Persian MS 315 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
بگفتم با قلم تاریخ بنویس * قلم شادی وی کنان گفتا شد آخر. چه اجر شد کتاب چون گلستان * که باشد فی المثل بر درد گوهر.
Following the colophon, folios 389a to 391a feature an addendum on the poets of Yazd.
Physical Description
Hindu-Arabic numerals commence with the text proper on folio 19b, then thereafter written at the centre-top of the a sides until 402a.
Modern pencilled in Arabic numerals followed in this record start on folio 2a, written at the top-left corners of the a sides, inclusive of the second right flyleaf, table of contents, and final flyleaves, with 116a repeated twice.
Collation
Condition
Good condition, with moderate insect damage and repairs at head and tail.
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns, with 17 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Text copied in nasta'liq script in black ink, with titles, headings, and names of poets in red.
Decoration
Margins ruled gold outlined in thin black single internal and double external lines, surrounded by red and blue.
Marginalia: Minimal marginal notations throughout.
Inscriptions:
- Folio 3b signed ‘Wm Oliver 1802’ by former owner William Oliver.
- Folio 4a bears a Persian acquisition note by William Oliver:
‘ الکتاب ولیم اولور خریده شد سنه۱۸۰۲ انگریزی ۱۲۱۶ هجری’
‘ (Mālik al-kitāb Wilyam Ūlivar kharīdah shud dar sanah 1802 Ingrīzī va sanah 1216 hijrī’, ‘The owner of the book, William Oliver, bought it in the English year 1802, and Hijri year 1216.’)
- Folio 17a bears a Persian accession note by a former unidentified owner:
‘ ۵(؟) ربیع الاول سنه۱۲۰۰ هی داخل شد’
(‘5(?) Rabī‘ al-Awwal sanah 1200 hī[hijrī] dākhil shud’, ‘Accessioned on 5(?) Rabī‘ I 1200 (12? December 1785)’
Binding
Possibly resewn and rebound in either India in a European-style binding for former owner William Oliver. Resewn then covered, tight-backed, in polished red artificially-grained goatskin leather over pasteboards without a flap (Type III binding as per Déroche). Machine-made endbands adhered at head and tail. European spotted marbled paper pastedowns and made flyleaves, with antique spot marbled paper hinges and subsequent wove paper flyleaves.
Board edges ruled with decorative roll featuring alternating dots and diamonds. Spine paletted with rows small quatrefoils in gold, with the title handwritten in nasta‘līq script in black black on a paper label.
257 × 170 × 68 mm.
Handle with caution. Binding in fair condition, with abraded exterior, board edges and headcaps. Restricted page openings to the gutter due to extremely tight sewing and excessive rounding and backing of the spine, which resulted in a pronounced wedge shape.
1: Folios 3a and 19a: bear black relief-cut Latin script impressions of the initials ‘W*O’ of former owner William Oliver.
21.5 × 26 mm.
2: Folio 19a: bears a black octagonal intaglio-carved in one nastaliq line, double-ruled with the name of former owner William Oliver written in Persian dated 1804: ‘ولیم اولر ۱۸۰۴.’ 21.5 × 26 mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently acquired, probably in the ref="http://vocab.getty.edu/page/tgn/7000208" key="place_7000208">Indian subcontinent, by William Oliver (d. 1847) , an employee of the East India Company and Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, as per his inscription and seal impression on folio 1a, albeit obliterated. An early graduate of Fort William College, he ultimately served on the Madras Presidency Council Board until his retirement in 1836, then returned to Britain, evidently with this volume. However, the dispersal of his manuscript collection after his death remains unclear.
Subsequently acquired by Persian scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803-1865). Bland’s oriental manuscripts were sold through Bernard Quaritch in 1866 to Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880).
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands (1843–1908) to the John Rylands Library in 1908.
Record Sources
Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993. Identification of provenance based on manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s.
Manuscript description completed by James White in 2017.
Record subsequently ammended and enhanced by Jake Benson in 2021 with reference to the volume in hand.
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
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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