Persian MS 433 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
In his handlist, Michael Kerney interpreted a notation dated 1239 AH (CE) (1823–24 CE) inscribed underneath the explicit as the date of the volume's completion. However, the unrelated hand merely suggests it provides terminus ante quem for the volume's completion, not the actual date. the scribe likely copied it from the exemplar text
Physical Description
Foliated in Hindu-Arabic numerals on the upper-centres of the a sides in black ink until 1–50.
Pencilled Arabic folio numbers on the upper-left corners of the b sides when catalogued, with 62Aa omitted, hence thereafter off by 1.
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 16 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Copied in clear nasta‘līq script in black with subheaders in red.
- Table of Contents: folios 246 to 251.
- Inscription:Below the explicit on 244b someone hastily scribbled a notation in illegible shikastah hand.
- Bookplates: The left paste-down: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelf mark ‘2/I’, and ‘Hamilton MSS no. 350’.
Binding
Sewn at four stations on cord supports laced or frayed out onto the pasteboards, with twined chevron endbands in red and white at head and tail. Covered in a hybrid British-Indian style binding in full, tight backed, smooth black goatskin leather with squares at the edges, and without a flap (type III binding per Déroche). Doublures of smooth red goatskin leather
Boards spattered with a pink-red colour, but not the spine, and further decorated with stamped green paper onlays with a scalloped central mandorla, detached pendants, and corners featuring floral designs. and double and single ruled lines in yellow along the perimeters, connecting the corners, and the central motifs.
240 × 161 × 35 mm.
In fair condition. Abrasion to the exterior.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Acquired by Colonel George William Hamilton (1807-1868) who served in India from 1823 to 1867, ultimately as Commissioner of Delhi. During his tenure, he amassed a collection of more than a thousand Indian and Persian manuscripts, from which the British Museum selected 352 volumes after his death, now held in the British Library.
In 1868, Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) purchased the remainder.
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913).
Bequeathed by Enriqueta Rylands 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, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish in 1898.
Manuscript description 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
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