Persian MS 307 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
Written in the outer margins.
This collection also includes three prose majālis, satirical homilies.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 2 central columns with couplets in 14 to 15 lines, and 22 to 26 hemistichs in the surrounding margins, hence 36 to 41 lines total. The layout resembles works with diagonally-written marginal commentaries; however, in this case, one book appears in the centres of the pages with the marās̱ī (elegies) written in the surrounding margins. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written primarly in black nasta‘līq with subheaders in red.
Inscriptions:
- Both the right and left doublure bear lines of Persian poetry and other inscriptions in a various hands.
- The second right flyleaf a side (f. iia) bears the number ‘4428’, which corresponds to Howell & Stewart's second catalogue entry.
- The second right flyleaf b side (f. iib) lists the contents in pencilled Persian but only indicates the location for the first two.
- Folio 1a bears a price of ‘80 Rs’ (80 rupees) at top, followed by ‘Nº 41’ and English title and description of the work, likely in the hand of former owner Sir Gore Ouseley, albeit unsigned, which comports with his hand in other Rylands volumes.
- The right doublure bears an octagonal bookseller's ticket ‘Howell & Stewart 295 Holborn,London, Successors to Ogle Duncan & Co.’
- An entry from the 1827 catalogue of Howell & Stewart, numbered ‘168’
- The final left flyleaf b side (f. viib): ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelfmark ‘2/E’, ‘Bland MSS No. 527’.
Binding
The binding probably dates to the 17th to 18th centuries; however, former owner Sir Gore Ouseley subsequently had the volume restored and rebacked in Britain.
Previously bound in a full maroon goatskin leather over pasteboards, with internal doublures painted black. Subsequently resewn upon three sawn-in cords, then laced into the original pasteboards. New made flyleaves of ivory-coloured wove and flocked greenish-gray paper added when restored. Edges ploughed, spattered in gray-blue, and polished, resulting in squares along the edges. European-style front-bead decorative endbands of yellow and black silk threads sewn over a flat core at head and tail. Spine recovered in tan calfskin leather, with internal hinges of the same added to the interiors.
Boards decorated with recessed scalloped central mandorlas, detached pendants, corners, and cartouches in the surrounding border.
290 × 180 × 48 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In fair condition, with extensive abrasion and losses on the outside.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formerly owned by Sir Gore Ouseley (1770–1844) as per both his inscription on folio 1a and rebacking of the spine in a manner consistent with other volumes that he formerly owned.
Probably sold by Ouseley to London booksellers Howell & Stewart, who list the volume in their catalogues published in 1827.
Probably purchased from Howell & Stewart by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803-1865), after whose death London bookseller 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 manuscript.
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
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
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