Persian MS 969 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
This illustrated manuscript features two works excerpted from the Khamsah (Quintet) by Niẓāmī.
Contents
The scribe's arabized niṣbah, ‘al-Jurdbāqānī’ indicates his family originally came from the town of Golpayegan, located near Isfahan. Note that a catalogue entry from the Quaritch firm pasted on the right pastedown erroneously reports the scribe's name as ‘Háji Muhammad Fáni’, also repeated in Rafiee-Rad. ‘Arif Naushahi describes a lithographed edition of the Burhān Qātī‘ published in Bombay based upon a manuscript completed by a Muḥammad Bāqir Jurdbāqānī in 1035 AH who may possibly be the same person as the scribe of this volume. For other copies of this same work, including volumes formerly owned by scholar Nathaniel Bland, upon which basis he published his critical edition in 1844, see Rylands Persian MS 9, 35, and 61, in addition to complete copies of the entire Khamsah held in the collection.
For an earlier illustrated manuscript of this same work, see Rylands Persian MS 6, in addition to complete copies of the Khamsah held in the collection.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 3 columns with 22 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in black nasta‘līq script with red subheaders by Ḥājjī Muḥammad [Qāsim] Jurdbāqānī.
Decoration
Illustrations: Seven illustrations depict the story of Khusraw and Shīrīn executed in a commercial Isfahan style:
- Folio 56b:
Khusraw escapes to Ārman. - Folio 64a:
Khusraw ascends the Madāyin Throne then deaprts for Ārman. - Folio 72b:
Khusraw defeats Bahrām Chūbīn. - Folio 83b:
Farhād’s creates a stream of milk. - Folio 91b:
Shīrīn travels to Bīstūn mountain to visit Farhād. - Folio 64a:
Khusrow sees Shikar Ṣipāhān. - Folio 135a:
The death of Khusraw. Published: Rafiee-Rad, pl. 3.
Illumination: Folios 1b and 39b bear delicately illuminated headpieces
Ruling: Vertical and horizonal dividers and in thin gold outlined in thin single black lines, with the surrounding margins in wide gold outlined with double black lines, and surrounding by a single blue one.
Inscriptions:
- Folio 1a bears a partially legible dated note adjacent to the oval seal impression of Ḥusn‘alī dated 1293 AH (1876–77 CE).
- The final left flyleaf a and b sides (ff. iia–iib) bear various poetic and prose quotes.
Binding
Unsupported sewing at two stations, edges trimmed, and twined chevron endbands sewn at head and tail worked in yellow and pink silkthreads. Covered in boarded Russia leather over pasteboards without a flap (Type III binding per Déroche), with the spine subsequently rebacked in goatskin leather. Board interiors lined with tan sheepskin leather
Boards decorated with recessed gilt leather scalloped central mandorlas and detached pendants bearing arabesque floral palmette scrollwork designs. Board margins tooled with a blind rope design. Interior doublure margins single-ruled in black.
306 × 190 × 26 mm.
Handle binding with care. In poor condition, with extensive abrasion to the edges, onlays abraded, and headcap torn. Extensive tipping restricts opening to the gutter margins.
1: Folios 1a bears a small oval seal impression, in a single line of nasta‘līq script, double-ruled, with the name of former owner Ḥusn‘alī dated 1233 AH (1817–1818 CE):
8 × 12 mm.
2: The first right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears a small, partially legible oval seal impression, in a single line of nasta‘līq script, double-ruled, possibly with the name of former owner named Fāṭimah:
10 × 14 mm.
3: Folio 18a bears a small, obliterated double-ruled oval seal impression:
13 × 16 mm.
4: The first right flyleaf a side (f. ia) An oval blind embossed stamp, with partially legible Cyrillic characters in a ring around the perimeter, possibly that of a Russian stationer or paper mill. 16 × 21 mm.
Accompanying Material
A card tucked inside the right pastedown bears a pasted entry excerpted from the 1902 catalogue of the London antiquarian firm of Bernard Quaritch (firm) with handwritten observations about the volume.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently owned by one Ḥusn‘alī as per his seal impression on folio 1b.
A catalogue pasted entry upon right pastedown, excerpted from the 1902 catalogue of the London antiquarian firm of Bernard Quaritch (firm) indicates an unidentified individual probably purchased it for £4 4 shillings. Although Rafiee-Rad implies that Samuel Robinson of Wilmslow formerly owned this manuscript, no external nor internal evidence indicates this.
Probably acquired by the University of Manchester Library then transferred to the John Rylands Library after the two institutions merged in 1972.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description derived from Siavash Rafiee-Rad, 'Persian Manuscripts in Samuel Robinson’s Collection in The John Rylands Library' 2017. Record created and manuscript description amended and enhanced by Jake Benson in 2022 with reference to the volume in hand.
Availability
To book an in-person or online appointment to consult the manuscript, visit Using the Special Collections Reading Rooms. For any other enquiries please email uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk.
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
The John Rylands Research Institute and Library
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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