Persian MS 579 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
A prior version of this record mistakenly identified the author as Ḥakīm Sanā'ī Ghaznavī; however, Michael Kerney notes the confusion and identifies the correct author in his handlist, p. 201.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 to 2 columns with an average of 15 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in black nasta‘līq with red subheaders.
Marginalia: Comments written in various hands found in the margins throughout.
Inscriptions: The first right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears a notation that confungly identifies the volumes as Qaṣā'id-i Ḥakīm S̱anāʼī.
Bookplates: The left Pastedown, ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with shelfmark ‘1/G’, and ‘Hamilton MSS 496’.
Binding
Probably rebound, possibly in Multan, for former owner Colonel George William Hamilton.
Sewn with cotton thread upon a single support of two twined cotton threads, put down under the pastedowns. Twined chevron endbands at head and tail, possibly now-faded green and red silk threads. Tail and fore-edge trimmed and spattered with red earth, with the head edge left untrimmed. Rebound in a hybrid British-Indian style, tight-backed in half medium brown goatskin leather without a flap (type III binding per Déroche) with defined joints, squares along the edges, and headcaps at head and tail.
Sides faced with what appears to be domestically-made decorated paper featuring alternating diagonal stenciled spray-painted blue and pink stripes. Handwritten octagonal paper spine label confusingly identifies the volumes as Qaṣā'id-i Ḥakīm S̱anāʼī.
257 × 153 × 23 mm.
Binding in fair but sound condition. Text block split in several areas; however, the sewing remains intact. Some scuffing on the exterior joints, headcaps, and corners.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently acquired by Colonel George William Hamilton (1807-1868), who served in India from 1823 to 1867, latterly as Commissioner in Delhi. He collected over a thousand Indian and Persian manuscripts of which the British Museum 352 after his death, now held in the British Library.
Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) then purchased the remainder in 1868.
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 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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