Persian MS 930 (The John Rylands Research Institute and Library, The University of Manchester)
Persian Manuscripts
Contents
Physical Description
Collation
Condition
Layout
Written in 1 column with 14 lines per page. Ruled with a misṭarah hand guide.
Hand(s)
Written in a shaky black nasta’līq hand with red subheaders.
Inscriptions:
Folio 1a bears the transliterated Persian title and English translation, possibly in the hand of former owner Alexander Lindsay, as well as ‘Nº 3’ at top and 5/ underneath.
Bookplate and Pasted Entry:
The left flyleaf b side (f. iib) bears a pasted bookseller's catalogue entry for the volume, which albeit similarly worded does not exactly match and appears possibly older than those published by bookseller London bookseller Richard Priestley (fl. ca. 1803–1817) in catalogues published between at least 1811–1817:
‘Tartibi Bagh o Ashjar. A Treatise on Gardens and Planta-
tions, translated from a Hindee Work. 1 vol.’
Left pastedown: ‘Bibliotheca Lindesiana’ with pencilled shelfmark ‘2/I’, and ‘Persian MS 930’.
Binding
Sewn at two stations. Original endleaves of the same stock. Added Plain brown leather binding
240 × 159 × 25 mm.
Handle binding with caution. In fair condition, with extensive abrasion to the exterior and
History
Provenance and Acquisition
The circumstances of the volume's arrival in Britain remain unclear, but London bookseller Richard Priestley (fl. ca. 1798–1839) offered it for in catalogues published between at least 1811–1817, the wording of which closely comports with, albeit not quite exactly matching, the pasted catalogue entry within the volume.
Subsequently acquired by Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880).
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, concisely published as Bibliotheca Lindesiana, Hand-list of Oriental Manuscripts: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, 1898.
James White in 2017 with reference to the volume in hand.
Record and physical description subsequently augmented and enhanced by Jake Benson in 2022.
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, and the Soudavar Foundation
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