Literature & History and History

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Farsi, complete, 268 pp plus two contemporary endleaves, 290 x 190 mm; single and double column, 14 lines bold black nasta'liq, key words in red, text panels within gold and blue rules, black and gold outer marginal rules, catchwords, opening bifolio with gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece and text in clouds against a gold ground, within gold and polychrome rules and gold and polychrome illuminated floral margins, a further two similarly illuminated bifolios, later ownership inscription to opening folio, Persian export stamps to endpapers; housed in a fine contemporary lacquerer binding, the outer covers with gol-o-bolbol surrounded by red cartouches containing poetic couplets in nasta'liq, doubleurs painted with narcissus flowers against a gold background, a very clean and fine example.

Single volume, comprising the Divan of Hafiz and the Bustan and Ghazzaliyaat of Sa'di (main body of the text of this manuscript is the Divan of Hafez and the Bustan of Sa'di, followed by his ghazaliyyat, fills the margins), illuminated manuscript on paper, in farsi, 179 leaves plus 3 endleaves (two leaves in main body of text in skilfully executed later manuscript facsimile), textually complete, 180 by 125 mm; double column with additional text extending outwardly in the marigns, 24 lines elegant black nasta'liq, often interspersed with triangular panels of floral illumination, fine illuminated head-piece opening the text in the Timurid style of illumination, columns ruled in gold and black, catch-words throughout, later inscriptions to endleaves, some minor paper repairs and a few scattered smudges to ink, overall very attractive condition; late eighteenth-century Ottoman burgundy morocco with flap, central medallions and corner pieces or tan stamped leather coloured in gold, ruled in gilt, some additional blind-stamped tooling details, edges painted, extremities a little rubbed.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper with fine marbled paper borders, in Farsi, 119 leaves, complete, 336 x 230 mm; single column, 11 lines to the page written in neat nasta'liq script in black ink, occasional headings and significant words in blue, inner margins ruled in gold and blue, outer borders throughout decorated with fine marbling, one illuminated opening headpiece, one further illuminated heading; contemporary burgundy leather binding, blind-stamped with corner pieces to covers, a very handsome volume.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on fibrous polished buff paper, in Farsi, textually complete (lacking 4 leaves at the end of Book 6 that are replaced in eighteenth and nineteenth century manuscript facsimile, 337 leaves plus 4 leaves text, 245 by 170 mm; four columns, 21 lines early nasta'liq script in black, headings in red throughout, 6 gold and lapis illuminated headings in the Timurid style, each opening one of the 6 books of the Mathnavi, contemporary catch-words throughout, columns ruled in blue, some very slight water-staining to margins and a few scattered smudges to text, overall attractive condition; early sixteenth-century stamped leather binding with flap, with cut-out cartouches to leather decorated by corner-pieces and central medallions with foliate designs and coloured in gold, spine and flap hinge rebacked and repaired, an attractive early binding.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on fine polished paper, in Farsi, 121 leaves, 250 by 165 mm; double column, 15 lines fine black nasta'liq script, headings in gold or blue throughout, illuminated polychrome headpiece opening the text, richly decorated in gold and lapis, with 7 additional illuminated banners in the text (each of these opening the ghazals of a new poet), remains of silk markers to outer edges of each section, catch-words throughout, leaves ruled in gilt, orange and blue throughout, a few small smudges, outer margin of first leaf repaired (not affecting text), overall very bright and attractive condition internally; housed in a fine contemporary hand-painted black leather binding with flap, painted in gilt with spiralling floral motif, with sunken central medallions and corner-pieces decorated with gilt filigree details, ruled in gilt, with very fine tan leather doubleurs, central medallions and corner-pieces with delicate incised leather filigree work over navy and green silk backdrops, spine and flap rebacked and edges repaired, overall fine and very attractive binding.

single leaf, ink and gouache on paper, leaf laid on to thick card, total leaf 325 by 200 mm (miniature 202 by 120 mm); two text blocks, each containing two lines verse in black nasa'liq script, some small sections of overpainting, some small sections of darkening and light finger-soiling, framed within multiple gilt rulings, wider margins painted in gilt foliate decorations, reverse blank, unframed.

Illuminated manuscript on thick Shirazi paper, 6 books in one volume, in Farsi, 324 leaves (including a front and final free endpaper), 325 by 215 mm.; four columns, 21 lines elegant black nasta'liq with some headings and sections in red, six illuminated polychrome headings opening each of the books, each featuring bold colours and arabesque designs, text blocks ruled in red, turquoise and blue, catch-words throughout, some very light marginal water-staining, a few preliminary leaves skilfully re-margined, a few small repairs elsewhere, spine cracked with a few leaves and gatherings becoming loose, overall very bright and attractive volume; housed in eighteenth-century dark brown morocco over pasteboards, ruled in gilt with cut-out medallions to covers , decorated with gilt filigree detailing against a peach-coloured backdrop, rebacked, edges a little rubbed, preserved in leather-backed box contemporary to binding, lightly rubbed.

Illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Farsi, 73 leaves (plus a contemporary free endpaper at the end), complete, 182 by 110 mm.; double column, 17 lines elegant and refined black nasta'liq, vibrant and fine illuminated polychrome and gold heading opening the text, twenty-six miniature paintings in the text, depicting important scenes in the romance and painted with vivid colours in the contemporary Qajar style, leaves double ruled in red, blue and gold, tissue-guards loosely inserted throughout; some very faint spotting to final few gatherings, overall very bright and attractive condition; housed in contemporary leather-backed gilt lacquered boards depicting floral sprays ruled and framed within corner-pieces and a gilt border, contemporary paper label to spine inscribed with title of the work in Farsi, spine ends very lightly worn, extremities slightly rubbed, overall bright and attractive binding.

Illuminated manuscript on paper, in Farsi, part four only (of seven), 322 leaves (plus one later endleaf at the rear), 375 by 235 mm; single column, 21 lines black naskh, significant words and sentences in red, illuminated headpiece in polychrome and gold opening the text, leaves ruled in turquoise, red and gold, some of this ruling oxidised causing closed tears (some of these repaired), a few marginal repairs to preliminary and penultimate leaves, some scattered spots, overall presentable example; housed in contemporary brown morocco with stamped central medallions and corner-pieces of gilt leather inlay, rebacked, doublures of brown morocco with central medallions and corner-pieces decorated with gilt filigree and coloured backgrounds, a little worn.

Illuminated manuscript formed of multiple calligraphic panels pasted to thick card, in Arabic and Farsi, total leaf 370 by 245 mm. (recto panel 285 by 195 mm. and verso 250 by 175 mm.); recto formed of a large central panel of fine nasta'liq formed of three couplets, this framed by two panels of large thuluth on either side and a further two panels above and below in an elegant reyhani script (verging on muhaqqaq), the outer corners are further decorated by four diagonally placed cartouches of nasta'liq (in two different hands), the verso is formed of a large central panel of fine nasta'liq formed of two rhyming couplets framed within two corner-pieces illustrated in fine Safavid-style gilt polychrome devices and copied on paper adorned in sections of gold leaf, framed within a multiple ruled border formed of 12 cartouches of nasta'liq (6 of these single lines on cream paper and the other 6 formed of 2 lines on white paper), both sides of album leaf elegantly arranged with gilt borders separating different panels and wider ruled borders of green and aubergine coloured paper, some light surface soiling and small chips to wider margins, overall very attractive condition.