Persian MS 153 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
'Nota-Manus' (pseudonym of M. Raymond, a. k. a. Haji Mustapha, d. 1791) published an English translation of the first volume in 1789, but apparently died before completing the entire work. Colonel John Briggs (d. 1875) later revised and expanded it for the Oriental Translation Fund, published in 1832.
Physical Description
Foliated in Hindu-Arabic numerals on the upper centres of the a sides by the scribe in red ink.
Modern foliation in pencilled Arabic numerals starting with the table of contents on the upper-left corners on every 10th folio of the a sides.
Note that this record follows the original Hindu-Arabic numerals.
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 14 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Copied in clear nasta‘līq script in black ink with subheaders and emendations in red.
Bookplates: TheLeft pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelf mark ‘2/E’, and ‘Bland MSS No. 375’.
Binding
Sewn all-along on five cords that are frayed and put down on the second to the first and last flyleaves. Edges coloured yellow, with twined Islamic-style chevron endbands worked at head and tail. Bound in the Indian subcontinent in a British-Indian hybrid style, tight-backed in full, smooth brownish-red goatskin leather over pasteboards without a flap (Type III binding as per Déroche), with five raised bands and uneven squares at the edges. Internal doublures of the smooth red goatskin leather, with the excess width put down on the first and last flyleaves as hinges, covered with serrated, zig-zag cut paper strips adhered over top. Titled "SEIR. AL. MÓTAKHERĪN VOL. IV in gold on the spine, uniformly with the other volumes. Headcaps repaired in similar goatskin leather.
253 × 162 × 33 mm.
In good condition. Some scuffing on the exterior.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formerly part of the collection of the Persian scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865), after whose death London antiquarian dealer Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in 1866.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1908 to the John Rylands Library.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s and his Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2021 with reference to the volume.
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.
Digital Images
Manchester Digital Collections (full digital facsimile)
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
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