King's Pote 2 (King's College Library, King's College Cambridge)

Pote Collection

Summary of Contents: 1 copy of Rasāʾil Ikhwān al-Ṣafā.

Note concerning author: The Ikhwān al-Ṣafā were the celebrated encyclopaedists of Baghdad in the 4th/10th century.

Language(s): Arabic

Colophon details: Date: Undated Scribe: Anonymous.

Note concerning manuscript: The manuscript is incomplete at the end where a note in English (in the hand of Henry Bradshaw?) indicates 167, 168 are wanting. Another note indicates R9 R10 wanting.

References

Browne no. 689

Palmer no. 2

Geschichte der arabischen Literatur C. Brockelmann 1892-1902 (2 vols. plus supplements) GAL I.213; GAL Supp. I.379

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Dark chickpea coloured paper.

Extent: 166 folios.

Dimensions (leaf): 15 × 11.5 cm.

Dimensions (written): 11 × 8.5 cm.

Foliation: Foliated.

Condition

Severe worm damage.

Layout

21 lines per page.

Not ruled. Red rubrications. Catchwords.

Hand(s)

Script: Naskh. Quality: Good. Scribe: Anonymous.

Additions:

Flyleaf: numerous notes (one dated 4 Muḥarram 1118) and a circular seal (Luṭf Allāh). Flyleaf: an English note in the hand of Henry Bradshaw gives details of the collation (of quires).

Binding

Marbled paper on leather and cardboard. Plain paper doublures. Condition: The binding is loose. Dimensions: 14.8 × 11.5 × 2.5 cm. Boxed. Polier's number: 10.

History

Origin: Undated.

Provenance and Acquisition

The "Pote Collection" arrived in England from India in 1790 and was divided between the Colleges of Eton and King's, Cambridge, with the first half alphabetically going to King's. Both halves of the collection are now housed in Cambridge University Library on permanent loan. Most if not all of the manuscripts had previously been owned by Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri Polier (1741–1795).

Gift of Edward Ephraim Pote (d.1832) in 1788.

Record Sources

Manuscript description based on E. G. Browne, "A supplementary hand-list of the Muhammadan manuscripts, including all those written in the Arabic character, preserved in the Library of the University of Cambridge", Cambridge, 1922 and E. H. Palmer, "Catalogue of the oriental manuscripts in the library of King's College, Cambridge", J.R.A.S. v.3 (1867), pp.105-131 enhanced with additional descriptions and corrections by Shiva Mihan.

Availability

All manuscripts of the Pote Collection are on permanent loan at Cambridge University Library. Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures consult Cambridge University Library. Contact near_eastern@lib.cam.ac.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript

Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World