Persian MS 796 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
Physical Description
- 1: A large armorial watermark with central crowned lion rampant, supported by lions rampant on either side, below a dove within a glow against a foliate flourish, and the name ‘A. GAMBINO’ underneath, with ~24 laid lines per 20 mm and 24 mm between chain lines. This may possibly be countermarked by the following, given the similarity of B. Picardo watermarks.
Watermark: 128 × 103 mm. - 2: A six-pointed star over ‘M. PICARDO’, with ~24 laid lines per 20 mm and 24 mm between chain lines.
Watermark: 93 × 106 mm. - 3: An armorial with a single tower surmounted by an eagle over ‘GIOR MAGNANI’, countermarked ‘ALMASSO’n with ~21 laid lines per 20 mm and 26 mm between chain lines, manufactured by Giorgio Magnani in Pescia, Tuscany.
Watermark: 151 × 127 mm.
Countermark: 15 × 106 mm. - 4: An armorial with a hand holding balance, surmounted by an ornamental cockell shell design countermarked ‘CARLO GIUSTI’, manufactured on an unusual wove mould with chain lines ~28 mm apart.
Watermark: 137 × 77 mm.
Countermark: 15 × 133 mm.
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 4 columns with 25 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in clear black nasta‘līq with red subheaders.
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. Empty spaces for illuminated headpieces appear on the ensuing books.
204 × 201 mm.
The margins of folios 1b and 2a bear scrollwork in black with flowers and leaves in gold.
Ruling: Text margins ruled in gold outlined with thin interior red lines, and surrounded by another single line. All column dividers and horizontal section breaks ruled with single red lines.
Inscriptions: The first right flyleaf a side (f. ia) bears a partially legible signature that possibly reads ‘Jospeh L. Sackler’.
Bookplate and label: The left pastedown bears the ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ bookplate with pencilled shelfmark ‘2/C’, with an earlier Lindesiana label ‘Persian MSS No. 2’, with the number crossed out and ‘796’ written aside.
Binding
Probably originally bound in Qajar-era Greater Iran.
Edges trimmed then covered in green goatskin leather, lacquered, with interior doublures of lacqured red paper..
Board margins bear foliate scrollwork, with double lines ruled on either side, with board interior margins also ruled twive with double lines, all in gold.
303 × 206 × 46 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In
Volume subsequently pulled, resewn on two recessed cords, chevron endbands of yellow and red silk threads twined at head and tail. New endpapers added of comapratively heavy wove paper stiff-leaved with russet flyleaves. Spine replaced with green goatskin leather, subsequently faded. Interior hinges of red coated paper.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Subsequently acquired by someone possibly named Joseph L Sackler in Shiraz as per his inscription on the first right flyleaf a side (f. ia).
Purchased by Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) from an unidentified source for £3 16 shillings, as indicated on the final left flyleaf, for his 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.
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 by Jake Benson in 2025 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
Funding of Cataloguing
Iran Heritage Foundation
The John Rylands Research Institute
The Soudavar Memorial Foundation
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