Persian MS 68 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
In the introduction to his critical edition of the Persian text, Mojtaba Minovi (pp. yā–tā) describes two earlier manuscripts held in Turkish libraries survive, one dated Muḥarram 27, 551 AH (March 22, 1156–1157 CE), held in Istanbul (Süleymaniye Kütüphanesi, Cârullah Efendi 1727, see Hamdani, p. 564), and another dated 594 AH (1197–1198 CE) in Ankara (Millet Kütüphanesi, 06 Hk 111); however, he did not reference this volume. The Kalīla and Dimna – AnonymClassic project at Freie Universität, Berlin, discusses this edition in relation to other redactions.
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 21 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah.
Hand(s)
Primarily copied in a medieval naskh hand in sepia-toned ink.
Replaced folios 14–15, 79, 84, 177–178, 177, and 189 copied in a later naskh hand written with a thinner pen and slightly smaller hand in imitation of the original copyist.
- Folio 1a inscribed with unidentified Persian couplets in a medieval naskh hand, and also a note from former owner Joseph Marie Jouannin in French declares his presentation of the volume to Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy.
- The final left flyleaf a side (f. xxxiiib) marked ‘SY 307’, probably from de Sacy's library.
- The left paste-down bears the ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with the shelfmark ‘F/6’, and ‘Bland MSS No. 290’, and ‘Jh. Mie Jouannin’, the last also on folio 1a.
- The final right flyleaf a side (f. xvia) bears a pencilled sketch of pineapple leaves, with the word ‘ānānās’ in Persian.
- An astrology chart appears on 188b mentions a Rumī calendar date of 1495 CE, so likely added in the Ottoman empire during Beyazid II's reign.
Binding
Rebound in circa 1810 in the 'Empire' style for former owner binding for former owner, French orientalist Joseph Marie Jouannin (1783–1844) as indicated by his initials ‘J. M. J.’.
Resewn on four recessed cords, laced into the pasteboards. Endpapers of brown shell patterned French marbled papers, unusually executed over yellow paper. First and final flyleaves stiff-leaved to outer folios of two quaternions (8 folios) of modern blank laid paper (~8 laid lines per cm and 31 mm between chain lines) sewn onto the right and left of the original text block when rebound, that bear the watermark ‘Imperial’ with tre lune (three-crescent) and shield possibly bearing a crescent moon insignia. Edges trimmed, and French-style decorative single-core front-bead endbands sewn in white, green, and russet silk threads at head and tail. Covered in an 'Empire' style, hollow-backed, in full sprinkled calfskin leather binding.
Boards decorated with gilt triple-fillet margins on the boards, zigzag designs on the board edges, and headcaps with a thick-and-thin line decorative palette. The spine panels paeletted with gilt double-fillets, with arc-and-dart and dotted-lotus decorative palettes at the tail.
Two black skiver leather labels applied to the 2nd and fourth panel down from the top titled ‘LES FABLES DE BIDPAÏ OU KÈLILÈ ET DÉMÉNÉ’ and ‘MANUSCRIT PERSAN ECRIT EN- 606. DEL' HÉGIRE’.
235 × 158 × 43 mm.
Handle with care. Binding scuffed on the spine board edges, and joints. Silk tailband broken in the middle.
Seals of various owners or associates.
- 1: Folio 1a bears a partially obliterated, pointed oval-shaped seal impresion, intaglio carved with the imperial ṭughrā (Modern Turkish= tuğrâ of the Ottoman ruler Sultan Beyāzīd II (b. 1447, r. 1481–1512) (see Kut and Bayraktar and also Necipoğlu, Kafadar, and Fleischer):
‘ًبايزيد بن محمد خان المظفر دائما’
‘Bāyzīd bin Muḥammad Khān, al-Muẓaffar da'īmān’
13.5 × 21 mm.
- 2: The final right endleaf b side (folio xvib) bears an undated oval seal impression, possibly 17th century, of one Gul Muḥammad, intaglio carved in a single line of nasta‘liq script:
‘ العبد الراجي گل محمد ’
‘al-‘Abd al-Rājī Gul Muḥammad’
14 × 21 mm.
- 3: The first left flyleaf a side (f. xviia), a later endpaper added after prior restoration, bears a partially legible ovoid seal impression of one ‘Abbās ‘Alī.
10 × 16 mm.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Formerly owned by Sultan Beyazid II as per his seal impresion on folio 1a (see Kut and Bayraktar and also Necipoğlu, Kafadar, and Fleischer). Subsequently owned or possibly inspected by one Gul Muḥammad who impressed his seal on the final right flyleaf a side (f. xvia) and one ‘Abbās ‘Alī as per his seal on the later first left flyleaf a side (f. xviia) flyleaves.
Subsequently acquired by French dragoman Joseph-Marie Jouannin (1783–1844), likely during his tenure in Constantinople (Istanbul). The Empire style binding bearing both his initials on the spine and his bookplates indicate that he had the volume rebound in Paris but then later 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 de Sacy's 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 (no. 217), where an individual named 'Moore' purchased it.
Thereafter acquired by scholar Nathaniel Bland (1803–1865) purchased it then brought it to his home at 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 2021 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.
Custodial History
Exhibited in Gilded Word and Radiant Image, sponsored by the Altajir Trust.
Digital Images
Manchester Digital Collections (full digital facsimile).
Bibliography
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
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