RSPA 34 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)
India Office Library
Jones Collection
Royal Society Arabic and Persian
Contents
1 copy of Mas̱navī-i Maʿnavī by Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī
Language(s): Persian
The date (year) can be found in a colophon to Book III on f182.
Physical Description
Perso-Arabic numerals in pencil.
Condition
Fine condition. Damage to the bottom of each folio. Some worm damage. First folio very damage.
Layout
21 written lines in body of text with 17 hemistichs written transversely across the margins.
Hand(s)
Very small and elegant nastaʿlīq.
Decoration
Each book of the Masnavī begins with a new first page that has a blue and gold cupola style headpiece with a floral design.
There are some marginal annotations by Jones throughout the manuscript, but particularly in the first quarter of the textblock. These range from linguistic notes, quotations from other works and transcribing the metre of the poem. On f1r, Jones has written "Masnavi". There are also notes in Persian from a range of different hands throughout the manuscript.
Binding
Standard India Office half leather binding with wine-coloured marbled endpapers.
Accompanying Material
History
Provenance and Acquisition
RSPA 1-118 were presented to the Royal Society in January 1792 by Sir William and Lady Jones. This manuscript was presented by Lady Jones.
The Royal Society's collection of 280 Persian and Arabic, and 86 Sanskrit manuscripts were transferred to the India Office Library in 1876.
1876
India Office Library
Record Sources
Availability
Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card for admissions procedures contact British Library, Registering for a Reader Pass. Contact apac-enquiries@bl.uk for further information on the availability of this manuscript. For information on catalogues and ordering manuscripts see Finding and ordering Persian manuscripts in the British Library.
Funding of Cataloguing
BL
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