A large illuminated Hajj scroll, North India or Mecca, 18th /19th century

ink and gouache heightened with gold on paper, backed with silk

In good overall condition, minor smudges to the ink and light creasing, minor stains, as viewed.
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This impressive scroll contains a series of fine paintings related to the Hajj accompanied by text in Persian and Arabic connected to Sufi reverence of the twelve ‘imams.

Hajj scrolls and certificates are a tradition known from the twelfth century onwards, although early dated examples are rare. Their production increased from the sixteenth century, although the scroll format as in the present example is not common. Most of the surviving scrolls lack text bands on the side and are usually composed of a single band alternating text and illustrations (see examples in the British Library, inv.no.MS27566, and Christie’s London, 7 April 2011, lot 267). This lot is particularly interesting as it bears two side columns of text. Towards the end the scribe gives reasons for writing the scroll, but unfortunately since it may be missing a few lines at the end, we don’t have additional information on its dating of for whom it was produced.

While a precise dating of this scroll is problematic, the place of production can be attributed to India (or at least Indian artists), due to the style of painting and palette employed. Whilst visiting Mecca, Richard Burton noted that many of the artists painting the holy shrines were of Indian origin (Richard Burton, Personal Narrative of a pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah, London, 1893, p.341, quoted in Stephen Vernoit, Occidentalism, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London, 1997, p.33). The architectural style of Mecca and in particular the onion-shaped domes recall Indian prototypes (for a comparable see Christie’s London, 10 October 2014, lot 373).

The text:

After a genealogy of the Prophet, the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs and the fourteen Sufi ‘imams, the central columns name other Qur’anic and Prophetic figures including Sheth, Noah, Sam, Hud, Ibrahim, Ya‘qub, Harun, Yunus and Moses; the line then passes through the Prophet Muhammad, the Rightly Guided Caliphs and then the fourteen Sufi ‘imams whose names are given as: Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, Hazrat Shaykh Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi, Hazrat Shaykh Najm al-Din Kubrawi (sic), Hazrat Amir-i Kabir Mir Sayyid ‘Ali Hamadani, Khwajah Mu‘in al-Din Chishti, Khwajah Qutb al-Din Chishti, Shah Sharaf al-Din, Hazrat Shah Naqshband Mushkil Gushay, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Ishqi, Sa‘id al-Junaydi, Shaykh Muhammad Firdausi, ‘Shaykh al-Mashayikh ‘Abdullah Sattari (sic. for Shattari), Shaykh al-Mashayikh Ahmad Yasawi and ‘Ala al-Din.

The Persian text within the chevron-form side panels is a collection of different topics. It starts with a history of mankind, mentioning Adam and Eve, the wives and children of The Prophet and the twelve ‘imams. Also included are instructions on the correct behaviour during the Hajj and passages from the Nata’ij-i Anfas, a Persian text attributed to the poet Jami, in which are reported the stories of ‘Ali ibn Musa al-Reza, the eighth Shi'a imam, and the Munajat (supplications) he made to God. It follows mentions of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, prayers and praise of the Prophet and the Shi‘a imams and a description of Mecca.

List of illustrations:

The Haram and the Ka’ba in Mecca.
The Safa and Marwah hills in Mecca. 
Jabal Abu Qubays, a hill overlooking Mecca. 
Shrines marking the birth places of the Prophet, Zahra and ‘Ali. 
The Zawiya of Abu Bakr.
The street of al-Mud'a (the place where prayers are answered). 
The tomb of Khadijah, the birthplaces of ‘Umar and Hamza. 
Jabal al-Nur, where The Prophet received his first revelation. 
Jabal al-Thaur, where The Prophet hid in a cave from the Quraysh.
Jabal ‘Arafat with pilgrims' tents and candelabra. 
Al-Khaif Mosque in Mina.
The Hanif Mosque. 
Jabal Mafrah, between Mecca and Medina. 
The Dhu’l-Khulayfah Mosque. 
The Mosque in Medina with The Prophet’s tomb. 
The Quba Mosque.