to the biography of Shaykh Ibn Farid)

f.80r Shamsi Tabriz playing chess with two young men

f.82v Two warriors in a landscape, holding arrows, a man bleeding lying on the ground, observed by a prince and attendant at a house window (illustration to the biography of Shaykh Najm al-Din Razi

f.83v Shaykh Saif al-Din Bakharzi riding preceded by a prince on foot

f.90v Shaykh Sa'di and Humam al-Din Tabrizi at the bath

f.91v Sayyid Mir Husaini conversing with a disciple in a landscape

f.92v Shaykh Mahmud Shabistari and his disciple

f.94v Amir Khusrau Dihlavi receiving two young princes

f.95v Husayn Akhlati conversing with a young prince in a landscape

f.97r Sayyid Hamadani addressing a young prince

f.98r Kwaja Baha al-Din Naqshband receiving a prince

f.100v Pahlawan Mahmud Puryar wrestling

f.101v Hailstones breaking a bottle of wine held by Mawlana Lutfallah of Nishapur

f.103r The poet Hafiz and a companion drinking, observed by a prince at a side door

f.104v Sa'd al-Din Taftazani conversing with a disciple

f.106v Illustration to the biography of Mawlana Muhammad Shirin: a decorated room

f.107r The poet Kamal Khujandi conversing with a young man

f.110v Amir Makhtum seated on a carpet conversing with a disciple

f.111r Khwaja Abu'l - Wafa listening to a young man playing a harp

f.112r The poet Qasim al-Anwar and his pupil

f.117r Execution of Amir Sayyid 'Imad al-Din Nasimi

f.118r A youth thinking, seated on a carpet on a terrace in front of a landscape

f.119v Mawlana Sharaf al-Din Yazdi conversing with a young man in a landscape

f.120v Amir Sayyid Hakimi conversing with a young man

f.121r Shaykh Dadah 'Umar and three men discoursing on a terrace

f.122v Mawlana Muhammad Tabadkani and a dervish dancing

f.124r Khwaja 'Ubayd-Allah at a bookseller's

f.128r Mawlana 'Abd-Al-Rahman Jami and followers

f.136r Iskandar lassoing the Russian champion

f.137r Iskandar reclining at night, with a courtier standing and a woman before him

f.140v Khusrau receiving Farhad

f.142r Shirin visiting Farhad's milk conduit at Bisitun

f.145v Majnun in the desert among the animals

f.150v Khusrau Shah bin Qaysar conversing with a girl in a landscape, a female maiden attending

f.153v Sultan Mahmud ben Sabuktagin reclining, while a courtier cuts off his own whiskers with a dagger

f.155v Abul-Fath Sultan Galal al-Din Malikshah conversing with a prince, a courtier attending

f.159v Sultan Muhammad bin Malikshah mourning an executed criminal

f.160r Sultan Muhammad bin Malikshah conversing with two young men in a landscape near a gallows

f.163v Abul-Muzaffar Amir Ismail Gil-ki conversing with his courtier who offers him some fruits

f.164v Sultan Mas'ud Saljuqi encounters a prince falling off his horse's back

f.169v Sultan Sanjar b.Malikshah Alp Arslan, surprising a girl entertaining a youth with her musical instrument

f.171v Abul-Fath Ibrahim Sultan in his tent while his son is standing by

f.172v Sultan Baysunghur interviewing the tutor of his son Sultan Babur

f.174r Sultan Pir Budaq bin Jahanshah drinking at night with a young prince, observed by a prince at an upper window

f.175v Sultan Ya'qub drinking with a young prince

f.177v A prince and attendant approaching a half-naked man lying on the ground under a gallows (illustration to the biography of Abu Najib Khazari)

f.178v The Sufi Asma'i conversing with a wild man in a landscape

f.181r Shaykh Adhuri conversing with a disciple

f.183v Mir Ali Shir drinking with a young prince

f.184v Three youths conversing in a landscape and a fourth carrying his horse on his shoulders

f.187r Two princes seated on a carpet conversing on a terrace

f.193r Two young men discussing in a landscape