Persian MS 24 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
Physical Description
Modern pencilled Arabic numberals on the upper-left corners of the sides omit the first folio, hence under by one.
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 12 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black nasta‘līq with blue subheaders.
Decoration
The volume opens with a double-page frontispiece within an illuminated border on folios 1b to 1Aa, in addition to five illustrations in the Turkman style.
Paintings:
Folios 1b to 1Aa:
Outdoor hunt scene watched by a prince seated under an umbrella on the horizon.
Each half measures:
140 × 57 mm.
Published: Robinson, pp. 90–91, no. 425.
Folio 15a:
A visit to a hermit depicts six figures and rocks that project into the margins.
102 × 76 mm.
Published: Robinson, p. 22, no. 426, Colour Plate VI.
Folio 54b: Badr and Mushtari, blindfolded and bound before the king, await execution. The figure of the executioner appears badly scrubbed:
95 × 63 mm.
Published: Robinson, p. 92, no. 427.
Folio 94b: Battle with the beast-men. Three mounted archers (including Mushtari, crowned) charging from the left and six beast-men, two wounded by arrows and the others hurling stones, represented as wolf-like creatures.
104 × 57 mm.
Published: Robinson, p. 92, no. 428.
Folio 134a: Mihr plays the lute before King Kayvān enthroned outdoors.
82 × 70 mm.
Published: Robinson, p. 93, no. 429.
Folio 167b: The battle between King Kayvān and Qaraā Khān.
89 × 76 mm.
Published: Robinson, p. 93, no. 430.
Illumination: Folios 1b to 2a bear elaborately illuminated matching carpet pages with the central lines outlined in gold cloud bands, surrounded by ultramarine blue fields bearing floral palmette scrollwork designes. Four gold cartouches above and below the text contain the title and praise the author in white riqā‘ script. The margins ruled in gold outlined in thin black single lines, surrounded by a single blue line and perpendicular decorative radiating lines.
Ruling: Central text ruled in gold outlined with thin single internal and double external red lines, surrounded by comparatively bold blue single lines. Thin single gilt lines divide the vertical columns and horizontal breaks, outlined by internal and external single red lines, as well as the exterior margins.
Inscriptions: 1a, top bears the numbers ‘281’ and ‘Sy 302’; the latter again on the right flyleaf b side (f. ib), which pertain to former owner Silvestre de Sacy 's catalogue.
The right flyleaf a side (f. ia), top, bears notations ‘aiz+’ and ‘ei’.
Bookplates: The right flyleaf b side (f. ib): ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with the shelfmark ‘F/10’
The left doublure: ‘Bland MSS 34’, with the name and number crossed out and ‘Persian’ and ‘24’ written aside.
Binding
Very finely decorated Safavid-era binding, possibly 17th century, with the spine replaced in 18th-century France, probably on behalf of former owner Chrétien-François de Lamoignon (1735–1789), by a member of the Parisian Anguerrand family of binders to the French court, possibly Étienne II Anguerrand (fl. 1750–1784) whose work remains largely unidentified.
Sewn at two stations, unsupported. Edges trimmed and chevron endbands twined at head and tail. Covered in full smooth dark brown goatskin leather over pasteboards, flush-cut with the edges and originally with a flap, now missing (Type II binding per Déroche). Interior doublures lined with the same leather.
The exterior covers feature sunken gilt medallions, pendants and corner-pieces embossed with floral arabesques, while the interior doublures appear similar, with one or two leaves etc. picked out in blue. Replaced spine bears a castle insignia in the tail panel and French title: AMOURS
DE MEHER
EN LANGUE
PERSIENNE.
230 × 128 × 41 mm.
Handle binding with caution. The right board detached, the left board cracking. Tailband missing, sewing loose at the font, and very tight with opening to the gutter margins restricted. Boxed.
European relief-cut monogram with the letter L, surmounted by a coronet within an oval with internal v-shaped crenellations, single-ruled.
22 × 19 mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
While the circumstances under which this manuscript arrived in Europe remain unclear, a member of the French Lamoignon family acquired it for the Bibliotheca Lamoniana, probably sometime in the eighteenth century. Four monogrammed seal impressions appear in the volume, most likely added in a hurried fashion on behalf of the last member of the family, Chrétien-François de Lamoignon (1735–1789), who describes it as ‘Muur Mustery: Livre en langue Perſienne’in his 1770 library catalogue, p. 475.
After de Lamoignon's death, Parisian antiquarian bookseller Jean-Gabriel Mérigot (1738–1818) acquired the Bibliotheca Lamoniana then published a catalogue in 1791, (for this manuscript see Vol. 2, p. 39, no. 348) then likely sold the volume to French orientalist Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy (1758-1838).
After de Sacy's death, his son Samuel Ustazade Silvestre de Sacy (d. 1879) presumably inherited then sold many of his father's oriental manuscripts through Parisian booksellers Romain Merlin (1793–1871) and Grangeret de la Grange, (1790-1859) in 1843 (no. 302), where an individual named 'Moore' purchased it.
Thereafter acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) for his library at Randalls Park, Leatherhead.
After Bland's death, London bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819–1899) sold his oriental manuscripts to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) in June, 1866, paid in two instalments of £450 and £400, and then moved to Bibliotheca Lindesiana at Haigh Hall, Wigan.
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
Codicological description derived from B.W. Robinson, Persian Paintings in the John Rylands Library: A Descriptive Catalogue (London, 1980).
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993, derived from a manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
Manuscript description by Jake Benson in 2024 with reference to the volume in hand, and in consultation with Prof Majid Daneshgar, Kyoto University, and antiquarian William S. Cotter regarding the Bibliotheca Lamoniana seal impressions.
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.
Custodial History
Exhibited in Gilded Word and Radiant Image, sponsored by Altajir Trust, 9 Sept. to 21 Dec. 1992.
Digital Images
Manchester Digital Collections (full digital facsimile)
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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