Illuminated Persian Manuscript in Nasta'liq. Odes of Hafiz, short ghazal couplets form a collection under the name Diwan. Each ode of 5-16 couplets, last couplet rhyming the poets name (called the Maqta). Edward G. Browne, in Persian Literature under the Tartar Dominion, states, Many of [Hafiz's] odes are to be taken in a symbolic and mystical sense few will deny; that others celebrate a beauty not celestial and a wine not allegorical can hardly be questioned., Manuscript codex. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: 8vo. First quires of 8 and 12. Catchwords at the foot of each verso. Unknown Signatures. No Pagination., Script: Farsi, Nasta'liq script., Markings: Front free endpaper: £15; 501; 38801; [circled] 45; F. Pollock. H. Young Co. / Liverpool / July 1902 / FP 129 / Persian / Hafz; [overscored]Y; Burgess MS 45; Hafiz; Illuminated MS / CLLT 25 meeting B-8.
Manuscript codex. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: No pagination, No ruling. Much rubrication. Catchwords at the foot of each verso., Markings: Seal stamped in passport format upon f1v. Various other ownership stamps throughout. [Addendum (pasted in rear cover)/(Translated from Arabic by Zahra Albasri)]: From what the writer brought in his book, to detect the thoughts that the Lord Abu Alkhair in unite on from Muftah Alsa'ada (The Key of Happiness) knowledge about how to create fonts. From what he states first, the science of the fonts are the (writing instrument), how to ... also, ibn AlBawab writes in the science of the font a significant poem that he wrote about the tools of writing, and yaqout wrote about that too., Binding: Very straight horizontal grain dark-green morocco with cover flap. Front and Back cover paneled by 2 gilt 4 mm floral borders, with center medallion of the Mohammed. Enveloping flap has similar gilt border.
Manuscript document. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: Parchment, single sheet (two pages)., Decoration: Initials in gold and blue, with purple and red pen-flourishing., Binding: Unbound.
Manuscript codex. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: Catchwords at foot of each leaf, no signatures or numbers., Script: Nashki script in black with rubrication and some gold lettering., Decoration: Double-page illumination at beginning: each page has an outer border with red and gold floral motifs and curvilinear forms, the background mainly blue and lighter blue, with red areas at outside corners, and touches of black; this border is edged by gold trefoils. Inside this, a border outlined in red and gold with a horizontal panel at top and bottom with gold-on-gold writing, red and gold flowers on blue background, and narrow yellow border; narrower vertical rectangles in red and gold flower and vine motif on blue. Within the borders, a tiny text block of seven lines in black script, interspersed with gold circles bordered by red and green dots. Written throughout in gold-framed panels, interspersed with gold circles bordered by red and green dots. Gilt panel headings on all chapters; gilt marginal headings. Last page written in gold., Binding: Dark red morocco with flap, both covers and flap stamped with all-over floral motif with rectangular border. Inside covers have floral medallion and gold line border. Inside flap has small gold medallion and geometric border. Marbled flyleaves in combed blue, black, red, and yellow on white. Three newer flyleaves at front and back. Gilt and gauffered edges., Annotations: rear free endpapers: The MS was written by the poor Husain Zabd, son of the Sheikh Abdu-r-remez son of the Sheikh Sedru-ddin of the children of Sultan Bedru-d-din. ... agha ibu Mohammed. May god pardon him, his parents, and all Muselmans. Prayer be to God for the Prophet and his family all of them. In the year 1066 (A.D. 1655). G.C.R. At top page: G.C.R.N. 101, New cat. No. 63. John Fiott. Aleppo. Purchased of M.[onsieur Jean Louis] Burckhardt at Aleppo for the same price that he paid for it. Sir John Barker the British Resident at Aleppo, promised it for Burckhardt from Constantinople soon after he arrived in Syria, and having become possessed of one smaller and of less weight, he disposed of it to me, on his departure from Aleppo to Arabia. J. Lee. Repaired. London. In ink in another hand: On leaving Aleppo for Arabia and Egypt, he took nothing with him, but what he could carry on his mare, and had no extra baggage. I accompanied him to Hama and Tripoli and took leave of him there at the English Consul's house. He proceeded to Lebanon and Damascus and returned by Aradus-Latichem [probably Arwad (Arados) island and Latakia, Syria] and Antioch to Aleppo. Date at top of rear free endpaper in pencil: 5/10/37 or 31. Other pencil notes on free endpaper: 366, 825, 15/0.
Manuscript codex. Title devised by cataloger., No translation of the text has been made but it has been described as, A ritual, not very old. by Dr. Louis Ginzberg of the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1921. This work also contains psalms and hymns., Collation: Quarto in quires varying in number; I, III, V⁶; II, IV¹⁴; VI¹²;VII-XII¹⁰. Catchwords in bottom margin, folio numbers in pencil added later., Origin: Samaria, Mount Gerazim, Nablus, 19th Century. Date given as Ragab 1265, that is, March-April 1887., Script: Samaritan square hand. Intermittent rubrication in same Samaritan Square Hand with some red in Arabic. 118 leaves of text, 2 of index & notes., Decoration: Abecedarion of Samaritan into Arabic inside front cover. Various colophons with staggered rubrication., Binding: Original leather with oriental flap 203 x 165 mm rag paper pasted onto both covers.
A dialog between a court official and a monk on matters of the Buddhist cosmology., Manuscript document. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: The leaves are labeled in sequence with the letters of the alphabet., Decoration: Leaves of palmyra palm strung on red cords between two bevel edge wooden boards; edges decorated in gold with red central stripe. Between lines drawn in turmeric, the text was written with a stylus, then rubbed with petroleum to darken the script.
Manuscript document. Title devised by cataloger., This Firman contains grant of access to Turkish waters to a French merchant., Collation: Manuscript: A single page. Inscription in red Turkish letters on Verso. Sultan's seal in black ink. On wire laid paper with watermark., Accompanying the firman is a letter in long hand, on British Museum Stationery: British Museum, London: W.C. July 30, Dear Thompson, the enclosed proves to be a firman granted to the French Ambassador at Constantinople, in favor of a French merchant, Capitan named 'Kazabora' giving him free access to Turkish waters. It is dated A.H. 1235 = A.D. 1820. Yrs. Always. Robert K. Douglas.
Rich collection of old Indian folk-lore and fables preserved in the Persian versions of Kalilah and Dimnah, originally in Sanskrit., Manuscript codex. Title devised by cataloger., Collation: Catchwords at foot of each leaf; no signatures or numbers., Script: Shekasteh Nasta'liq style or broken Nasta'liq (developed in Iran in the 14th and 15th c. CE), in black with occasional rubricated characters and lines. Occasional English words of translation penciled on margin., Decoration: None., Binding: Brown marbled calf. Spine has 5 pairs of horizontal gold lines. Four flyleaves at beginning, two at end.
This Manuscript, Written in Ge'ez, depicts prayer to and commentary regarding St. Michael. Additionally part 3 focuses on the Archangel Rufa'el and his miracles., Collation: I⁴(+1), II-III¹⁰, IV-I⁸, VI-VIII¹⁰, IX⁸, X¹², XI-XIV¹⁰, XV⁸(+1). No flyleaves, running titles, signatures, catchwords, or numbering., Decoration: 3 colored paintings 1. Michael on a pale horse over a dragon saving Berutawit. 2. Madonna and child flanked by angels offering flowers. Infant Jesus holds a book. 3. Raphael standing over prostate patron of book, likely Kidana Maryan., Binding: Oak boards covered with polished brown calf paneled in blind on both covers with 3 ornamental borders. Botonee Cross in the center. Spine tooled in blind with triple fillets forming a hatch pattern. Spine partly detached, with visible sewing structure., Script: Ge'ez Ethiopic Majuscule. In 3 hands of different periods with additions of a fourth of ownership., Handwritten leaf tipped on inside front cover [translated from French]: This Manuscript Belonged to Colonel Gally-Passebosc, killed by the savages of New Caldonia in 1878. This officer had been one of the expedition sent by the English against King Theodore (of Abyssinia) He took possession, after the defeat of that prince, of the tapis (carpet) on which he made his prayers, his shield, and this manuscript. Printed catalog description tipped on inside back cover cites Goodspeed description No. 5393, and states that the other Ethiopic manuscripts secured at this time were presented by this officer to the Bibliotheque Nationale., Quire 1: ff3-5; 22-27 lines; 19th c.; Part I: Hymn to Mika'el (Archangel Michael). Ownership information: Dadalla Maryan and her three sons: Kidana Maryan, Walda Takla Maryan and Gabra Madhen., Quire 2-10: ff6-90; 16 lines; 17th-18th c.; Part II: Dirsana Mika'el (Prayers to St. Michael) with other discourses on the Saint, and accounts of forty of his miracles (divided by rubric into 26 divisions): ff6-18 Dirsana Mika'el, ff22-24 Supplication, ff24-31 Miracles, ff31-35 Exhortation for Commemoration of the 7 Guardian Angels, ff53-73 Miracles, ff73-81 Discourse of Timothy of Jerusalem, ff81-88 Discourse of John, Bishop of Akuesum, ff88-90 Miracle of Mika'el. Ownership information: Walda Maryan original owner, and Kidana Maryan (in brown ink) thereafter., Quire 11-15: ff92-136;; 20 lines; 18th-19th c.; Part III: ff92-108v Discourse of St. John Chrysostom for the festival of Archangel Rapha'el, ff108v-136v: Miracles of Rafa'el. f136r: Hymns to Rufa'el. Ownership information: Fesseha Krestos Petromya and his son Walda Rufael. Secondary owner Kidana Maryan and his wife, Kabrta Salasie.