An illustrated and illuminated leaf from a manuscript of Nizami's Khamsa: the old woman leads Majnun in chains, Persia, Turkman, 901 AH/1496 AD

In reasonably good overall condition, thumbed, margins with various stains and water stain to upper corner, text area clean and colours vivid, painted area slightly rubbed, as viewed.
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This lot originates from a manuscript of Nizami's Khamsa dated 904 AH/1498-99 AD, with twenty five miniatures although apparently lacking eleven leaves. 5 other illustrated leaves were included in sales in these rooms, 8 October 2008, lot 38, 15 October 2003, lot 23; 30 April 2003, lots 27-28, and 25 April 2002, lots 35-36. The original manuscript was sold in these rooms, 11 December 1968, lot 149.

In style and spirit, illustrations from this manuscript can be compared to a Shahnameh in the Kraus Collection, dated circa 1450-70 by Ernst Grube (E.J. Grube, Islamic Paintings, The Kraus Collection, no.52, p.91), and several leaves from a variety of Turkman illustrated manuscripts in the Pozzi Collection (Basil W. Robinson, Jean Pozzi: L’Orient d’un collectionneur, pp.230-2, nos. 46-50).