Union Catalogue of Manuscripts from the Islamicate World

RSPA 45 (Oriental Manuscripts, British Library)

India Office Library

Jones Collection

Royal Society Arabic and Persian

Contents

1 copy of Dīvān-i Kātibī by Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh Kātibī

Language(s): Persian

Incipit: بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. ای کل آدم بخمر جان مخمر ساخته *** خاک ره را کیمیای مهر او زر ساخته
Explicit: گرچه تیغ آبدار او ندار وصیل
Colophon: تم الدیوان یعون الله وتوفیقه والصلوه والسلام علی خیر خلقه محمد وآله اجمعین برحمک یا رب فی یوم الاربعا سبع من شهر رمضان المبارک سنه تسع وثمانین و ثمانمایه الهجریه

There are several folios missing between f1 and f2.

The dīvan is primarily ghazals. On f111v, the Muqaṭṭaʿāt begin and then from f121r the rest of the manuscript is rubāʿiyyāt and fardiyyāt.

There are three seals on f2r that are totally illegible.

On f1r, Jones has written "W Jones, Bought at Calcutta 4th Nov 1783 for 6Rs 8As".

There is an ornamental headpiece on f1v that is almost completely effaced.

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: Very thin light brown woven paper.
Extent: ff.ii+129+iii
Dimensions (leaf): 165 × 120 mm.
Dimensions (written): 105 × 70 mm.
Foliation:

European numerals in pencil.

Condition

Some minor discoloration and damage.

Layout

Hand(s)

Black-ink nastaʿlīq.

Decoration

Additions:

There are some, infrequent Persian annotations to the manuscript.

Binding

Standard India Office half-leather binding with wine coloured marbled endpapers.

Accompanying Material

History

Origin: 7_Ramaḍān_889 AH; 28 September 1484 CE ; India

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

Manuscript description based on E. Denison Ross and E. G. Browne, Catalogue of two collections of Persian and Arabic manuscripts preserved in the India Office Library (London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1902), p. 32 no. XLV

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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