Persian MS 856 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)

Persian Manuscripts

Summary of Contents: This illustrated volume of Nizami's Khamsa (Quintet) combines together his five main poems, with variant lines and verse orders. It opens with a lavishly illuminated double-page opening for the first work, the Makhzan al-Asrār (Treasury of Secrets), followed by four illuminated headers on the remaining four books, the the romance of Laylī and Majnūn, the Haft Paykar (Seven Portraits), and concludes with the two parts of the Iskandar'nāmah (Book of Alexandar), the Iqbāl'nāmah (Book of Prosperity) and the Sharafnāmah (Book of Honour), but it omits the romance of Khusraw and Shīrīn. Regrettably incomplete, the volume likely originally had twice as many illustrations as it does today. While unsigned and undated, the style of illustration and illumination indicate completion in the Safavid Empire, probably commercial workshops in Shiraz, in the late 16th century CE.

Author: Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3 نظامى گنجوى

Title: Khamsah

Title: خمسۀ

Incipit: برگ ۲پ (folio 2b): بسم‌الله الرحمن الرحیم * هست کلید در گنج حکیم | فاتحه فکرت و ختم سخن * نام خدایست بر او ختم کن | سابقه سالار جهان قدم * مرسله پیوند گلوی قلم

Language(s): Persian

For other copies of the Khamsah, see Persian MS 9/2, 35, 36 and a Sittah (Sextet), Persian MS 796. For variant versions and editions, see Chelkowski and Storey.

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: Illuminated double title-page (f. 2b and f. 3a) somewhat damaged and the edges trimmed.

Extent: 222 folios

Dimensions (leaf): 311 × 209 mm.

Dimensions (written): 190 × 108 cm.

Foliation:

Small European pencil foliation throughout. There is also Persian foliation in ink, which breaks off at 226, and rough European pagination which reaches 440. (B. W. Robinson mistakenly refers to the illuminated double title-page on folios 2b and 3a as folios 1b and 2a due to the European pagination.)

Layout

Hand(s)

Decoration

The manuscript presently contains 16 illustration; however, likely originally featured about 25 miniatures originally, as some pages with miniatures have been removed) in the Shiraz style of c. 1575 , in good condition for the most part, as well as richly illuminated opening pages and headers at the start of each book.

Illustrations:

Illumination: Richly gilt double title-page on folios 2b and 3a

Four illuminated headings:

40b (Laylī va Majnūn)
94b (Haft Paykar)
144b (Iqbālnāmah-'i Iskandari)
192b (Sharafnāmah-'i Iskandari)

Binding

Nineteenth-century oriental binding of red leather (rebacked) with medallions and pendants inlaid with gilt paper.

History

Origin: 16th century AH

Provenance and Acquisition

A completely uninformative colophon on folio 222a and others at the end of each poem.

Pencil note on a front fly-leaf gives the price £14.14s.

Formerly part of the collection of Duncan Forbes (1798-1868), orientalist, whose collection of manuscripts was acquired by Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford in 1866 through W. H. Allen.

Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands, on behalf of the John Rylands Library, in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford.

Record Sources

Bibliographical description based on an index created by Reza Navabpour circa 1993. Identification of provenance based on manuscript catalogue by Michael Kerney, circa 1890s.

Manuscript description based on B.W. Robinson, Persian Paintings in the John Rylands Library: A Descriptive Catalogue (London, 1980).

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.

A digital facsimile is available via the University of Manchester LibraryImage Collections

Bibliography

F. du Blois, Persian Literature a Bio-Bibliographical Survey : Poetry of the Pre-Mongol Period, Vol. V, 2nd ed. (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2004), pp. 363–404, no. 258.

P. Chelkowski, 'Niẓāmī Gandjawī' Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2^nd ed., Vol. VIII (1995), pp. 76–81.

P. Chelkowski, Mirror of the Invisible World: Tales from the Khamseh of Nizami. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975.

D. Parrello, 'Ḵamsa of Neẓāmī' Encyclopædia Iranica Online, Vol. XV (2011).

B. W. Robinson, Persian Paintings in the John Rylands Library: A Descriptive Catalogue (London: Sotheby Parke Bennet, 1980), pp. 203–204, 206–221, nos. 636–651.

Funding of Cataloguing

Iran Heritage Foundation

The John Rylands Research Institute

British Institute for Persian Studies

Soudavar Memorial Foundation

Subjects

Persian poetry--747-1500

Comments

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