Arabic MS 691 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Arabic Manuscripts
Contents
Containing Sūrah 3:92-200.
Taʿawwudh in illuminated panel at the beginning of the Sūrah: اعوذ بالله من الشيطان (I seek refuge in Allah from Satan).
Containing Sūrah 4:1-23.
Folio 87b: title of sūrah in Kūfi characters.
Formula at the end, on folio 117b: كمل الرابع بحمد الله ('The fourth [juz] is complete, thank God').
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Hair and flesh sides are distinguishable. Uniform layout. Ruling for inner and outer margins in red ink.
Hand(s)
Maghribi or African hand, midway between Kūfi and Naskhi script; written in gold, with vocalisation in blue ink.
Decoration
Folios 1b-2a: illuminated carpet pages with geometrical patterns.
Folio 2b: illuminated initial-word panel.
Gold ornaments mark the section divisions.
Verse markers in margin: three circles of equal size touching forming a triangle, in gold, decorated with smaller red and blue circles (e.g. folio 5a).
Teardrop-shaped illuminated ornaments marking every fifth(?) verse (e.g. folios 5b, 13b, 21b, 29a, 35a, 41a, 51b, 59b, 66aa, 83b, 92a, 107a).
Larger, illuminated roundels marking every tenth(?) verse with the word عشر in the middle (folios 16a, 26a, 31b, 38a, 56a, 63a, 70a, 78b, 87a, 97a)
Binding
19th-century leather binding incorporating pieces of an earlier binding on the front and back covers. This earlier binding is gold-tooled. cover
Pencil note on flyleaf ia: Binding repaired by Mr Wilson of Messis Durham and Wilson. October 1963. F.T.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Also formerly part of the collection of the French orientalist Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy (1758-1838). Front pastedown: cutting from his catalogue Bibliothèque de M. le baron Silvestre de Sacy, T. 3. [ptie. 1] Imprimés: sciences sociales; sciences historiques; polygraphie. 1847. [ptie. 2] Manuscrits. 184, page 4, Lot 22.
Formerly part of the collection of a Chevalier J. Ferrão de Castel-Branco (or Castelbranco), member of the Royal Asiatic Society. Purchased by James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford via Quaritch at the Castelbranco sale, Lisbon 1883; see Catalogue d'une collection de livres rares et de manuscrits preceieux dont la vente aura lieu a Lisbonne (Lisbonne: Typographie de Veuve Sousa Neves, 1883), page 27, Lot 354 bis.
Formerly in the collection of Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) Crawford, Alexander Crawford Lindsay, 1812-1880. Bibliotheca Lindesiana bookplate on the back pastedown.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) Rylands, Enriqueta, 1843–1908 in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913) Crawford, James Ludovic Lindsay, Earl of, 1847–1913 .
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to The John Rylands Library.
Record Sources
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