Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs and Carpets

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 38. Nizami (d.1209), Khamsa, copied by Khwaja Mir ibn Shams al-Din Muhammad Munshi Astarabadi, Persia, Safavid, dated 966 AH/1558-9 AD.

Nizami (d.1209), Khamsa, copied by Khwaja Mir ibn Shams al-Din Muhammad Munshi Astarabadi, Persia, Safavid, dated 966 AH/1558-9 AD

Auction Closed

March 30, 12:47 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 15,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Persian manuscript on paper, 342 leaves plus 2 fly-leaves, 21 lines to the page, written in neat black nasta'liq arranged in four gold-outlined columns, titles in red, blue and gold and polychrome illuminated title pages, with twenty-three paintings, five polychrome and gold headings, one title page missing, misbound and possibly incomplete, in a black morocco binding with stamped decoration

23.2 by 15.8cm.

Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian origin into some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-Operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into countries of the Gulf Co-Operation Council. In addition, Fedex and US courier services will no longer carry Iranian origin goods to any location. Any shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company.

Christie’s London, 13 October 1998, lot 74.
Christie’s London, 17 April 2007, lot 144.

The manuscript begins with the Makhzan al-Asrar (The Treasury or Storehouse of Mysteries), lacking its beginning and title page, and continues with Khusraw and Shirin, Layla and Majnun, Haft Paykar (The Seven Beauties), and the Iskandarnameh, divided in the Sarafnameh and the Iqbalnameh. The manuscript has been occasionally misbound as the order of some of the paintings does not mirror the original narrative. The subjects of the miniatures remaining in the present manuscript are as follows:

From the Makhzan al-Asrar

1.Anushirvan and the owls

From Khusraw and Shirin

2. Battle between Khusraw and Bahram Chubin

3. Farhad brought before Khusraw

4. Khusraw arriving at Shirin's castle

5. Khusraw and Shirin together

From Layla and Majnun

6. Majnun brought in chains to Layla's tent

7. Majnun in the wilderness with the animals

8. Majnun kneeling by Layla's tent

From the Haft Paykar

9. Battle scene

10. Bahram Gur with the Chinese Princess in the Yellow Pavilion

11. Bahram Gur with the Khwarazm Princess in the Green Pavilion

12. Bahram Gur with the Russian Princess in the Red Pavilion

13. Tale of the Rum Princess: Good is saved by a Kurdish girl after his sight was stolen by Evil

14. Bahram Gur with the Persian Princess in the White Pavilion

15. The Prophet Muhammad on Buraq

From the Iskandarnameh

16. Iskandar with the Khaqan of Chin

17. Iskandar fighting the Zangis

18. Iskandar comforting the dying Dara

19. Iskandar with Nushabeh

20. Debate between Roman and Chinese painters

21. Iskandar’s campaigns against the Russian

22. Khizr drinks from the spring of Immortal life

23. Iskandar invites seven philosophers to discuss the creation of the world