AN ILLUSTRATED COPY OF PART OF AL-SUFI'S KITAB SUWAR AL-KAWAKIB, NEAR EAST OR INDIA, CIRCA 17TH CENTURY

Illustrated Arabic manuscript on paper, 52 leaves, text pages with 17 lines per page written in black ink, numerous tables, diagrams and illustrations of the constellations, in a modern cloth binding

Published in 1400 Years of Islamic Art, 1981, no.14.

Overall good condition, binding shows signs of wear and stains, minor nibbles on pages and minor stains, as viewed.
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This manuscript is an incomplete copy of the Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib, "The Book of the Fixed Stars", of Abu l-Husayn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Umar al-Sufi (d. 986 AD), copied in Naskhi script; The illustrations of the constellations are predominantly drawn in the twin forms "as seen in the sky" and "as seen on the globe", as is typical in most manuscripts of this type.

The following constellations are included:
1.    Cancer
2.    Leo
3.    Libra
4.    Scorpio
5.    Virgo
6.    Aquarius
7.    Ursa Minor
8.    Aquila
9.    Pegasus
10.  Perseus
11.  Lyra
12.  Cassiopeia
13.  Hercules
14.  Cepheus
15.  Andromeda and Cetus
16.  Equus Major
17.  Triangulum
18.  Delphinus
19.  Equuleus
20.  Cygnus
21.  Andromeda
22.  Sagitta
23.  Auriga

A closely related manuscript, dated 1630, was sold at Bonhams, London, 25th October 2007, lot 27.