Persian MS 48 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
For another manuscript of the Ḥabīb al-Siyar completed the year after for the same patron (National Library of Russia, Dorn 284), see Dorn and Bockholt. For other copies of this work held in the Rylands, see Persian MS 43 and 249.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with 5 to 12 lines per page, while folio 44b features an oblique layout. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black nasta‘līq with white and pink subheaders, by Khalīl Allāh.
Decoration
Illumination: Folio 1b bears a scalloped domed headpiece with gilt palmette foliate scrollwork on an ultramarine ground and an uninscribed central cartouche, and four vertical radiating lines.
Ruling: Folios 1b and 2a ruled in gold outlined with thin black lines, and surrounded by another single line. The margins of folios 2b onwards ruled with single lines of ultramarine blue.
Inscriptions:
- Folio 1a autographed by former owner Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Jacques Rousseau (d. 1831) when he presented the volume to his friend Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy (1758–1838):
‘Au Favori des a Muses Persane
Monsieur Silvestre De Sacy, membre de l'Institute & Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur;
Homages Respectieux
De Reconnoissance, &d'attoichment inviolable’. - The final left flyleaf b side (f. ivb) marked ‘SY 289’, which pertains to de Sacy's library sale.
- Right doublure, Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, marked ‘SY 289’.
- The final left flyleaf a side (f. iva), ‘Bland MSS No. 58’ with the name and number crossed out and ‘Persian’ and ‘48’ written aside.
- The final left flyleaf b side (f. ivb), ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘F/11’.
Binding
What what seems to possibly be an Ottoman-era restoration reuses the original boards, with the original exteriors removed, with the interior cut leather filigree doublures reversed outwards, then reattached by means of 'turned-out' leather doublures resulting in a hemmed appearance along the perimeters. Spine covered in a single piece of the same red goatskin, with flush-cut headcaps. Twined chevron endbands of white and blue silk over a flat core at head and tail (compare with Rylands Persian MS 23, also ex-de Sacy). Endpapers of thin-weight ivoury cross-grained European paper, ~10 laid line per cm and ~28 mm between chain lines, watermarked with a crest bearing an upright standing crowned lion and the initials letters ‘SA’,.
The original doublures bear delicate cut leather filigree over paper grounds, now largely abraded. Board perimeters tooled with a single striated, S-shaped design repeatedly impressed over painted gold margins to form rope designs (Turkish: zincirek).
155 × 151 × 20 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In fair condition with extensive abrasion to exterior decoration. Opening to the gutter margins restricted. Boxed.
Folio 1b bears 3 black oval seal impressions from the same matrix, hastily instaglio-carved in nasta‘līq, with the name of a former or associate, ‘Aḥmad’ within a central cartouche, surounded by Qur'an Surah Ikhlāṣ (Chapter on Sincerity) with verses 1–3 below, with the remainer above. 13 × 19 mm.
Accompanying Material
A green silk pouch, possibly Ottoman-era, accompanies the volume.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formerly owned by an unidentified individual named Aḥmad as per his seal impressions on folio 1b.
Subsequently acquired by French orientalist Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Jacques Rousseau (d. 1831) in Tehran on 28 Jan. 1808. He then presented it to his friend and fellow scholar Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy (1758–1838), as per his incription on his bookplate on folio 1a.
After his death, presumably inherited by his son Samuel Ustazade Silvestre de Sacy (d. 1879), who sold many of his father's oriental manuscripts through Parisian booksellers Romain Merlin (1793–1871) and Grangeret de La Grange, (1790-1859) on 1843, (see Bibliothèque, Vol. III, App., no. 296), where an individual named 'Moore' purchased it.
Thereafter acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) purchased it, then brought it to Britain.
After Bland's 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 2022 with reference to the volume.
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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