Or 16485 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

Collected poems of ‘Āshiq, of whom it appears that little or nothing is known. This is a rare Dīvān: for other copies see FNKhF III, p. 2427, which lists seven copies: five in Tehran, one in Najaf, and one in London. Other BL manuscript: Or. 10987; no further information is given concerning the author or his work.

The manuscript contains the original opening folio, but there appears to be a lacuna between that and the next folio.

Begins: Basmala Kāsh chandān nakashad dil zi kafam damān-rā * ar ba-gū-yī tū rasānad man-i sargardān-rā

Ends: Nānī khwurī va ba-jāma tan ārā’ī * vaz rū-yi havas yakdūsih ḥayvān gā’ī, ṣad sāl agar rāh-i amal paymā’ī * ḥayrānī u shivā’ī dar (?) afzā’ī

Iran. 13th/19th century. The date 1365/1945-6, which appears on f. 2v and 263v, is a date of acquisition.

Poor nasta‘līq with riq‘a elements. 15 lines. Illuminated headpiece, f. 1v, and illuminated margins and interstices of text columns on f. 1v, 2v, and 3r. Black and gold text frames. Off-white laid paper, mainly thin, heavily sized. 263 folios. 205 x 142 mm.; text area 150 x 87 mm. No binding.

Purchased from Christie's South Kensington (26 October 2007, lot 322).