PRAYERS FOR THE SEVEN DAYS OF THE WEEK, ILLUMINATED FOR AMIN AL-SULTAN, COPIED BY AQA-JAN PARTO AND ALI BIN AL-HUSAIN, PERSIA, QAJAR, DATED 1129 AH/1717 AND 1304 AH/1886 AD

Illuminated Arabic manuscript on paper, written in black thuluth script on cream paper, headings written in gold thuluth, interlinear gold throughout, fully illuminated margins throughout, contemporary blue and brown leather binding with gilt floral motifs

Good condition, cover in good condition with binding unattached, colours and gold are bright and script is legible.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This small prayer book is exquisitely illuminated throughout, and is of a very high quality. The final page of the manuscript mentions two different scribes and dates. At the end of the main text of prayers is the name of the scribe Aqa-Jan Parto and the date [1]129/1717. At the end of marginal text of the final double page a note tells us that it was completed by Ali bin Husain in the year 1304/1886. In the top margin of the same double page is the dedication to the Qajar prime minister and power-broker Amin al-Sultan, also known as Atabeg-i Azam, whose name was Mirza Ali Asghar. It seems possible therefore that the original manuscript of prayers was completed by Aqa-Jan Parto in the 1717, and was perhaps left un-illuminated. Then in 1304 it was fully illuminated, many pages displaying an archaistic Safavid style which may have been a direct reference to the date of the original text (which was just before the end of the Safavid era), and presented to Amin al-Sultan. Whether the scribe of the marginal text, Ali bin Husain, was also the illuminator is not clear.