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A Lavishly Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscript of Nizami's Khamsa, Persia, Turkoman, Dated 904-5 AH/1498-9 AD
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
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Description
- Ink & gouache on paper
Persian manuscirpt on paper, 362 leaves plus 2 flyleaves, 21 lines to the page, written in small nasta'liq script in black ink in 4 columns, double intercolumnar rules, catchwords, margins ruled in blue and gold, headings in gold tawqi' script throughout, opening double page illuminated shamsas in gold, silver and polychrome interlacing flowers, further illuminated double title page composed of a rigorous interlace of scrolling split-palmettes with opening text in cloud bands against gold and blue grounds, 68 MINIATURES in a painterly Turkoman style, 5 FURTHER DOUBLE-PAGE MINIATURES at the start of each book, followed by an illuminated heading with title in white tawqi' script in a gold-ground cartouche, binding with punched and gilt-stamped decoration consisting of chinoiserie cloud bands and interlacing vegetation, with doublures of cut-leather filigreework on blue and gold ground cartouches and cornerpieces
Condition
In generally good overall condition, binding with some wear and spine repair, some stains to manuscript, various marginal paper repairs, some miniatures with areas of overpainting, illumination generally bright, as viewed.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
inscriptions
One of the seals on the opening leaf is that of ‘Abd al-Rashid Daylami (d. circa 1670), the nasta’liq calligrapher who was a nephew and a pupil of the much celebrated Mir ‘Imad al- Hasani. He moved to India after the murder of his uncle and joined the Mughal court of Shah Jahan. He was much respected and held various posts including Royal Scribe, teacher of princes and princesses, and the Royal Librarian. During the reign of ‘Alamgir, he was put in charge of the Royal palaces in Akbar Abad (Agra). His recorded work is dated between 1620-60 (see Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va athar-e khawshnavisan, vol.II, Tehran, 1346, pp.393-400).
Turkoman painting came to fruition in the fifteenth century under the Qara-Qoyunlu and Aq-Qoyunlu rulers. By the second half of the century, dynamic compositions combined with vibrate colours had become the distinctive style, as can be seen in a further copy of Nizami's Khamsa in the Art and History Trust Collection dated 892 AH/1487 (published in Soudavar 1992, pp.139-141, nos.51a-e). This manuscript shares with the present copy remarkably similar compositional themes and palette, although the copy to hand is executed in perhaps a rather more sensitive, painterly style, including a signature quirk of following a particular detail and stretching it out into the upper margin above the text. the Battle of Nofel with Layla's Tribe (128b on the present manuscript) bears close comparison with the same illustration in the Art and History Trust Khamsa (ibid., p.140, no.51b).
The present manuscript appears to have been produced for a figure of some note, being lavishly illustrated with sixty-eight miniatures, as well as comprising a double-page illustration and finely illuminated headpiece for each of the five books of the Khamsa. The text is written in a small and neat nasta'liq hand within four columns, typical of the period, whilst the doublures also display an intricate interlace of cut-leather filigree. Further copies of Nizami's Khamsa in the same style were sold in these rooms, 23 April 1997, lot 21 and 23 April 1979, lot 152, whilst related Turkoman copies of Firdausi's Shahnameh were sold in these rooms, 15 October 1998, lot 50, 22 October 1993, lot 175 and 7 December 1970, lot 190.
One of the seals on the opening leaf is that of ‘Abd al-Rashid Daylami (d. circa 1670), the nasta’liq calligrapher who was a nephew and a pupil of the much celebrated Mir ‘Imad al- Hasani. He moved to India after the murder of his uncle and joined the Mughal court of Shah Jahan. He was much respected and held various posts including Royal Scribe, teacher of princes and princesses, and the Royal Librarian. During the reign of ‘Alamgir, he was put in charge of the Royal palaces in Akbar Abad (Agra). His recorded work is dated between 1620-60 (see Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va athar-e khawshnavisan, vol.II, Tehran, 1346, pp.393-400).
Turkoman painting came to fruition in the fifteenth century under the Qara-Qoyunlu and Aq-Qoyunlu rulers. By the second half of the century, dynamic compositions combined with vibrate colours had become the distinctive style, as can be seen in a further copy of Nizami's Khamsa in the Art and History Trust Collection dated 892 AH/1487 (published in Soudavar 1992, pp.139-141, nos.51a-e). This manuscript shares with the present copy remarkably similar compositional themes and palette, although the copy to hand is executed in perhaps a rather more sensitive, painterly style, including a signature quirk of following a particular detail and stretching it out into the upper margin above the text. the Battle of Nofel with Layla's Tribe (128b on the present manuscript) bears close comparison with the same illustration in the Art and History Trust Khamsa (ibid., p.140, no.51b).
The present manuscript appears to have been produced for a figure of some note, being lavishly illustrated with sixty-eight miniatures, as well as comprising a double-page illustration and finely illuminated headpiece for each of the five books of the Khamsa. The text is written in a small and neat nasta'liq hand within four columns, typical of the period, whilst the doublures also display an intricate interlace of cut-leather filigree. Further copies of Nizami's Khamsa in the same style were sold in these rooms, 23 April 1997, lot 21 and 23 April 1979, lot 152, whilst related Turkoman copies of Firdausi's Shahnameh were sold in these rooms, 15 October 1998, lot 50, 22 October 1993, lot 175 and 7 December 1970, lot 190.