Persian MS 33 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
A two-volume Ṣerḥ-i Dīvān-ı Ḥāfıẓ, an Ottoman Turkish commentary on the Dīvān-i Ḥāfiẓ.
Contents
In his introduction on folio 6b, line 5 of this volume, the author states that the Seyh̬ül-Ḥarem-i Yes̱rib [Shaykh of Medina], ‘Ömer Efendî commissioned the work. Since the catchword at the end of Vol. 1, folio 481b, matches the first word on Vol. II, folio 8a it proves that a prior owner split a much larger tome into two volumes. Both volumes contain preceding indices; however, Vol. 1, folio 482a bears a colophon added when divided, whereas Vol. 2, folio 509b contains the original colophon for the entire work. For another copy of this work held in the Rylands completed shortly before the commentator's death, see Persian MS 304.
Physical Description
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 25 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black naskh with subheaders in red.
Tables of Contents, title pages and the added incipit of Vol. 2 written in another clear Ottoman naskh hand.
Bookplates: The left paste-down : Bibliotheca Lindesiana with shelfmark 2/E, and Bland MSS No. 43, with the name and number crossed out and Persian and 33 written aside.
Binding
Evidently split into two volumes by a former Ottoman owner, then later rebound in Europe, likely in the 18th century, possibly for Count Karl Emerich Alexander Reviczky von Revisnye (1737–1793).
Sewn on cord supports, laced into pasteboards. Edged trimmed and coloured red, with front-bead decorative endbands sewn at head and tail. Covered in full calfskin leather.
276 × 191 × 59 mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Michael O'Sullivan (p. 80 n. 132) identifies Count Karl Emerich Alexander Reviczky von Revisnye (1737–1793) as a former owner of these volumes, who likely had it uniformly rebound together with Persian MS 34.
While the circumstances under which this volume arrived in Britain remain unclear, scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) acquired the volume from an unidentified source 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, Manchester.
Persian MS 33A
Contents
Physical Description
57 × 44 mm.
Countermarked with a trefoil with cypher ‘M M’
39 × 35 mm. .
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 25 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black nashk with subheaders in red.
Tables of Contents, title pages and the added incipit of Vol. 2 written in another clear Ottoman naskh hand.
Binding
Probably split into two volumes by a former Ottoman owner, then later rebound in 18th century Europe.
Sewn on cord supports, laced into pasteboards. Endpapers of European-made curl-patterned marbled paper stiff-leaved with ivory-coloured European paper added to the beginning and end. Edged trimmed and coloured bright sienna red, with front-bead decorative endbands sewn in blue and white threads sewn at head and tail. Covered in European-style full calfskin leather over raised bands.
Spines of both volumes uniformly fully gilt, with with double fillet lines palleted on either sides of the bands, central twining quatrefoils and floral scrollwork corners within the spine panels, and scalloped solid and dotted lines surmounted by floral scrollwork decorative rolls at head and tail, with the latter again in blind on the board edges. Red goatskin leather spine labels titled ‘HAPHYZ CUM SCHOLIIS.’ with the volume numbers on black skiver now deteriorated. Blind single fillet lines on the board margins.
276 × 191 × 59 mm.
Binding in good condition, with abrasion to the edges, headcaps, and deteriorated volume labels.
Persian MS 33B
Contents
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 25 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black nashk with subheaders in red.
Tables of Contents, title pages and the added incipit of Vol. 2 written in another clear Ottoman naskh hand.
Binding
Evidently split into two volumes by a former Ottoman owner, then later rebound in Europe, likely in the 18th century.
Sewn on cord supports, laced into pasteboards. Endpapers of European-made curl-patterned marbled paper stiff-leaved with ivory-coloured European paper added to the beginning and end. Edged trimmed and coloured bright sienna red, with front-bead decorative endbands sewn in blue and white threads sewn at head and tail. Covered in European-style full calfskin leather over raised bands.
Spines of both volumes uniformly fully gilt, with with double fillet lines palleted on either sides of the bands, central twining quatrefoils and floral scrollwork corners within the spine panels, and scalloped solid and dotted lines surmounted by floral scrollwork decorative rolls at head and tail, with the latter again in blind on the board edges. Red goatskin leather spine labels titled ‘HAPHYZ CUM SCHOLIIS.’ with the volume numbers on black skiver now deteriorated. Blind single fillet lines on the board margins.
277 × 192 × 59 mm.
Binding in good condition, with abrasion to the edges, headcaps, and deteriorated volume labels
Additional Information
Record Sources
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 derived from Jan Schmidt, A Catalogue of the Turkish Manuscripts in the John Rylands University Library at Manchester, 2011 by Jake Benson in 2022 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.
Bibliography
For a detailed bibliography of this work, see Schmidt catalogue.
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
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