@museumwnf/manuscripts-data 1.0.3 → 1.0.4

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-{"0100136c-d21e-52a5-b03f-fb11f9499ed7":{"name":"'A Giant Fish Rescues Abu Ubayda and his Men from Dying of Starvation'","description":"The style of the miniatures from this manuscript is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, and it has in fact been called Shah Rukh’s historical style. Its inspiration was undoubtedly the illustrations made about a century earlier for Rashid al-Din’s famous ‘History of the World.’  \n  \nThe rescue of the close companion of the Prophet, Abu Ubayda, from starvation is one of Islam’s early miracles. His desperate men have eaten the leaves from the trees and although they do not look quite as emaciated as the two dromedaries lying on the ground, the yellow desert underlines the gravity of the situation. When a giant fish appears, the Muslims are saved from dying of starvation.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 829 / AD 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.8 cm× 33.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Christie's, London, 27/4-2004, lot 76.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat.no. 19;  \n  \nSotheby’s, London, 3/5-1977, lot 2.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Herat","manuscript","miniature","Timurids","water"],"materials":["pigments"]},"010de5fe-73f3-5015-9ce0-8323f9938c1c":{"name":"Qur΄an manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript on paper has 390 folios, each with 13 lines of black *naskhi*. The first, seventh and last lines are in larger gold script. There are gold rosettes between verses and the text is outlined with gold. The opening folio is finely illuminated and the final folio has a colophon signed by Muhammad b. Mirak and dated Ramadan AH 965.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Dated Hegira Ramadan 965 / AD 1558","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 26.8 cm, width 17.5 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan (Herat)","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","naskhi","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["gold and pigments","Ink","Paper"]},"02125310-0cbe-5f6f-833f-c178410397b3":{"name":"Official document regarding the connection of Beirut–Damascus railway line to Beirut Port","description":"This document concerns the connection of the Beirut- Damascus railway line to Beirut port. It was signed during a large ceremony inaugurating the connection of railway lines across the country.","type":"Historical document","holder":"Khalil Itani's Archive","dates":"1919","location":"Beirut","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Jeff El-Msanne","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"0366a1a1-16f2-5283-9ed8-980d5e154fbc":{"name":"Divan of Belig","short_description":"This *divan* consists of the poems of Mehmed Emin Belig, a relatively unknown Turkish poet who belonged to the *‘ulama* and served as a *qadi* in various Balkan towns. Although he is thought to have been little appreciated in his time, this fine copy of his *divan* was produced just fifty years after his death in AH 1174 / AD 1760. The manuscript opens with a heading illuminated in the European-influenced style popular at the time.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1224 / AD 1809–10","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.8 x 13.2 cm","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"0377755d-a4a5-57ef-8cca-716b1fdb2ad1":{"name":"Document recording the purchase of steamships","description":"A record from the archive of correspondence between the Sultan of Morocco Mulay al-Hasan I and his Minister of Foreign Affairs and representative in Tangier, Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Torres. It details Morocco’s order, from Italy, for the construction of a warship, the payment terms, constraints and currency exchange rates. In 1891, Morocco purchased four warships and a number of steamships.","type":"Document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1891","location":"Tetouan"},"041d8737-02a0-59bb-bc07-61b8b3099fe9":{"name":"Jewelled Box and Manuscript (*Kitab al-Awrad*)","short_description":"This jeweled box contains a manuscript (*Kitab al Awrad*) comprised of daily Qur’anic chapters from the Noble Qur\\`an for each day of the week.  \nTranscriber: Nasir bin Khamis bin Sulaiman bin Said al-Harthi al-Abrawi as-Samdi  \nTranscribed for Umair bin Swailem bin Abdullah al-Abrawi  \n*Collections of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur.*","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"1240 AH / 1825 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Manuscript: Length: 22.07cm, Width: 16.03cm, Thickness: 4.06cm, Weight: 0.975g;  \nJeweled Box: Length: 26.5cm, Width: 19.3cm, Thickness: 6.7cm, Weight: 1.170g","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","materials":["ink and leather Box: Silver","Manuscript: Paper","stained glass and watercolour","Velvet"]},"04887849-7897-54e0-ad84-61da2050f8cb":{"name":"*Nujum al-'ulum* (‘Stars of the Sciences’)","short_description":"*Nujum al-‘ulum* (‘Stars of the Sciences’) is a compendium of Muslim and Hindu beliefs mainly dealing with astrology and magic. Depending on how they are counted, the manuscript contains between four and almost eight hundred illustrations. The folios included here illustrate the northern constellations Andromeda (portrayed as a woman) and the Horse; the Sun in a chariot; the zodiac sign Leo (a lion) with accompanying *naksatras* (mansions of the moon) and degrees; Jupiter depicted as an elderly king in procession; and the Universal Ruler upon his seven-storied throne. The only other copy of this text known was also produced in Bijapur, about a hundred years later, and is also in the Chester Beatty Library.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 978 / AD 1570–71","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25.8 x 16 cm","provenance":"India, Bijapur","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/In_02/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["astrology","astronomy","Bijapur","Deccan","figural decoration","Illustration","magic","manuscript","miniature painting","science","star"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"04c37681-3626-531f-b0b8-f3b3b408eab3":{"name":"Talismanic manuscript","short_description":"Talismans are supposed to ward off evil through the power of words, signs, or images. The most efficient are believed to be the prayers quoting from the Qur’an, including the name of God or that of important religious figures. This small talismanic manuscript is rather unusual: its circular binding, provided with a cover, encloses nine leaves: one leaf is glued to the support and another to the cover, while the other seven are bound together with woven strips. On opening the manuscript one can see nine pages with blue corners and, upon turning them, seven pages with red corners. A gold medallion with religious texts in Arabic is painted on each of the nine pages with blue corners. The texts include almost all ninety-nine names of Allah (the *Asma al-Husna*), of which the most important is, in this case, *al Khafiz* (the Guarding One). The root *khfz* can be found in many words which make up the text of the manuscript. The ‘seven sleepers of Ephesus’ (*Ashab al-Kahf*) and their dog Qitmir, whose story is recounted in the Qur’an (Sura XVIII – *Al Kahf* / *The Cave*), are mentioned on the final leaf. According to the legend the seven Christian men escaped the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius by taking refuge in a cave where they slept for some three hundred years; the legend has it that those who read their story will be protected from evil as were those who found shelter in the cave. On the leaves with red corners divine names fill the compartments of a square inscribed in a circle which is made up of three registers with religious inscriptions and a larger register with occult signs; the letters were not joined together in order to enhance their magic power.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Diameter: 10.7cm (binding); Height: 7cm; Width: 7cm (cover)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Style of decoration and calligraphy","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 2007.","bibliography":"Dunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 112, no. 53.","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["magic","Talisman"],"materials":["black and red ink","Cardboard","colloidal gold on polished paper","Gouache","leather and silk binding"]},"051a1449-1c86-578a-b00f-63151a22996d":{"name":"Shapur besieges a fortress of the Ghassanid king Ta’ir","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Shapur II (r. 304–79). In fact, for the historical section of the “Second” Small *Shahnameh*, this particular painting seems to be the first recorded picture, of a series of only eight.\\[1\\]  \nThe “actors” in this episode are the Ghassanid Arab king, Ta’ir; his daughter Malika (born of his liaison with a Sasanian princess, Naubahar); and the Sasanian Shapur II (r. 309–79). Ta’ir, “that ravening lion,” had captured Naubahar, daughter of Shah Narsi, in a campaign extending as far as the Sasanian capital city of Ctesiphon and taken her by force into his household. Their daughter was so nobly beautiful that her father named her Malika, meaning “Queen,” and her mother did not leave her ignorant of her lineage and circumstances. In due course, Sasanian Persian forces under the leadership of Shapur Shah, grandson of Narsi (and thus cousin to Malika), embarked on a retaliatory campaign into Ta’ir’s lands and the populace fled, some as far as the Yemen. Among those who found refuge in an abandoned fortress was Ta’ir’s daughter, Malika; but Shapur and his troops pursued them. The Sasanian army’s arrival is shown in this painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"26.3 x 19.3cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] See Simpson, Marianna Shreve, *The Illustration of an Epic. The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts*, New York / London: Garland, 1979: 380–82.  \nThe “First Small” Shahnameh has nearly eight times as many—including another version of this painting; but its illustrative program is also two and one-half times larger: Simpson 1979, 373–8; Sims, Table I, 14th-Century Illustrated Shahnameh MSS (Eleanor Sims, The Tale and the Image \\[a catalogue of historical and Shāhnāmah manuscripts and paintings in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art\\] (Volume XXV, forthcoming in 2019).","keywords":["folio","Second-small","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","colours","Gold","Ink"]},"056dead0-e9f9-5694-939a-2d3d5752e145":{"name":"\"Jonah and the Whale\"","alternate_name":"Folio Probably from a Jami al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)","description":"The story of Jonah and the Whale, mentioned in the Qur'an (37:139), was popular in the Muslim world and frequently illustrated in manuscripts of world history. This large-scale painting, however, never formed part of a manuscript. Rather, it may have been used during oral recitation or storytelling. Scholars have also suggested that with its strong palette, monumental figures, and spare composition, this work may reflect a now-lost wall painting tradition. Here, we see Jonah after his release from the belly of the fish. Above him, a gourd vine grows—sent by God to protect him from the elements—and, gliding across the top of the painting, a spirited angel with colorful spreading wings offers Jonah a garment.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Armenag Bey Sakisian, Paris, until 1933]","dates":"AH 800s / AD 1400s","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 33.7 cm, width: 49.5 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1933","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S., *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 29 (1934)  \n  \n\"The Exhibition of Islamic Painting and Book Illumination in the MMA.\", in *Apollo* vol. 10 (1934).  \n  \nSakisian, A.B., \"L'Exposition de miniature et d'enliminure Musulmanes du M..\"in *Syria* vol. XV (1934).  \n  \nHolter, K., \"Die Islamischen Miniaturhandschriften vor 1350.\" in *Zentralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen*, (1937).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., H. Buchthal, O. Kurz, M. C. Ross, B. Gray, G. C. Miles, N. A. Faris, and C. J. Lamm., \"Six Thousand Years of Persian Art; The Exhibition of Iranian Art, New York, 1940\" in *Ars Islamica*, part 2, vol. VII (1940).  \n  \nDimand, M.S., *Persian Miniatures. A Picture Book.*, Metropolitan Museum of Art Picture Books. New York, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.  \n  \n*Art Treasures of the Metropolitan.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1952.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Persian Miniature Paintings.*, Gallery of Art, (1956).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Mohammadan Art.*, Iran Library. Tehran: Bongah Tarjomeh va Nashr Ketab, 1957.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 3rd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1958.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, Publications, 36., Lahore: The Panjabi Adabi Academy, 1964.  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453683","materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"06769bc4-c4a5-5e61-8cb8-302504492c0b":{"name":"Folio from the 'Tashkent Qur'an'","short_description":"This folio, monumental in size, comes from one of the oldest surviving Qur’an manuscripts in existence. Its *kufic* script displays some similarities with the earlier *ma’il* (leaning) script, including the form of the vowel *ya’* in the terminal position whose tail wraps around to underline the preceding letters. Based on the form of the script and the illuminations that survive on other pages from this Qur’an, the manuscript has been attributed to Cairo, Egypt; Damascus, Syria; or San‘a’, Yemen. About one third of the original manuscript is housed in the Hast-Imam Library in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 2nd–early 3rd century / AD late 8th–early 9th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Page: H: 55cm, W: 70cm","provenance":"Syria, Yemen, or North Africa","obtention":"Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Private collection, Norway  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, until 2004; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"*Coran coufique de Samarcand, écrit d’après la tradition de la propre main du troisième calife Osman (644–656) qui se trouve dans la Bibliothèque Impériale Publique de St. Petersbourg*, St. Petersberg, 1905.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 25–26, no. 1, ill. 25 (colour).  \nFendall, Ramsey, *Islamic Calligraphy*, London: Fogg, 2003: 12.  \nGeorge, Alain, *The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy*, London: Saqi, 2010: 87–88.  \nPiotrovsky, Mikhail, *Earthly Beauty, Heavenly Art: Art of Islam*, Amsterdam: Lund Humphries Publishers, 2001: 101–4.  \nRaby, Julian (ed), *The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. The Abbasid Tradition: Qur'ans of the Eighth to the Tenth Centuries A.D.*, London: Nour Foundation, 1992: 27–33.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004","keywords":["Abbasid","Arabic inscription","calligraphy","Egypt","ink","kufic","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qur'an","religious object","Syria","trade","writing","Yemen"],"materials":["Ink on parchment"]},"069fe14a-0c18-5f5b-a028-0bc56e4c4758":{"name":"*Passports that French ships were obliged to carry in order to be allowed to practice privateering*","description":"This document is written in both Arabic and French. Bearing the sovereign's seal and signature, it guaranteed its bearer full safety for their persons and goods.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives nationales","dates":"1799","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"06e39036-25f9-536a-9b12-08f6aedd1b8a":{"name":"Splendour Qur'an","short_description":"This richly illuminated Qur’an, formerly owned by Ottoman Sultan Ahmad III (1703-13), was produced in 16th-century Iran. The text is elegantly written in *muhaqqaq* script with alternating lines in gold and black, a characteristic of Qur’ans from the period. Several folios are elaborately decorated in gold, blue, and red ink, such as the first illuminated verses which are copied in gold *thuluth* script. The book is bound in embossed leather with gold plates decorated in floral patterns and inscriptions.  \nThe overall decoration and colour scheme of this book is characteristic of manuscripts from 16th-century Iran. Compared to earlier examples of the Safavid period, this Qur’an is demonstrative of later, bolder manuscripts in which the motifs and colour schemes became more pronounced. Though blue and gold were still the predominant colours, other hues, including red, black and, white, were also incorporated, resulting in a rich, more varied palette.  \nThe manuscript's calligrapher and place of production can be identified in a colophon: “Executed by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi al-Khalil at Tabriz, north-western Iran, as 22nd piece finished in the month of Sha’ban 972 H. (i.e., March 1565).” Although Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi is not mentioned in any historical source, several manuscripts were signed by him between 1554 and 1581. Additional manuscripts attributed to this calligrapher are held in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul (TIEM 180, 211, 248, 422, 423). In addition to Tabriz, cities like Shiraz, Qazvin, Mashhad, and Herat were the most prolific centres for the production of Qur’an copies.","type":"Book","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 971 / AD 1564","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Height: 49.5cm, Length: 36.5cm","method_for_datation":"'Colophon: “conducted by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi al-Khalil in Tabriz, Northwest-Iran, as 22. piece finished in month Scha’ban 972 H.“(March 1565).","method_for_provenance":"1717 dated owner's mark: Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III. (1703-1730); G. Neidlinger bought it from D. Kélékian, Paris.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1893.","bibliography":"Deroche, F. and von Gladiss, A., *Buchkunst zur Ehre Allahs: Der Prachtkoran*, Berlin: Museum für Islamische Kunst, 1999.  \nFarhad, M. and Rettig, S., *The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2016: 260.  \nKarolewski, J. and Köse, Y., \"Wunder der erschaffenen Dinge: Osmanische Manuskripte in Hamburger Sammlungen,\" *Manuscript Cultures*, 9 (2016): 175-190.  \nRebhan, H., *Prachtkorane aus tausend Jahren: Handschriften aus dem Bestand der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München*, Munich: Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek, 1998.  \nSchimmel, A. et al., *Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Ahmed III","Al-Khalili","Coran","Ottoman","Qur'an","Safavid","Tabrizi"],"materials":["ink and gold leaf on paper.","interior: filigree ornamentation in leather on coloured paper","Leather binding with gold tooling and inscriptions from the Qur'an"]},"0733c67d-ccf5-56da-96ce-bd2ec24a4c83":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Written on delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper with black ink in *naskhi* script. The opening pages of the Qur'an feature a double-page illumination with chapter headings in decorated frames, and rose motifs in the margins to mark the verses. The floral compositions in the illumination are noteworthy for how they recall AH 9th / AD 15th century Turcoman and Timurid designs.  \n  \nThe outside of the leather binding is black, while its interior is brown and has cut-out decoration pasted on it. The symmetrical designs on the exterior and interior covers consist of oval medallions with palmette pendants and corner-pieces with half-pendants. The surface of the medallion is decorated with floral compositions of flowers, leaves and spiralling tendrils in a Chinese-inspired style. The tooled leather binding shows the influence of Mamluk art.  \n  \nThe period of Sultan Mehmed II ('The Conqueror', r. AH 848–50 and 855–86 / AD 1444–6 and 1451–81) was one of expansive conquest for the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, 'The Conqueror' had many manuscripts written and illustrated for his Treasury in the atelier he founded at the Topkapı Palace. The sultan, who was a great patron of the arts, gathered together many artists at the palace atelier in Istanbul that he had brought back from the lands he conquered. This is why the binding of this Qur'an shows the influence of Mamluk art, the illumination reflects Turcoman and Timurid art, and the calligraphy was written by a scribe from Kirman (). Although the manuscript has no colophon, its striking quality implies that it was made for Sultan Mehmed II's Treasury.","short_description":"Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror established a palace atelier for the *naqqash* (painters) in the Topkapı Palace and pioneered the development of book arts. This Qur'an of the late AH 9th / AD 15th century is an important work displaying the book arts of the Conqueror's period.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner of this Qur’an is unknown, although it may have been made for the Treasury of Sultan Mehmed II (‘the Conqueror’). The work bears the donation (waqf) seals of Sultan Mahmud I and his Inspector of Pious Foundations, Derviş Mustafa. Although we cannot tell from these seals to which building this Qur’an belonged, it is inferred that it was donated to be read at a mosque or a tomb.","dates":"Hegira 9th / 15th century (c. AH 874 / AD 1470).","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 41 cm, width 29 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although there is no colophon, the style of the script, binding and illumination all reflect the style of the 9th / 15th century and suggest a date in that period.","method_for_provenance":"The quality of the calligraphy, binding and illumination suggest that the work may have been produced in the palace atelier in Istanbul. Sultan Mehmed II ('the Conqueror') was an important patron of the arts, he employed artists in the palace atelier from all over the various lands he conquered, and they produced many manuscripts for the library there.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum from the Library of Sultan Mahmud I at Ayasofya, Istanbul, in 1914.","bibliography":"Artan, T., Denny, W. B., and çağman, F., *Palace of Gold and Light: Treasures from the Topkapı, Istanbul,* Washington D.C., 2000, cat. no. A39.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, plates 16A–C; 45–7.  \n  \nRaby, J. and Tanındı, Z., *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century*, London, 1993, pp.50–51.  \n  \nRoxburgh, D. J. (ed), *Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600,* London, 2005, pp.290–91; p.439, cat. no. 247.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","religious manuscript","tooling","watercolour"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","tooled leather (binding).","watercolour","written using ink"]},"07b4eba1-8a24-5d6c-a1d8-4b6bac14fb25":{"name":"Qur’an in 30 volumes","short_description":"It is a tradition for Qur’an *mushaf*s in China to be bound in 30 separate *juz’* (volumes). Each volume of this particular Qur’an is bound in dark varnished leather decorated in gold with lotus blossoms and cloud scroll foliage. The traditional Chinese decorative motifs frame a calligraphic roundel, inscribed with a verse from the Qur'an: \"None shall touch but those who are clean\" (56:79) It is written in *Sini* script in black ink with polychrome and gold verse markers. Each folio displays five lines of text. The border decoration identifies with both Islamic and Chinese concepts. Arabic script was incorporated within designs such as half moons and flags, inspired by the Chinese culture and heritage. The border decorations extend into the margins from the ornamental frame, in a manner popular to Chinese Qur’ans produced during the Qing dynasty. The high quality of this set suggests that it was probably owned by a nobleman or a wealthy individual.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1100 /c. AD 1700","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"27 x 19.5 x 3cm","provenance":"China","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Mightier than the Sword*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 138, 140, 141.  \n*Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia*, Volume I, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2002: 162, 164, 165. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art Of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2006 & 2014.","materials":["Paper bound in dark varnished leather in 30-separated juz’"]},"0ac44e34-b32f-5f52-adb3-4aa4679ead7b":{"name":"Firman","description":"Firman send from Constantinople by the *qadi* of Smyrna kaza, regarding the translators and employees of the European merchants in the city It refers to a berat given to the inhabitant of Smyrna, merchant, George son of Gianni Kontoglani. The *tugra* belongs to the Sultan Mahmout B’. Date: End of August 1819 (Evail-i Zilkade 1234)","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Hegira 1234 / AD 1819","location":"Athens","author":"Maria Dimitriadou"},"0b8f462c-77c9-5ba7-906b-85d5bbde3e9c":{"name":"Double leaf from “The Nurse’s Koran”","short_description":"Exceptionally, we know that this Koran was commissioned by Fatima, nurse to the Zirid prince al-Muizz ibn Badis.  \nThe Koran was finished in January 1020 and according to the colophon was written, given diacritical marks denoting the vowels, and bound by one and the same person, Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq, and donated by Fatima to the Great Mosque in Kairouan.","type":"Double parchment leaf from a Koran written in eastern *Kufi*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 410 / AD January 1020","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Tunisia, Kairouan","keywords":["Koran","kufic","Parchement leaf","Qur'an","religious manuscript","Zirid"]},"0ba3cb5d-c156-521a-bf55-a6d0e2384ede":{"name":"Qur’anic manuscript No. 7.","description":"A *mashaf* bound with an embossed decorative cover that dates to the Ottoman period. Both sides of the binding are decorated with medallions that are connected at the top and bottom by a hanging ornament. The front of the *mashaf* is composed of scroll 3b–4a. These two pages contain identical illuminated panels, some parts of which have been lost as a result of age and usage over a long period of time. Restoration of the *mashaf* took place in AH 1117 / AD 1705, directed by the Ottoman governor in Jerusalem, Qura Mustafa Pasha, who ruled for just one year. Scroll 4b–5a consists of a two-page spread embellished with the Opening Chapter (Surat al-Fatiha) and the beginning of “Surat al-Baqara” (“Chapter of the Cow”,). The decorative bands specific to these two pages are lost and all that remains of their ornamentation is half a border, which lies above “Surat al-Baqara”. The chapter number, the verse number and the surrounding area are all placed within a rectangular frame with a blue background. Similar information with regard to the other chapters appears in the same form but unframed.  \nThe beautiful Mamluk *thuluth* script is written in black ink. A Farsi (Persian) translation of the Arabic text is written underneath each verse. The vowel marks of the *mashaf* are written in blue and the diacritical marks in red. The pause markers assume the shape of golden flowers. The symbols for the division of every five parts in the text assume the form of a pyramid-shaped blossom, whose place is indicated in the margin by a suspended ornament, and in the middle of which is a blue circle. Written in the centre of it is the word “one fifth” in illuminated *kufic* script against a red background. The markers of every one-tenth of the text take the form of a blue flower with four leaves. Its place is indicated in the margin by a circular-shaped ornament with the word “one tenth” written in it, in illuminated *kufic* script.","short_description":"This is a Qur’anic manuscript written in Mamluk *thuluth* script and translated into Farsi. The Farsi text appears below each line. Its opens with beautiful decorative panels that reflect the elements of Mamluk decorative art. Chapter names are illuminated against a dark blue background and the letters are written in blue. Diacritical markers are in red.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, leather, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The original owner of the *mashaf* is not known, but it was present at al-Aqsa Mosque and was likely to have been part of an endowment (*waqf*) which is now lost.","dates":"Hegira 7th century / AD 13th century; restored AH 1117 / AD 1705.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 41 cm, width 33 cm, depth 10 cm.","method_for_datation":"The Qur'an was dated by analysis of the Mamluk *thuluth* script employed in its production. Accurate dating was also achieved by analysis of the Mamluk decorative form used, which was widespread in the period to which the *mashaf* belongs.","method_for_provenance":"Egypt was narrowed down as the place of production because the type of *thuluth* script in which the manuscript is written was widespread in Egypt. It is possible to compare it with other similar works that were produced in Egypt.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was an endowment (*waqf*) to al-Aqsa Mosque; it is not known when it was transferred from there to the Museum.","bibliography":"Salameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["embossed leather","leather","mashaf","Paper","Qur'an","religious manuscript","Thuluth"],"materials":["Ink on paper","leather binding with embossed decoration."]},"0c2f4f8c-cf84-50d9-892b-48063cfcdeb6":{"name":"Single parchment page from a Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This horizontal parchment Qur’an page shows a bold, majestic black *kufic* script with red vowel markers, arranged over seven lines. It originally formed part of a manuscript executed possibly in Iraq or Syria during the AH 4th century / AD 10th century. The fragment gives verse 14 from chapter 49 *Al-Hujurat* (\"The Dwellings\") of the Holy Qur’an.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Middle East, perhaps Iraq or Syria","keywords":["Al-Hujurat","calligraphy","kufic","manuscript","Qur'an","religious manuscript"]},"0cca20b4-e865-56ac-9dd5-677c73920f62":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This ornate Qur’an manuscript is unusual in that it was written in *thuluth* rather than *naskhi* script. The final two pages, echoing the lavish beauty of the opening double pages, show a richly decorated cartouche with the calligrapher’s name, Hashim al-Kashafi, one of the students of Abd al-Qadir al-Rasimi, and a European-style vase motif.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["floral decoration","Ottoman religious manuscript","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vase"]},"0cf1a62f-ad34-5894-aee0-ed8e36e2513a":{"name":"Triptych with '*hilya-i-sherif*' (noble description).","description":"This triptych is a typical product of Ottoman religious art of the AH 12th / AD late 18th century. It is made of wood covered with a thin layer of paper painted with various motifs and consists of three parts. The central panel, the most important part, contains a *hilya-i-sherif*, a noble description of the physical and moral qualities of Muhammad. The two side panels contain the *hilyas* of the first four caliphs and the sons of Ali, Hasan and Husayn. This piece is of particular interest as, in the lower part of the central panel, there is a mention of the illuminator, who signed Halil Kamili, disciple of Mehmed Qalyunt, and the calligrapher, Mahmud son of Mustafa, pupil of Baqqal-zade Ahmed Efendi, who died in the month of Rejeb 1200. In terms of the decoration of the triptych, its three leaves are embellished with inscriptions in various different characters, such as *thuluth*, *naskhi* and *ta'liq*, while the actual decorative motifs used include classical shoots with stylised floral motifs in the *hatayi* style, and *rumi* motifs, arabesques dominated by palmettes. The pointed pediment of the triptych shows in its centre panoramas of Islam’s two pre-eminent sacred sites: Mecca, with the Ka'ba in the foreground, and Medina, with its mosque. Particularly notable is the small, central vase from which flowers shoot, symbolising the distribution of the charismatic virtues of the prophet. The description of the physical and moral qualities of Muhammad are part of a long literary tradition that started with Ibn Ishaq’s *sira* (biography of the Prophet). Triptychs such as this one were the object of real worship and veneration, relating to the magical powers that, according to the calligrapher, could be attributed to the triptych and to belief in the magical powers of the writing.","short_description":"Triptychs were a common and important part of Ottoman religious art. This example includes the ‘noble description’ of Muhammad’s physical and moral qualities, as well as representations of Islam’s two pre-eminent holy sites: Mecca and Medina.","type":"Triptych, pachment paper, woodwork","holder":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century.","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Height 95.5 cm, width (doors open) 65 cm, width (doors closed) 36 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the identification of the calligrapher.","method_for_provenance":"Similar pieces are common in Turkish religious art in the 12th / late 18th century.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Arseven, Esad C., *Les Arts Décoratifs Turc*, Istanbul, 1952.  \nAtil, E., *Turkish Art of the Ottoman Period* , Washington, 1973.  \nGallotta, A., “Un Trittico Ottomano con *hilye -i serif* nel Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale di Roma”, *Arte Orientale in Italia: Miscellaneous Writings of the Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale di Roma*, Rome, 1973, pp.25–79.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Paola Torre","copy_editor":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["floral decoration","illuminated parchment","worship"],"materials":["gilded and illuminated parchment paper.","Wood"]},"0d0046d9-7674-55cd-8c61-86fb8bdda733":{"name":"Frankish Letter.","description":"A letter written on Arabic paper (more acidic than European paper) and which is small in size. Although yellowing, its condition is excellent. The letter consists of six lines written in Latin, and was sent from the city of Sur by the Knights Templar *(Templar/ Fursan al-Haykal*) Brotherhood to the Templar Brotherhood in Jerusalem. The subject of the letter revolves around the Temple personnel in Jerusalem who received the pilgrim, Robier du Sur du Fal. The decision was taken in the city of Fula in Palestine to strip him of his apparel in Sur and to imprison him in Acre until he could be taken to Europe on the first available ship sailing from the port. The letter does not explain the reason for this decision, or the nature of the crime that Robir du Sur du Fal allegedly committed, but it seems that the matter must have been of some importance to require the attendance of more than 100 knights from the Templar at a meeting.  \nThe letter translates as follows:  \n“To Brother, 'Udun De Wandum, the representative for the Jerusalem Brotherhood, Brother Jarar De Ridfor, commander of the soldiers of the Templar Brotherhood to Brother U'dun Di Wandum, the representative of the Brotherhood in Jerusalem:  \nGreetings! You should know that Du Sur du Fal has landed on the shores of the city of Sur. And our agent received him in that region. After that, we held a gathering in al-Fula and a hundred Knights or more assembled at the site. We requested their opinions about what to do on this matter. They agreed on the general advice and were completely unanimous on sending five of their brother knights to the city of Sur in order to divest him of his clothing and take him to Acre. There, they would sojourn with him in a designated room until the first ship of the season.”  \nThe document reveals the traditions and customs of the Latin brotherhoods as they appear in the Knights Templar in the Crusader state of Jerusalem. The strong bonds that held together the various branches of the brotherhood in Palestine and Lebanon are also apparent.","short_description":"This letter was written on small-sized paper and contains six lines of Latin script. Its subject deals with the imprisoning of one of the members of the Templar Brotherhood and his forcible divestment of official apparel. He was then to be taken on the first available ship to Europe. The letter reveals the traditions and ways of this brotherhood.","type":"Letter, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","dates":"Hegira 575–79 / AD 1180–8.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 4 cm, width 17 cm.","method_for_datation":"The letter is dated.","method_for_provenance":"Sur is likely to be the place where this letter was composed; this is supported by the text.","provenance":"Sur, Lebanon.","obtention":"The letter was found amongst a collection of papers and documents in a room close to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Crusader","Frankish","Knight’s Templar Brotherhood","letter"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"0f212b46-5c94-5a3d-875d-f50778a5c111":{"name":"Request to the Bey of Tunis by Tunisian merchants in Istanbul","description":"This petition from the Jerbian merchants in Istanbul to the Bey of Tunis protests the behaviour of a Tunisian Jewish merchant.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"19th century","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"1024af4a-05a4-55d4-9f91-818959c2b7ed":{"name":"Rustam Slaying Alkus","alternate_name":"Page from the *Shahnama* for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. 1576-78)","short_description":"The illustration depicts the battle between the Iranian hero Rustam, recognisable by his helmet with a leopard crest and tiger-skin jerkin, and his Turanian adversary Alkus. In this paarticular scene, Rustam has struck the decisive blow, indicating an imminent victory for the Iranians. Nevertheless, the artist Siyavush depicts the battle so dynamically that its course is not yet foreseeable. The two princes, who are observing the carnage from behind the rocks and bite the back of their hands or their fingers in astonishment, are still feverishly following their respective troops, seemingly unsure of victory.  \n  \nThe leaf comes from a dispersed *Shahnama*, a Book of Kings made for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. Hegira 985-986/ AD 1576-1577). The orginal manuscript has been preserved only in a fragmentory state, with just 52 illustrations having been identified to date. Thirteen illustrations alone are the work of the highly esteemed court painter Siyavush, whose signature can be seen on one of the rocks.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Amra (Camruddin) Latifi (1879-1959); ca. 1912: Demotte, Paris","dates":"Hegira 984 / AD 1576-77","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"Established dating for illustrated pages from this manuscript","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by the gallery who sold the object in 1999.","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Acquisition made with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Robinson, B.W., “Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama”, *Iran*, 14 (1976): 1-8.  \nRobinson, B.W., \"Shah Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama: Additional Material”, *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299.  \nWelch, Anthony, *Artists fort he Shah: Late Sixteenth-Century Painting at the Court of Iran*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976: 17-40.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["ink and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"12361bbb-ac34-5bb3-bf6d-138428eac40a":{"name":"Maulana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (Maulawi), Diwan","short_description":"This manuscript is a 15th-century copy of the Diwan, a collection of poems by the famous author Maulana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), also referred to as Maulawi. The colophon reveals the date as well as the scribe’s name Shahih Islam b. Husain b. Zain ad-Din. He likely copied this major work of Rumi in calligraphic *nasta’liq* script during the period of the Ottoman Empire in the city of either Konya or Bursa. It must have been part of an Ottoman sultan’s collection, as two of the manuscript’s pages display the stamped tughra of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II b. Muhammad (1481-1512). The manuscript’s first and last pages are speckled with gold, providing the text with an elaborate decorative frame. The ornate title medallion and the initial ornamental panel (*'unwan/sarlauh*) in particular are delicately painted, while the headings are written in red, blue, brown, and green but not further decorated. Throughout the text, blue and golden bands frame the two columns of text, dividing the poetry which usually consists of couplets, quatrains, and ghazals.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 845 / 1441 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"215 x 133mm (156 x 77mm). ff. II*, 775 folios.","place_of_production":"Turkey, most likely Konya or Bursa","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 845 / AD 1441","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 3a and on fol. 775b can the stamped tughra of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II b. Muhammad (1481-1512) be found.","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Part of the collection of the Austrian National Library since 1820/30.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 106-107.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Les principaux manuscrits à peintures de la Bibliothèque National de Vienne, Section des manuscrits orientaux”, *Bulletin de la Société Francaise de Reproduction de manuscrits à peintures XX* (1937): 85-150, Fn. 8.","scriber":"Shaih Islam b. Husain b. Zain ad-Din","binding_desc":"This dark brown leather flap binding has gold stamped floral borders and marbled paper doublures. It was probably made in early 19th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14409925","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Diwan","illumination","nasta’liq","Rumi"],"materials":["25 lines per page","Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nastaʿliq in two columns"]},"12c86eff-6117-5981-a2db-6fc7d1b3ebdb":{"name":"Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri, *Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim* (Book of Images of the Lands)","short_description":"The cartographic treatise called “*Tarjamat al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik*” was written in Arabic by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri (c. 340 AH / 951–2 AD), one of the most famous geographers. This 16th-century Persian copy, referred to as “*Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim*” (Book of Images of the Lands), may have been made in Constantinople or in another centre of Turkish power in the first half of the 16th-century. The colophon offers no contextualising information except for an erroneous attribution of the work to Nasir ad-Din Tusi, who was an astronomer and theologist in the 13th-century. On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable. This shows that the manuscript must have been part of Ottoman collections before it came to the Austrian National Library in 1820/30. The text opens with a typical ornamental panel (*‘unwan/sarlauh*) and includes 21 full-page map illustrations. These brightly coloured miniatures represent stylised maps, occasionally showing decorative motifs, figures, and scenic elements. The quality of the depictions may suggest that they were made by a Persian painter who had emigrated to Turkey. The painter may have also used older models, particularly comparable to a 15th-century manuscript, possibly from Shiraz, in the Topkapı Sarayı (B. 334).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"First half of the 16th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"310x215mm (220x140mm), ff. I, I*, 157 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Turkey","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable.","obtention":"Likely part of the Austrian National Library from 1820/30 onwards.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 176-180. Rapoport, Yossef, *Islamic Maps*, Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2020.","binding_desc":"The reddish-brown leather binding includes a flap, and possesses a central medallion and corner spandrels, cut out and executed with gold relief stamping in a floral pattern. The doublures are made of light brown leather with a medallion, two extending pendants and corner spandrels depicted. These motifs are filled with a dense arabesque work in delicate brown leather filigree on a white background. The binding was likely created in 16th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14005879","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Cartography","Caspian Sea","geography","island","Map","Mediterranean","ta'liq"],"materials":["colour and gold on Venetian paper. Calligraphic large ta'liq script of 15 lines per page.","Ink"]},"1345e51b-218b-5280-b8d1-3e818d20e173":{"name":"Prince Baysunghur's *Gulistan*","short_description":"Composed in the thirteenth century by the poet Sa‘di, the *Gulistan* (‘Rose Garden’) is a series of anecdotes that focus on social and ethical issues. The manuscript was produced for the Timurid prince Baysunghur, and the calligraphy is the work of the calligrapher Ja‘far, who was the head of Baysunghur’s atelier. In about AD 1430, Ja‘far wrote a report recounting the activities of the artists and craftsmen employed in the prince’s workshop. This copy of the *Gulistan*, which is thought to be one of the manuscripts mentioned in the report, is an exquisite example of the beautifully illustrated and illuminated manuscripts produced under the careful guidance of Baysunghur, who was himself a fine calligrapher.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 830 / AD 1427","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"24.8 x 15.4 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan, Herat","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_119/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"138b5c39-1fa4-581e-afd1-d3420ec7367f":{"name":"Single folio from a four-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text on this folio consists of *sura* *al-Najm* (LIII), verse 59, to *sura* *al-Qamar* (LIV), verse 5. The folio has a horizontal format with 4 lines to the page. The script and the illumination are of very fine quality. At the end of *sura* *al-Najm* the *sajda* is marked by an illuminated lozenge. The title and the verse count of the following *sura* are written in gold in an illuminated band which terminates in a similarly-shaped marginal hasp. Gold rosettes separate individual verses, while the passage of 10 verses is marked in the margin by a large roundel. Diacritical strokes and red dots indicate the vocalization. The black dots are later additions.  \nThe use of paper in a horizontal format, normally associated with Qur’ans on vellum, is unusual.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an page; ink on paper; *kufic* script (New Style)","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 383 / AD October-November 993","location":"London","dimensions":"23.9 x 33.8cm (max)","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon in the copy form which this and other folios come (Istanbul, Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum, ENV 453–6).","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 14 December 1987, lot 197 and 26 April 1990, lot 139.","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992: cat.83, pp.154–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.9, p.35.","keywords":["Abbasid","illumination","Iran","Isfahan","kufic script (New Style)","manuscript","Qur’an page","Rosette"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"140738ee-bca0-54e2-80dc-fdbd56b1dd67":{"name":"A blood-measuring device  \n*Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices)","short_description":"This painting comes from a popular treatise on mechanical devices and automata written in 1206 and copied continuously in the following centuries. Al-Jazari, the author of *Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices), included descriptions of more than a hundred devices in his treatise, one of which can be seen here. This fascinating device builds on two scientific ideas: bloodletting as a medical treatment and the use of simple machines to create complex automata. The treatment of various ailments through bloodletting was common until the nineteenth century, and it clearly did not need such a complex device. Here, the patient puts a cut finger into a hole in the basin and blood falls through channels into a lower chamber, displacing a float. The float is attached to one end of a rod that, on its other end, attaches to the pen in the hand of the scribe on the upper left. As the level of the blood in the basin rises, it pushes the float up, moving the scribe’s pen and indicating marks on his writing board.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1354","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"27.3 x 39.1cm","provenance":"Cairo, Egypt","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["learning","painting","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"15bccd45-62bd-5223-aede-d19f579db48c":{"name":"*Academia Poetica qve Dedica ala Catholica Magestad de la Reyna Madre Nvestra Senora Dona Maria Ana De Austria La Academia literaria de Valencia con Los assumptos del sitio y torna de Buda Celebrada …*","alternate_name":"*Academia Poetica …*","description":"The *Academia Poetica* *…* is a compilation of literary pieces that were read to the assembly of Academia Literaria de Valencia on 13 October 1686 in Valencia to commemorate the recapture of Buda from the Turks.  \nA poetry competition was announced by the Academia Literaria de Valencia in 1686, and *Academia Poetica* *…* contains all the works from the competition. The enthusiasm that spread all over Christian Europe, the importance of the event and the crusade-like feature of the recapture of Buda from the Turks in 1686, were perhaps why such a great number of poetic and epic pieces of literature glorified the event. Most of the works compiled here were read to the festive assemblies of contemporary literary academies, and some of them were published in printed form. The poems glorify Pope Innocent XI, the Emperor Leopold I Habsburg, members of the Sacra Lega, the chief commanders, Charles Duke V of Lorraine and Maximilian II Emanuel the Bavarian Elector, the soldiers, the glorious siege and the decisive day of recapture on 2 September 1686 and the new cardinals nominated on the same day. This beautifully decorated piece is a rare example of illuminated, hand-written literature.","short_description":"The *Academia Poetica* … is a compilation of literary pieces that were read to the Assembly of Academia Literaria de Valencia on the on 13 October 1686 in Valencia commemorating the recapture of Buda. A rare example of an illuminated literary document that commemorates the recapture of Buda and a festive event.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Budapest History Museum","dates":"1686","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 26.6 cm; w: 39 cm","place_of_production":"Valencia, Spain","method_for_datation":"On the basis of the inscription and text","provenance":"Collection of Bishop Zsigmond Bubics","obtention":"From Bishop Zsigmond Bubics’ Collection","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (*Budapest* *in Modern Times*), (ed. G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, pp. 16–17.  \nBardi, T., Prezentáció és reprezentáció – Buda 1686-os visszafoglalásának európai fogadtatása: ünnep és közvélemény (*Presentation and Representation – the European Reception of the Liberation of Buda in 1686: Feast and Public Opinion*), PhD thesis, 2002, pp. 329–330.","author":"Terézia Bardi","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bookbinding","Charles Duke V of Lorraine","Emperor Leopold I Habsburg","festival","Holy League","illumination","manuscript","Maximilian II Emanuel the Bavarian Elector","Ottoman","poetry","Pope Innocent XI","silk","Turkish wars","Turks","warfare"],"materials":["colour applications and silk bookbinding","Manuscript","Paper","pen and ink","watercolour"]},"15d5bb62-3545-5377-b7b5-4a45f3ceb8d6":{"name":"'Funeral Procession'","alternate_name":"Folio 35r from a *Mantiq al-Tayr*","description":"This illustration is associated with a story related by the hoopoe as a response to a bird who complains about his fear of death. In the story, a son grieves the death of his father in front of his coffin and a sufi soothes him, explaining that his father had experienced much pain and that no one can avoid death. Here, the painter depicts the incident as occurring in front of a cemetery gate. The scene behind the gate is replete with motifs that are irrelevant to the story itself. The viewer at the court may have enjoyed deciphering them.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 892 / AD 1486","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 24.8cm, width: 14cm; Page: height: 33cm, width: 21.6cm","place_of_production":"Present-day Afghanistan, Herat","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/451730","keywords":["Conference of the Birds","folio","Manuscript.","water"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"16779f12-bb0c-53b2-8168-9ebb33d19221":{"name":"Bahram entertained by Arezu, daughter of Mahyar the jeweller  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Bahram (or Vaharam) V (r. 420–38). It shows the visit paid by Bahram Gur to the home of one of his subjects.  \nBahram Gur, “that great hunter,” had performed another of many feats with his great bow, this time killing a pair of savage lions who would have preyed on the great flock of Mahyar’s sheep; and the head shepherd, not recognizing Bahram, addresses him, wishing to thank the brave archer and also praising the justice of the Shah’s rule. Bahram—still incognito—decides to visit the jeweller’s house where, says the shepherd, he will hear toasts and the sound of a harp. Indeed, Mahyar has “just one daughter, who plays the harp” and she does so, seated before both her white-bearded father and the Shah.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 19.2cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animal","battle","folio","hunting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","colours","Gold","Ink"]},"16e5b5f3-a781-590a-895f-05f98ffb5a26":{"name":"The *Shahnama* of Firdausi manuscript","short_description":"This copy of the famous *Shahnameh* of Firdausi, probably from Shiraz, contains 73 illustrations of the glorious history of the kings of Persia. This copy can be dated from the second half of the 15th century although it contains a preface refering to the Timurid prince Baysunghur (d. AH 837 / AD 1433 CE). The date of AH 790 / AD 1387 was given probably to age the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 890 / AD 1485-1586","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 35cm, Width: 26cm, Depth: 10cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Tsar Nicholas I (1825-55), circa 1830, from the Persian Ambassador to Moscow, Muhammad Ali Afshar  \nKevorkian collection until 1977  \nOliver Hoare Ltd, London until 2003; sold to Qatar Museums","author":"Tara Desjardins","keywords":["Figurative representation","miniature","Persian literature","poetry","Timurid art"],"materials":["Bookbinding","Gold","Illumination","illustration","Ink","leather","Paper","pigment"]},"16e62e70-a7b1-5c81-b4f3-e37bfa439cad":{"name":"Letter by Kenny Leveck to Odeh Goussous","description":"A unique document signed by Kenny Leveck. The document is dispatched to the attorney general Mr. Odeh-Goussous informing him that the president of the high council of Kerak's national government appointed him attorney general on 21 September, 1920, asking him to take up his position seriously and actively. At the end of the letter is the signature “chief of high council, British resident, Major Kenny Leveck,” then a stamp of Kenny Leveck in Arabic. To the right is the translation of the signature in English, \"F.M Kenny leveck, A political officer and president of council, Kerak.\" (The letter A means Acting.) Kenny Leveck was in Kerak for a couple of weeks, where he headed the new administration formed from the Elders of the Kerak Tribes known as “the National Government of Moab”. It is not true what Sir Alec Seath Kirkbirde mentioned in his book *A Crackle of Thorns*, page 21-22, that he was elected by the council of Kerak and became head of the High Council of Kerak, or as he says on page 22, he “became head of a more less independent republic”.","type":"Diplomatic correspondance; historical document","holder":"Numismatic Museum (Ahli Bank)","dates":"1920","location":"Amman","provenance":"Jordan","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"17926a9d-a6e5-5215-b39f-488c46d6e51c":{"name":"*Firman*","description":"The official permit, or *firman*, confirming the appointment of Henry Salt to the post of British Consul in Egypt, dated 23 December 1815. The imperial cipher at the top is flanked by floral motifs. This is a fine manuscript with exquisite Arabic calligraphy and watercolour and gold floral decorations. When Salt arrived in Egypt in 1816 he obtained permission from the Pasha, Mohammed Ali, to collect antiquities for the British Museum.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1815","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey"},"1911d22b-68b3-5d5e-a23a-6f0b09d5b12c":{"name":"Dalail Al Khayrat (Dalail Al Khayrat wa Shawariq Al-Anwar fi Dhikr al-Salat ala al-Nabi al-Mukhtar)","short_description":"Written in *maghrebi* calligraphy in the 18th century, the *Dalail al-Khayrat* (“The Guide to Goodness”) represents a famous collection of prayers for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) compiled by Sufi leader Imam Muhammad Sulaiman al-Jazuli in Souss, Morocco. Bound in brown cardboard with golden geometric and floral decorations, the copy embodies a book that swept across the Muslim world.  \n  \nOften attributed to sainthood, the Berber al-Jazuli created this literary device in the 14th century for recitation, prayer and oral remembrance of the beloved Prophet Muhammad. Intended for word recitings to enhance one’s access to the divine, the book could be read aloud or silently, alone or as a collective.  \n  \nThe prayers are split into seven sections representing each day of the week for daily worship. Simultaneously, the book served as a *hajj* (pilgrimage) guide due to its vivid descriptions of Mecca and Medina. While the book appeals to people across socio-economic backgrounds and geographic context, the collection reflects al-Jazuli’s inclusive nature and encouragement of women to transfer Islamic knowledge and educate the future generations.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 12cm, Width: 11cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"Morocco","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Abid, H., \"The Birth of a Successful Prayer Book,\" *Journal of Islamic Manuscripts*, 12 : 3-4 (2021): 265–294.  \nCornell, V. J., \"Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Jazūlī and the Place of Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt in Jazūlite Sufism\", *Journal of Islamic Manuscripts*, 12 : 3-4 (2021): 235–264.  \nJohnson, K., \"An Amuletic Manuscript: Baraka and Nyama in a Sub-Saharan African Prayer Manual. 2010\", *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections*, (2010): 250–272.  \nNgom, Fallou, Castro, Eleni, and Diakité, Ablaye, \"African Ajami Library: EAP 1042\", in: *Digital Preservation of Mandinka Ajami Materials of Casamance, Senegal*, Boston: Boston University Libraries, 2018.  \nRausch, M., \"Ishelhin women transmitters of Islamic knowledge and culture in Southwestern Morocco\", *The Journal of North African Studies*, 11 : 2 (2006): 173–192.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Maghreb","Manuscripts","Morocco","North Africa","Prayers"],"materials":["Cardboard","handwriting","Paper"]},"19ad5eaf-ad73-572b-acc2-7ca905ab73d2":{"name":"*Gulistan* of Sa‘di","short_description":"The *Gulistan* (‘Rose Garden’) is a didactic work consisting of moralizing stories, parables and anecdotes written in the mid thirteenth century by the Persian poet Sa‘di. Numerous manuscript copies of this and other texts by Sa‘di were produced throughout the Persian-speaking world, including Mughal India, and this particular copy of the *Gulistan* was made for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627–58). However, the paintings deviate from the mainstream of Mughal painting in that they are in a horizontal format and the figures have overly large heads and rather stunted bodies. In 1638 the manuscript was sent as a gift to Charles I of England. It was later rebound (in red velvet) by King George IV who then, in 1826, sent it to Fath ‘Ali Shah of Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1038 / AD 1628–1629","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"35.3 x 26.9 cm","provenance":"India, Agra","keywords":["boat","Bookbinding","calligraphy","embroidery","figural decoration","Illustration","miniature painting","Persian","textile"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"19dba65f-a9fe-593e-8561-b4a20b42b083":{"name":"*A British Ship Coral Fishing Near Algiers*","alternate_name":"*Bastimento inglese esercitando la pesca del corallo*","description":"Coral fishing was an important economic activity in the Mediterranean. Algeria was the main fishing area for corals, especially after the depletion of Sardinian coral, and ships from different countries competed for this valuable resource. Torre del Greco, near Naples, was the most important port town for coral fishing in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, while Livorno was the most important port town for coral fishing in the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1864, Torre del Greco had 300 coral-fishing boats while Livorno had 60.","type":"Drawing (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Naples","dates":"26 October 1826","location":"Naples","author":"Rossana Spadaccini","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"1b1e3ef8-5e29-5178-ac83-8c4cb0d8ce8c":{"name":"Invitation from Egyptian Sultan Fuad I to Joaquín Sorolla","alternate_name":"Carta del Sultán de Egipto Fyad I","description":"Sultan Fuad I’s letter was sent to Sorolla by Garcia Herreros. It is an invitation to spend one year with his family in the palaces of Cairo, where the painter could reside and work freely. All this is part of the artistic policy that was intended to attract well-known Western artists to the Egyptian sultan's court. Unfortunately, Sorolla was never able to take this trip, but from a letter to his wife we know the excitement that was caused by the idea of spending time in Egypt.","type":"Letter; document","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"05 November 1918","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"1c9d0874-5aa5-597e-8b39-09ab8469cc2f":{"name":"Illumination of a Qur’an.","description":"Taken from a Qur'an copied on parchment, the right-hand page is written in thick, black *kufic* characters. The vowels are marked with red dots, in the style of Abi al-Aswad. Other diacritical dots are used as orthographic signs. The division between the verses is indicated by a large gold and brown rosette consisting of six petals surrounding a circle, linked by six brown quarter-circles.  \nThe left-hand page has an illumination framed by a rectangular ribbon enclosing snake-like ornamental foliage. Several interlinked circles on the gold and brown outer edges form three rows of interwoven geometric decoration whose main motif is a four-lobed fleuron.  \nThe surrounding area is coloured green. A crown motif projecting towards the left-hand margin is made up of a circle surrounded with green and gold dots and containing stylised gilded leaves.  \nThe white background is covered with green and black dots.","short_description":"Taken from a Qur'an copied on vellum, the right-hand page is written in black *kufic* script. The division of verses is marked by a large gold and brown rosette. The left-hand page contains an illumination framed by a rectangular band containing serpentine foliage.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"Imran ibn Ahmad ibn Imran al-Balawi.","dates":"Hegira 413 / AD 1022.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 21.5 cm, width 15 cm; 2 folios, 6 lines.","method_for_datation":"This Qur'an was given as a legacy to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by Umran ibn Ahmad ibn Umran al-Balawi in 413 / 1022. This act was authenticated by the judge of Kairouan Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hashim.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an belonged to the old library of the Great Mosque. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production, it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Very likely from Kairouan, a great centre for book production at that time.","obtention":"The National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967 after the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia. In 1983 it went back to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), Paris, 1982, p.258.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.220.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"1cb28b3d-969a-57af-a358-58c996f87905":{"name":"'The Funeral of Isfandiyar'","description":"From a dispersed copy of the Ilkhanid manuscript referred to as the Great Mongol Shahnama, this folio depicts the funeral procession of the Persian hero Isfandiyar. The bier is accompanied by a group of mourners, some wailing and pulling at their hair, which is worn loose as a sign of mourning. The painting technique, with its strong linear quality and thin washes of color, recalls contemporary Chinese brush painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 730 / AD c. 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 58cm; width: 40cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/448938","keywords":["Funeral.","Shahnama","water"]},"1cb711bb-c897-5d3d-b8b5-139b9f385607":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The magnificent script — with its wonderful deep curves — used to copy this page of the Qur’an is known as *maghribi*, from the Arabic word *maghrib*, meaning ‘west’. Maghrib (Maghreb) is the name traditionally used to refer to the western regions of the Islamic world, which once consisted not only of North Africa but also Islamic Spain. The script is copied in gold ink, outlined in black, on vellum.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 7th–8th century / AD 13th–14th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"27 x 22 cm","provenance":"Spain","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on vellum"]},"1f396696-bf4f-5691-a0df-636337450790":{"name":"*Khamsa* of Amir Khusraw","short_description":"The thirteen illustrations in this fine copy of the *Khamsa* (‘Five Poems’) of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi are often attributed to the greatest of Persian artists, Bihzad. However, although they are very ‘Bihzadian’ in style, none are signed. The manuscript is also extensively illuminated and is bound in an exquisite gilt, pressure-moulded and filigree binding. The text was copied by Muhammad, son of Azhar, one of the greatest calligraphers of the Timurid court.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 890 / AD 1485","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25 x 16.5 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan, Herat","keywords":["calligraphy","court","Illustration","Majnun","miniature painting","script","Sufism","women"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"20805a03-c475-58be-a406-af46357e36ab":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"Ottoman manuscripts decorated in a European-influenced style began to appear in the first half of the 18th century and continued to be produced into the early years of the 20th century. It was specifically the Baroque and Rococo styles of European art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that influenced the illumination style of Ottoman Qur’ans such as this. The illuminator—named ‘Ata—has proudly (and rightly so) included his signature amongst the decoration of the final folio. Also very visible on this final folio is the pricking of the gold, executed with a fine, blunt-tipped needle and intended to add depth, definition and even a sense of movement to the surface of the gold and thus to enhance the illumination as a whole.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1221 / AD 1806","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"28.6 x 18.5 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2115f66f-c7e2-5673-8fa4-ed34a81c3cbc":{"name":"Bifolio from a large vertical-format Qur’an","short_description":"The bifolio comes from one of the grandest Qur’ans to survive from the Muslim Middle Ages. The text, *sura* *Saba’* (XXXIV), mid verse 22–mid 28, is copied in a majestic *kufic* with 5 lines to the page. The script is similar to that of a famous Qur’an known as the *Mushaf al-hadina*, commissioned by the former nurse of the ruler of Tunisia, Mu‘izz ibn Badis in AH 410 (1019–20 AD) and written, probably at Kairouan, in the workshop of the calligrapher ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq. The ascenders here are tall and without serifs, and some of the letter terminations are exaggeratedly angular, producing a satisfying balance of forms, both vertically and horizontally. Like ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq, the scribe of the present bifolio may well have received his training in Baghdad, for the letter forms seem to originate in Qur’ans of similar date from Mesopotamia and Iran.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD early 11th century","location":"London","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon in the so-called Hadinah Qur'an form which this folio comes.","provenance":"North Africa","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.55, pp.66–7.","keywords":["calligraphy","Fatimid","Hadinah Qur’an","kufic","kufic script","mushaf al-hadinah","Qur’an"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on vellum","Ink"]},"21cdd6e7-dbf8-5521-9947-d73cb267d35d":{"name":"Part Two of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text consists of *sura* *al-Baqara* (II), verses 142–252. The opening (folios 1b–2a) and closing spreads (folios 97b–98a) are fully illuminated. The different designs are possibly inspired by Late Antique mosaics, still fashionable in 8th-century Umayyad Syria and even longer in Byzantium.  \nThe text block observes the proportions of the Golden Section, ½(1+√5), which was discovered by the Pythagoreans and follows the principle of the equiangular spiral and other basic geometrical figures. Islamic mathematicians and craftsmen were well acquainted with the principle, although there are few cases to demonstrate that it was regarded as an ideal of beauty in Islamic art. It has been used in other early Qur’ans, notably a fine manuscript (now in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris) commissioned by Amajur, the governor of Damascus, for the Great Mosque of Tyre, Lebanon, in AH 262 (AD 875–6).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD late 9th century","location":"London","dimensions":"99 folios; 20.6 x 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the style of the calligraphy and the illumination.","provenance":"North Africa or Egypt","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992, cat.24, pp.72–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.10, p.36.","keywords":["Abbasid","Egypt","Golden section","illumination","kufic script","Late Antiquity","manuscript","mosaic","Qur’an"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on vellum","Ink"]},"225b6fbb-7bbb-5a13-8f53-db01aafc65a5":{"name":"Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, *Tuhfat al-Ghara'ib* (The Gift of Oddities)","short_description":"The famous *“'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat”* (The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation) was written in Arabic by Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (600-682 AH / 1203-1283 AD). This 17th-century Persian copy referred to as *“Tuhfat al-Ghara'ib”* (The Gift of Oddities) was possibly created in Qazwin, Iran, by the scribe 'Ali al-Hafiz during the Safavid dynasty in the month of ‘Sawwal’ in 984 AH as indicated by the colophon. This period corresponds to December-January 1576–77. Two Arabic ownership stamps as well as ownership inscriptions of Wenzeslav Rzewuski (1765–1831) reveal that it was part of previous collections before it was acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1831. The manuscript has a likely contemporaneous Safavid lacquer binding. The text, penned in *nasta’liq* script, is preceded by a richly decorated double-frontispiece and followed by various 488 half-page or smaller miniatures. These paintings can be attributed to several painters and reflect a mix of an imperial and provincial style. The manuscript is unfinished, yet particular elements including the varying colour palette and quality of the illustrations reveal that it was possibly restored and appended to in Ottoman Turkey. Stylistically, however, it can be related to Qazwin, the then Safavid capital, and perhaps dated to the period when the ruler Shah Tahmasp had lost interest in the artistic qualities of the book, which resulted in a shift of patronage to the nobility. As such, it is likely that this manuscript was commissioned by a dignitary. Elements of the Shirazi painting style are also noticeable, comparable to a 1569 manuscript of Sa’di (British Library Add. 24944, fol.2v–3r).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"984 AH /1576-77 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"345 x 230mm (213 x 140mm), ff. I, II*, 297 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Qazwin","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 984 AH /1576-77 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there are two possibly Arabic ownership stamps, as well as a crossed-out owner’s inscription of Wenzeslav Rzewuski (1765-1831): This manuscript was no. 156 in his collection.","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1831.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 160-170.","scriber":"Ali al-Hafiz","binding_desc":"The lacquer binding with a flap has a renewed reddish-brown leather spine, which is decorated with florals and stamped golden medallions. It was possibly created in the second half of the 16th-century in Qazwin. The lacquer painting on both covers is enclosed by a golden frame of S-shaped, stylised Chinese cloud bands. The medallion arrangement within shows pendants and corners spandrels, indicated by delicate gold lines and palmette flower tendrils. Around this medallion, a rich garland of large flowers in the Safavid style is depicted in various colours such as yellow, vermillion, light blue and white. The doublures on the inside are also made of reddish-brown leather framed by gold lines. The central pointed medallion and the corner spandrels feature a delicate gold filigree painting of leafy vines and arabesques over dark blue, vermilion and turquoise-green paper.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14413883","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bilqis","Creation","King Solomon","nasta'liq","Qazwin","Queen of Sheba","wonders"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq of 17 lines per page.","Ink"]},"230849e2-b93a-5bf8-b552-158b9f55d04c":{"name":"Single folio from a Qur’an","short_description":"The text on this folio consists of *sura* *Hud* (XI), mid-verse 14–24. There are 23–25 lines to the page. Vocalization is not used but occasional diacritical strokes identify the letters. Six oval dots punctuate the verses and a red *alif* surrounded by dots marks every 5th verse. The red circles marking the passage of 10 verses may be a later addition.  \nThe attribution of the folio to the Hijaz was made following what the 10th-century Baghdadi bibliographer al-Nadim stated in the *Fihrist*, his account on the earliest forms of Arabic scripts. He affirmed that letters with long ascenders and a slant originated in Mecca and Medina. Some elements, like inconsistencies of spelling, marked variations in letter-forms and even in the number of lines from page to page, support the theory that Arabic calligraphy at this early stage was far from standardized.  \nOther fragments from the same Qur’an are in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (ms Arabe 328a) and Biblioteca Vaticana, Rome (ms.arabe 1605/1).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an page; ink on vellum; *Hijazi* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD early 8th century","location":"London","dimensions":"32.5 x 20.5cm (max)","method_for_datation":"Attribution and dating were established by François Déroche based on the style of the calligraphy.","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic comparisons and historical records","provenance":"Probably the Hijaz","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992: cat.1, pp.30, 32.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.1, pp.30–31.","keywords":["calligraphy","Hijaz","Hijazi script","Qur’an","Umayyad"],"materials":["Brown ink on vellum","Hijazi script","the recto is the hair side"]},"2380f8f7-c82d-5b63-945d-edf979f223ee":{"name":"Appraisal by the assessor of the Tribunal of Booty (Tribunale delle prede) of Palermo, of 25 'Turks of the Barbary Coast' captured by Italian corsairs from the Kingdom of Sicily and detained in Palermo","description":"In this document the assessor of the Booty Tribunal of Palermo explains that the magistrate has declared the booty captured by the captain corsair Domenico Pantò e Trifone Citarrella to be legitimate; they had plundered a Turkish boat and captured 25 Turks from the Barbary Coast. Upon request of the ship-owner, the assessor has been charged to appraise the value of the captives, so that they could be sold at auction. The captives included an entire family of “Barbary Turks”, composed of Salem, “husband” (60 years old, valued at 60 piastres), Cadduccia, “mother” (48 years old, 80 piastres), Agmet, “brother” (24 years old, 80 piastes), Lima, a 21 year old widow with her 2 year old son Ali, together valued at 100 piastres, and a 14 year old black servant called Fatuma, valued at only 20 piastres. Seven of the other captives were sailors, aged from 23 to 60 years old and valued a price ranging from 25 to 50 piastres, and two were passengers, whose commercial value was estimated at between 30 and 40 piastres.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Palermo","dates":"5 August 1811","location":"Palermo","author":"Renata De Simone","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"239f6932-95a0-5d3e-a789-d65b78fad77b":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This Qur’an manuscript has opening and closing double-pages ornately decorated with lavishly gilt and polychrome elements. The text is written in black *naskhi*, 15 lines to the page, further enhanced by chapter headings in white *riq\\`a* on gold, gilt borders and margin medallions. According to the colophone, its calligrapher was Sayyid Muhammad Nouri.  \n  \nClick [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WISVbhCP0&t=15s) to **watch a video presentation** of this artefact.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["naskhi","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"23d6b4ee-6380-5185-a38f-672a711e7d14":{"name":"Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat  \nFrom the manuscript of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), the Hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334)","short_description":"“Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat” is one of fourteen paintings in the only known illustrated copy of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), a tazkira and hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334). *Safvat al-Safa* gives detailed information about the life, sayings, virtues, and miracles of Shaykh Safi, the spiritual founder of the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736). *Safvat al-Safa* is a biography book with hagiographical accounts which falls under both genres. In Islamic literature, the term \"tazkira\" is used for biographical texts and \"hagiography\" is used for books on the lives of the mystics. *Safvat al-Safa* includes actual information on the life of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili as well as mystical and supernatural stories. It appears to have been the main source of the Safavid chroniclers for the early period of the dynasty, as there are numerous copies and translations. Safvat al-Safa has an introduction (*muqaddima*), twelve chapters (*bab*), and an epilogue (*khatima*). Each chapter has numerous sections (*fasl*) which include multiple short episodes (*hikayat*).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Heigra Sha'ban 990 / September 1582 AD","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.2 x 22cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","painting","Safvat-al-Safa","The-Quintessence-of-Purity","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"23e8db58-0148-5dc3-98b4-98cb5313ba16":{"name":"Pilgrimage proxy scroll.","description":"This pilgrimage proxy scroll includes handwriting, painting, and drawing on an expensive yellow glazed paper known as *abadi*. It is in fragmentary condition and its title, as well as the section containing the *basmala* (the formula 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful'), are missing. The first of the two fragments includes a pair of standards bearing the name of the contemporary Abbasid caliph, al-Nasir (r. AH 575–622 / AD 1180–1225); the standard on the right is partially preserved. Below this emblem is a colour depiction of Mount Arafat flanked by candlesticks. Below this are depictions of the Maqam-i Ibrahim, a stone associated with the Prophet Abraham, and the water wells. Further below this is a depiction of al-Muzdalifa, where pilgrims spend the night as part of their pilgrimage duties, and al-Mina, which is the third most important site for pilgrims. The empty spaces in between the drawings are filled with inscriptions describing the requirements for the pilgrimage.  \n  \nThe depiction of the Ka'ba unfortunately has not survived in this scroll. The second fragment features depictions of al-Safa and al-Marwa (two locations that pilgrims visit in Mecca), the city of Medina (where pilgrims visit the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad), the city of Jerusalem, which pilgrims customarily visit after the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This proxy certificate was prepared for a person identified as Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib. The person performing the pilgrimage on her behalf is Ahmad ibn Fadl al-Andalusi. The document was prepared in AH 602 / AD 1206.  \n  \nIn the Middle Ages it was difficult for people, especially women, to go on pilgrimage. Therefore, people who went on pilgrimage themselves, and those who sent a proxy on their own behalves, wanted to own a certificate proving that they had visited the holy sites and fulfilled all the requirements for the pilgrimage (perhaps in order to leave them to the future generations). Such pilgrimage and proxy certificates are invaluable documents for they describe the pilgrimage ritual, depict the holy sites, and provide information regarding the social life of the period.","short_description":"Pilgrimage certificates document pilgrimages to the Holy Lands, culminating in circumambulation of the Ka'ba. The certificates or proxy certificates (for those unable to make the hazardous journey themselves) give the names of the pilgrim and the proxy, the places visited and worship performed, accompanied by pictures.","type":"Scroll, paper","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib.","dates":"Hegira 602 / AD 1206.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"4737: Height 55 cm, width 26.5 cm.; 4746: Height 51 cm, width 26.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document's inscription specifies the date 602 / 1206. Both the style of writing and the name of the contemporary caliph support this dating.","obtention":"Ismet Bey, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Islamic Foundations (the old name for the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus while travelling. He had a number of items in the Qubbat al-Hazine (Treasury) of the mosque, including Qur'ans and this pilgrimage document, transferred to the Museum where they were registered in the inventory in around 1332 / 1914.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., and Milstein, R., “A Collection of Thirteenth-Century Illustrated Hajj Certificates”, *M. Uğur Derman 65th Birthday Festschrift*, Istanbul, 2000, pp.73–134.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.80–81.","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["hajj","Ka'ba","pilgrimage"],"materials":["Handwritten and hand-painted on glazed (abadi) paper using ink and watercolour."]},"258f2f68-14bd-506a-8f5b-4a108d87a0da":{"name":"Divan of Hidayat","short_description":"As indicated by the inscription included in its double-page frontispiece (only the left half of which is shown here), this splendid little manuscript was produced for the library of the Aq Qoyunlu Turcoman ruler, Sultan Khalil, who reigned briefly in 1478, from Tabriz in Western Iran. Considering its fine calligraphy and miniatures, extensive illumination and magnificent binding, this small but highly precious book of poems must surely rank amongst the finest Islamic manuscripts ever produced. Nothing is known of the poet, though he may be the Amir Hidayat who was in the employ of the sultan. The text is in Chagatay Turkish.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 883 / AD 1478","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"17.3 x 12.3 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","court","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"26d299b2-71e2-5764-bf65-c685eb8e9170":{"name":"Hajji Khalifa/Katib Celebi, *Cihannüma* (Cosmorama or Atlas)","short_description":"The *Cihannüma* is a cosmorama or atlas written by a famous Ottoman intellectual named either Hajji Khalifa or Katib Celebi (died AH 1067 / AD 1657). The colophon of this copy identifies the scribe as Ibrahim el-Qirmi, potentially hailing from the Crimea, as well as the place of production as the *madrasa* (school) of Ankara. On fol. 1a and 10a, ownership notes of a certain Mir Khalil Tevqi’i ‘Alipashazade are also present. Interestingly, “*Tevqi’i*” was the job title of an official within the court chancellery responsible with affixing the grand, noble signature to official letters. Fol. 1a–4b include the beginning of Sipahizade Mehmet bin Ali’s geography book *Audah al-masalik ila ma'rifat al-mamalik*, followed by blank pages on fol. 5a–10b. The following second part of the manuscript is more extensive than the first, containing a text copied from the first version of the *Cihannüma*. It was later rewritten to include a synthesis of Islamic and Western sources, yet this manuscript is an interesting reference book to geography with keywords, headings, geographical names and punctuation emphasised in red. Numerous sketches of maps in coloured pen and ink drawing are also spread over 86 pages, including two full-page and one half-page sketches; the remaining hundred drawings are affixed to the margins of the page. These drawings are mostly directly related to the adjacent text. Although there is no date, the text copied by the scribe, as well as the small-scale cursory drawings and the binding suggest it was made in the 18th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"18th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"222x164mm (155x73mm), ff. I, V*, 118 folios.","place_of_production":"Ankara","method_for_datation":"One colophon: Written in *madrasa* (school) of Ankara.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and fol. 10a, ownership notes of a Mir Khalil Tevqi'i ‘Alipashazade are visible.","obtention":"Purchased from Hammer-Purgstall in 1832.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 230-232.","scriber":"Ibrahim el-Qirmi","binding_desc":"The brown leather flap binding has a recessed, oblong, lobed central medallion with inlaid gold leather foil. It is decorated in relief with naturalistic flowers. The back cover is identical but attached upside down. The raised parts of the relief are red, which is probably due to the abrasion of the gold. In the centre of the flap, there is a smaller, more rounded gold medallion with floral tendrils and s-shaped cloud ribbons. Around the medallions and on the lids’ edges, golden lines delineate the respective borders, with a narrow gold-stamped cord band as a larger frame. The doublures are of bright yellow paper and the binding is probably original and made in 18th–century Ankara, Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14243371","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Ankara","atlas","Cihannüma","geography","madrasa","Map","naskh","Nile","Tevqui'i"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 21 lines per page."]},"278b5403-b655-504e-adcb-106a2c42eaad":{"name":"Ratification document of the Congress of Vienna (29 September 1814 – 9 June 1815)","description":"At the Congress of Vienna (29 September 1814 to 9 June 1815), Austria fully restored its position as one of the great powers in Europe. It renounced the former Austrian territories in the Netherlands and South Germany and regained a number of North Italian possessions. The Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, together with smaller North Italian territories like Tuscany, Modena, Piacenza, Parma and Guastalla – which came under control of Habsburg Archdukes – confirmed Austrian predominance in Northern and Central Italy.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"1815","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"281a9738-8bd7-5011-a3f4-2866ccff808e":{"name":"Official document regarding the inauguration of the Beirut–Damascus railway","description":"This document records the inauguration of the Ottoman Beirut-Damascus-Hawran railway company, headed by Hasan Effendi Bayham.","type":"Historical document","holder":"Khalil Itani's Archive","dates":"1913","location":"Beirut","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Jeff El-Msanne","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"283b8928-b907-5a33-bdda-c2d5334b0891":{"name":"Manuscript of the Holy Qur’an","short_description":"This leather-bound Qur’an manuscript with its richly ornamented front pages was written by the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz Osman. Each page shows thirteen lines of delicate black *naskhi* script, gilt chapter headings, verse markers and gilt frames. Hafiz Osman completed 25 Qur’an manuscripts, making the Sharjah manuscript one of a rare group.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1074 / AD 1664","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul, Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["Hafiz Osman","naskhi script","Ottoman Calligraphy","religious manuscript"]},"2a065963-1f3a-55a6-a2d4-006e151c3d3f":{"name":"Section from a Qur'an.","description":"A section from a dark-brown leather-bound Qur'anic manuscript. In the middle of the cover there is a geometric ornamental motif in the form of a six-pointed star. The star is surrounded by a circle, the outer frame of which is decorated with semi-circles distributed to the four corners of the leather binding. The cover has a lock, ornamented with geometric decoration; the designs on both the cover and the lock appear to have been made using a stamp-block.  \nThe pages of this manuscript bear illuminated Qur'anic text written in *muhaqqaq* script, the lettering delineated in black ink. The text includes verses from Chapter *Hud* (11: beginning with verse 4), followed by part of the Chapter of Joseph (12: ending with verse 52). An ornamental embellishment, in the form of a six-petalled flower with a blue point in its centre and red points between each petal, separates the verses from each other. Mamluk Qur'anic manuscripts are distinguished by two elements in the main: the ornamental decoration which acted as a separator between the verses mentioned above and, further, by the presence of ornamentation along the margins of the pages that indicate the parts and sections of the Qur'an. In this particular manuscript section, these ornaments take a variety of forms: some are circular, while others are oval. They are gilded and in the middle of each of them is an inscription in blue *rik'a* script, indicating the section and part. The Qur'anic text ends on the last page with an inscription that contains the name of the calligrapher (a woman) and the date it was copied, the text reads: 'The humble servant of God, Zaynab bint Ahmad al-Maqdisiyya in the month of Sha'ban in the year 731 \\[1330\\] wrote this.' It is clear from the text that the calligrapher was from the City of *al-Quds* (Jerusalem). In reality, coming upon a work such as this by a named calligrapher, who is also a woman, is very rare indeed and it gives this manuscript great artistic and historical value. It is also important as evidence to indicate that women did practice the art of calligraphy.","short_description":"This section from a Qur'an proves that the role of women in Islamic society was not confined to household tasks. They were writers, poets and even calligraphers of the Qur'an, most prestigious work. This manuscript, copied by a woman from Jerusalem called Zaynab al-Maqdisiyya, is a rare example of a work such as this having a named female calligrapher.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 731 / AD 1330.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 32 cm, height 22 cm.","method_for_datation":"The piece was dated based on the date that is recorded on it: hegira Sha'ban 731 (1330).","obtention":"This manuscript was donated to the Museum in 2002 by an Egyptian citizen, Sami Muhammad Sa'd.","bibliography":"Atil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks.* Washington D.C., 1981.  \nNafaa, C., *Catalogue of Qur'ans of the National Library of Paris: Beauty and Splendour,* Paris, 1987.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517*), London, New York. 1997.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bookbinding","epigraphic decoration","gilding","illumination","Qur’anic manuscript","religious manuscript","script","women calligraphers"],"materials":["On paper with black ink and decorated with colours and illumination","the binding leather with stamp-block decoration."]},"2a5b3d2e-ed51-53e5-93b1-7b282919a214":{"name":"*Dala'il al-Khayrat* (‘The Guide to Happiness’)","short_description":"*Dala’il al-khayrat* (‘The Guide to Happiness’) is primarily a compilation of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad, but also includes a description of the Prophet’s tomb and a list of names ascribed to him (such as ‘Seal of the Prophets’ and ‘Rightly Guided’). The text was compiled by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli, a native of Morocco, in the fifteenth century and was especially popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in both Turkey and North Africa, and remains popular to this day. This particular copy of the text is extensively illuminated and is square in format, as are many Moroccan manuscripts.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"11 x 10.5 cm","provenance":"Probably Morocco","keywords":["al-Jazuli","calligraphy","devotion","floral decoration","geometric decoration","illumination","manuscript","Muhammad","North Africa","prayer","prophet","religious manuscript"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2bb20c6b-1cd4-5c87-a1f5-c0764436f8b3":{"name":"*Taḏkerat al-Awliāʾ by Farid-al-Din ʿAṭṭār Neishabouri* (Social Gathering for Entertainment in Meadow)","description":"The *Taḏkerat al-Awliāʾ*, in which Farīd al-Dīn Attār (Hegira 618 / AD 1221) narrates stories of the saints, begins with the chapter devoted to Ja'far al-Sādiq and ends with Hallāj al-Mansūr. The work contains information about the lives of 72 individuals, including Imām al-ʿĀzam, Imam Shāfi'ī, Ahmad b. Ḥanbal, Weysel Karānī and Rābia al-Adawiyya, and their stories and sayings. Each person is allocated a chapter, and the word *zikr* (remembrance) is placed at the beginning of each chapter. The work is written in Persian in *taliq* calligraphy on paper. On pages 1b-2a an entertainment scene is depicted that covers the entire page, while on pages 2b-3a the first section is written in two facing medallions. The work contains 27 miniature scenes depicting various parables. The outer edges of the medallions are embellished with a profusion of *simurgh* birds (benevolent mythical creatures) and a variety of floral motifs crafted in the *ringar* technique. The chapter headings are illuminated in a style characteristic of the period.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 11th century/ AD 17th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"35cm x 24cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Brought to the Museum on 13 April 1914  from the Sadreddin Konevi Tomb in Konya.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","Ink","leather binding"]},"2c92d4ed-2be6-5131-8bdb-330af53fbc0b":{"name":"The Traveller Gives Water to the Dog","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di (d. 1292)","description":"Marked as page 81 in the manuscript, this is the third painting to appear in the Bustan. It illustrates the second chapter on charitable acts. It shows a man offering a thirsty dog some water.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book* , Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/the-traveller-gives-water-to-the-dog-akm284.5","keywords":["Bustan","dog","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","Sa‘di","Sadi","Traveller","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"2caee3c8-9802-5b3a-800d-6020c0764a7f":{"name":"A volume from the *Diwan* of Ibn al-‘Arabi","short_description":"Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi, one of the greatest of Muslim mystics, was born at Murcia in Spain in 1165 AD and after many wanderings ended his life at Damascus in 1240. He was a highly prolific author and his disciples propagated his teachings as far as Iran and India, though his influence was most pronounced in Anatolia. His mausoleum at Damascus was restored by the Ottoman Sultan, Selim I, whose seal appears on folio 1a of the manuscript.  \nThis volume, possibly the fourth of a six-volume set, was copied by author himself. At the end of the manuscript is a note stating that the manuscript was read aloud to the author at his house in Damascus, in several sessions, the last of which was on Sunday 13 *Dhu’l-Hijja* 634 (7 August 1237). Another barely legible note in the author’s hand mentions that he had personally sanctioned the text of his *Diwan* as given here.","type":"*Diwan*; poetry; mystical poetry; Ibn al-‘Arabi","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Before 13 *Dhu’l-Hijja* 634 / AD 7 August 1237","location":"London","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on information in the notes – some in the hand of Ibn al-‘Arabi himself – written at the end of the manuscript.","provenance":"Damascus, Syria; autograph copy","bibliography":"Hirtenstein, S., ‘Some Preliminary Notes on al-Dîwân al-kabîr’, *Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society*, 39 (2006).  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.71, p.81.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Ayyubid","Damascus","Diwan","Ibn al-‘Arabi","ink","Maghribi script","manuscript","naskh","naskhi script","Paper","poetry","Sufism","Syria"],"materials":["copied in a script that combines elements of maghribi and naskhi","Ink on paper"]},"2cbb9708-8c79-5e32-a47f-f353faa9126d":{"name":"Tétouan Agreement/Treaty of Tétouan","description":"At the end of the Battle of Tétouan (The Hispano-Moroccan War), the governments of Morocco and Spain ratified the 16 items of the Tétouan Agreement.","type":"Treaty; historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"6 February 1860","location":"Tetouan"},"2d3a9974-408a-5de5-bdff-8cfdae9e0b29":{"name":"*Akbarnama*","short_description":"The Mughal emperors ruled India for more than three centuries. Akbar (r. 1556–1605), the third emperor, was the longest ruling and is considered the greatest of them all. His biography is known as the *Akbarnama* (‘Book of Akbar’) and is an official, imperial biography written by the emperor’s close friend and associate, Abu ’l-Fazl. Begun in 1598, it took almost ten years to complete the text. Two illustrated copies of the text were produced during Akbar’s lifetime, this being the later of the two. In the numerous illustrations that accompany the text, Akbar is portrayed as a powerful, dynamic and highly heroic figure, much as he seems to have been perceived by his contemporaries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1008–12 / AD 1600–03","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"43.5 x 26.8 cm","provenance":"India","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/In_03/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["battle","ceremony","court","Elephant","figural decoration","Illustration","Jesuit","manuscript","miniature painting","Religion","royal","warfare"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2d7d148e-c180-5cf1-813a-f3b4c6cdb469":{"name":"Prayer book.","description":"This small book is a compilation of various religious texts illustrating popular beliefs and customs. Its content is based mainly on the Qur'an to which the first part of the manuscript is dedicated. The text starts with the *fatiha*, the first sura, and ends with the last sura CXIV, but it is not the complete Qur'an. The text was written in a *muhaqqaq* style and in *naskhi* script possibly by two different calligraphers. One of them was Ibrahim Babirbarzadeh, whose signature appears in a later part of the manuscript. On each page the text is framed by a broad gold stripe and lines of black and bright bluish-red ink. The sura headings are illuminated and the verses are marked by golden rosettes. The first part of the manuscript is followed by a selection of suras and Qur'anic verses. According to popular belief, the words of the Qur'an possess supernatural powers because of their divine origin, which help in cases of misfortune. The margins of these pages are also covered with texts. These margin notes might provide explanation of the specific use of the quotations, for example, against disease or poverty. The 99 beautiful names of Allah and the names of the Prophet, which are written on the next pages of the manuscript, are also considered to afford special protection. A common element of books of this kind is prayers of blessing whose recitation was a deserving act of believers. The most impressive part of the manuscript is a series of painted pages showing the names of Allah and Muhammad in golden script against a blue background, the footprint and the sandal of the Prophet, views of Mecca and Medina and powerful quotations, letters and names of God arranged in circles and squares as protection against the evil eye.  \nThe binding of the book is of dark brownish-red leather ornamented with a central golden rectangle and filled with a rhomb pattern. The inside of the binding is covered with a polished yellow paper showing a design of large leaves.","short_description":"Small book with a compilation of various religious texts popularly used for protection. In addition to the mostly Qur’anic quotations it contains prayers of blessing. Most impressive are its painted pages showing the footprint and the sandal of the Prophet or the views of Mecca and Medina.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, leather, paper, ink, gold","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 14.7 cm, width 9.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From stylistic aspects of the illuminations. Their floral elements, for example, are close to those of Ottoman Qur'ans of the 12th / 18th century.","method_for_provenance":"From stylistic aspects of the illuminations. Their floral elements, for example, are close to those of Ottoman Qur'ans of the 12th / 18th century.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"Purchased in auction at François de Ricqlès, Paris, 22 March 1996, lot no 33.","bibliography":"*Islamische Kunst aus Privaten Sammlungen in Deutschland*, Exhibition catalogue, Munich, 2000, pp.14–5.  \n*Turkish Miniature Painting and Manuscripts from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3rd*, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, cat. no. 40.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["prayer","Qur’an","Religion","religious manuscript"],"materials":["calligraphy","Gold","illuminated","illustrated.","Ink","leather","Paper"]},"2d816e3d-dd49-518b-8af2-f3ada0d2875b":{"name":"\"The Story of the Princess of the Blue Pavillion: The Youth of Rum Is Entertained in a Garden by a Fairy and her Maidens\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1550–1605) copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It depicts a story told by a princess to the king Bahram Gur, about a youth and the fairy queen he imagines meeting nightly in a lush garden.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8cm, width: 15.9cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nAshton, L., Sir, ed. \"A Commemorative Catalogue of the Exhibiton Held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London 1947-48.\" In *The Art of India and Pakistan.*, no.652, New York: Coward-McCann, (1949).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., \"Islamic Art.\" in *MMA Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 1975).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2011).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nStronge, S., *The Great Mughals Art, Architecture and Opulance.*, London: V&A Publications, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446567","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"2ed5f331-f245-5701-b5ea-1a6aa1a79c09":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"This large-scale Qur’an manuscript from India stretches more than one meter in length. Handmade in India, these grand holy books were likely a result of domestic writings of the Qur’an and calligraphy as a form of devotion and worship.  \n  \nThe *ayah* (verses) are composed in black ink in *naskh* script within a black frame refining the border on the delicate paper. Individual *ayah* and decorative elements also appear in liquidized gold for embellishment and emphasis. A selection of pages illustrates segments of *surah* (chapters) in bright colours from pigment in diamond and medallion shapes with floral motifs.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 115cm, Width: 67cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, pigmented colour, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, pigmented colour, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Behrens-Abouseif, D., \"Chapter 8 The Chain of Mamluk Calligraphers\", in D. Behrens-Abouseif *The Book in Mamluk Egypt and Syria (1250–1517)*, Leiden: Brill, 2018.  \nGruber, C.and Brend, B. (eds), *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections,* Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010: xviii, 281.  \nEhrlich, J., \"Plunder and Prestige: Tipu Sultan’s Library and the Making of British India\", *South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies*, 43 : 3 (2020): 478–492.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","India","Quran"],"materials":["Cardboard","handwriting","Paper"]},"2f557797-348d-59f9-b428-ae884d14fb91":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript has an ornate double page, the remaining folios executed in black *naskhi* with red detailing and golden verse markers, 15 lines to each page. Chapter headings in white on a golden, ornamented ground and ornate margin medallions further enhance the text. The signature of the calligrapher Husayn al-Hilmi appears on the last page.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1239 / AD 1823","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["calligraphy","naskhi","Ottoman Calligraphy","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"2fa02ca6-7ad8-55e1-8e26-60c11f068f26":{"name":"Letter from the Dey of Algiers, Muhammad Pasha, to Ferdinando IV of Bourbon, King of Naples, granting a two-month truce from corsairs’ attacks (in Arabic with Italian translation)","description":"The Dey of Algiers wrote that he graciously granted to the King of Naples a two-month truce (for April and May of 1787). If his corsairs met ships belonging to the Kingdom of Naples, they would not attack them. The two nations would treat each other “with mutual friendship”.","type":"Letter; archival document","holder":"State Archives of Naples","dates":"Algiers, 12 March 1787","location":"Naples","author":"Rossana Spadaccini","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"333072e2-7b70-5d9f-885f-267dbbb500a9":{"name":"Pair of lacquer book covers","short_description":"This binding has been detached from the unknown manuscript it once covered. The front cover depicts Fath ʻAli Shah Qajar (second ruler of the Qajar dynasty, r. 1798–1834), reportedly a passionate and skilled falconer, astride a horse holding a falcon as he looks out at the viewer. The back cover depicts a conversation between a youth, possibly a prince, and a young wandering dervish (*qalandar*), an image associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. The absence of the original manuscript makes it is difficult to confirm the intended meaning of the images on these covers or the connection between them.","type":"Book covers","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1800–40","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21 x 16.4cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animal","binding","Book-cover","covers","figure","human-figure","manuscript"],"materials":["oil paint and lacquer","Papier-mâché"]},"336652f6-ed72-5895-9254-6d9fb253362d":{"name":"Illustrated manuscript of Jami's *Yusuf and Zulaykha*","short_description":"This illustrated manuscript was copied by the renowned calligrapher Mir 'Ali al-Katib al-Sultani (c. 1476–1556). He was one of several artists working in the city of Herat (in present-day Afghanistan) when it was captured in 1529. Mir 'Ali and his colleagues were taken to Bukhara where they produced illustrated manuscripts for the Uzbek rulers. Written histories relate that Mir 'Ali was unhappy in his new environment, yet the quality of his work never declined. Purchased at auction, 1962.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; manuscript","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 944 / AD 1537–1538","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 31.1 x 21 cm","provenance":"Uzbekistan, Bukhara","keywords":["Bukhara","calligraphy","Illustration","manuscript","Mir 'Ali al-Katib al-Sultani","Uzbekistan","Yusuf and Zulaykha"],"materials":["and gold on paper","gilded leather binding","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"33daf898-afb6-58bd-95bf-60b7472151c4":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics.Ssingle-volume Qur’ans like this one became increasingly popular and were completed in large numbers. This example – which appears to have remained unfinished judging by the empty title cartouches above the chapters, begins – as is customary – with a lavishly decorated double page, showing – on the right - the first chapter ‘Al-Fatiha’ and – on the left - the beginning of the second chapter ‘Al-Baqara’. Both texts are contained within broad geometric borders and framed with colourful illuminations with vegetal detailing. The remainder of the all in all 114 chapters of the Holy Qur’an are written in black naskhi and red detailing, with 15 lines to each page. As was customary, the verse markers are rendered as golden circles and each page is confined within delicate gilt borders. Colourful medallions in some of the margins mark important subdivisions of the text.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1867","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"3438c1f8-75f5-5936-9cfe-6b8fe4241a2f":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This small manuscript is of note for its extensive documentation and equally for its extensive illumination. Its colophon states that it was copied by al-Hasan ibn Juban ibn ‘Abdallah al-Quwani (‘from Konya’) in the *madrasa* (theological school) of Sa‘ad al-Din Kubak in the city of Konya, in eastern Turkey, in AH 678 / AD 1278. Somewhat unusually, the illuminator is also named, one Mukhlis ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hindi (‘from India’). The manuscript now includes seven double-pages and one single page of illumination, all in a palette of mainly blue and gold. (The single-page frontispiece with which the manuscript now opens was probably originally a double-page composition.) Throughout the text, the name of Allah (God) is written in gold ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 677 / AD 1278","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"10.5 x 8 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Konya","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1466/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"34fa4908-e715-5899-b8b5-002b54cad2c5":{"name":"Two dragons entwined on a spray of stylised foliage","short_description":"Probably executed in the Ottoman court atelier (*naqqashkhana*) in Istanbul, the remarkable intricacy of line and detail of this drawing belies its minute size. It belongs to a distinct style of painting that developed separate from the highly conceptual tradition of manuscript illustration in the second half of the 10th/16th century. Known as the \"saz style\" after the reed pen employed in its creation, this style highlighted fantastic and dazzling imagery that incorporates chinoiserie motifs and feathery leaves. Here, concealed among the dense, bristly foliage, are two silently slithering dragons, barely visible at first glance. Rather than emphasising pure line, the anonymous artist was caught up with the textural qualities of the dragons' scaly, speckled bodies and the sinuous veins of the serrated leaves. Drawings such as this were evidently reproduced through the aid of pounces or stencils; the LACMA depiction seems to have been made with the identical pounced drawing as a sketch in the Louvre, which was likewise mounted as an album page.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 982–983 / AD c. 1575","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"18.1 x 9.4cm","method_for_datation":"While there are no dated works in the “saz style” an album presented to Murad III (Heigra 982-1003 / AD 1574-95) in Hegira 980 / AD 1572-72, now in Vienna, Austrian National Library (Codex Mixtus 313) includes works that closely parallel the drawing in terms of subject and style.","method_for_provenance":"The calligraphic structure of the drawing and the serrated edges of the leaves and bristly texture of the dragons’ hide are all typical of the Ottoman “saz style”.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Kevorkian Foundation (Hagop Kevorkian - 1872-1962), until 1969 (sale, Sotheby’s, London, December 1, 1969, lot 15, sold to); Edwin Binney, 3rd (1866-1934), Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1985 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.","bibliography":"Binney, Edwin, 3rd, and Denny, Walter B., *Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edward Binney, 3rd*, Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1979: 18-21.  \nDenny, Walter B., “Turkish Ceramics and Textiles in the Binney Collection,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 (1987): 98.  \nPal, Pratapaditya, Lentz, Thomas W., Canby, Sheila R., Binney, Edwin, 3rd, Denny, Walter B. and Markel, Stephen “Arts from Islamic Cultures: Los Angeles County Museum of Art,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 : 6 (1987): 98.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Rev. ed., Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 2005: 49, fig. 46.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Chinese influence","Chinese motifs","chinoiserie","court life","floral decoration","imaginary animal","manuscript","miniature","saz","vegetal decoration","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["and gold on paper","colour washes","Ink"]},"35453f02-5851-5ed4-841e-211439b842c4":{"name":"Qur’an with box","short_description":"The small Qur’an belongs to a group of diminutive holy books intended as a talismanic object. Written in India in the *Turabi* calligraphy style with a single horse hair, the Qur’an represents a devotional book hard to read with the naked eye.  \n  \nEncased in a silver box, sometimes in textile pouches, the script becomes a pendant for a necklace. While the amulet would guard and empower the wearer, its manufacture was often reserved for sultans and their soldiers for their protection. Furthermore, the silver embellishes the protective power as a lucky metal in Islam. Carried around the neck or attached to ceremonial objects and weapons, good luck charms endure and appear throughout time and place.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"19th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 2cm, Width: 1cm, Height: 2cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Behrens-Abouseif, D., \"Chapter 8 The Chain of Mamluk Calligraphers\" in D. Behrens-Abouseif, *The Book in Mamluk Egypt and Syria (1250–1517),* Leiden: Brill, 2018.  \nGruber, Christiane (ed) and Brend, B., *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections,* Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010: xviii, 281.  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy,* New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \nEkhtiar, M., and Parikh, R., \"Chapter 10 Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield\", in M. Ekhtiar and R. Parikh (eds), *Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice,* Leiden: Brill, 2020.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","India","miniature","Quran","Talisman"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper","Silver"]},"359c5242-9309-5cb3-a026-926ac7a00def":{"name":"Album of Ahmed Karahisari.","description":"The Album of Ahmed Karahisari is in two sections and contains the sixth *sura* of the Qur'an (al-An'am), a series of *hadith*s, and a section of the *Qasidat al-Burdah* ('Poem of the Mantle') by the AH 7th- / AD 13th-century poet al-Busiri. The album that contains samples of Ahmed Karahisari's writing including *kufic*, *naskhi*, *thuluth*, and *muhaqqaq* scripts and which expands the boundaries of the art of calligraphy, is carefully pasted together in 15 leaves. The leather binding is not original. This shows that these samples, which were originally written in scroll format, may have been cut down later and brought together in this album.  \n  \nThe album opens with a page featuring the words 'Praise be to God' in square *kufic* script at the top, the *basmala* in the centre, and *sura* 92 in square-*kufic* script at the bottom, all written in black ink and gold. On the other pages, the page layout shows different characteristics according to the style and dimensions of the writing.  \n  \nIn the colophon on the last page Ahmed Karahisari describes himself as a student of his teacher Asadullah Kirmani with whom he studied, rather than with the school of Sheikh Hamdullah, in order to learn to write in the style of the great calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (AH 7th / AD 13th century). Karahisari breathed new life into 16th-century Ottoman calligraphy and left his mark on it. The school he founded was continued by his student Hasan çelebi (d. AH 1002 / AD 1594) but was abandoned at the end of the 10th / 16th century.  \n  \nThese writings are models of Ottoman calligraphy, and in addition to showing the peak that was achieved in the art of writing their beauty inspires a great many artists even today.","short_description":"Calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari left his mark on Ottoman calligraphy of the AH 10th / AD 16th century through the school he founded. This album contains samples of his works which expand the boundaries of calligraphy in the 'layering' of letters.","type":"Paper, ink, leather binding, manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner is unknown. The work bears a seal of Sultan Mahmud I (AH 1143–68 / AD 1730–54), as it was given by him as a pious endowment (*waqf*) to the library he founded in his own name.","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul","dimensions":"Height 50 cm, width 34 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although the colophon does not include a date, the dates of the calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari (AH 875–963 / AD 1470–1556) are known with certainty, and so the work can be dated to the period of his life.","method_for_provenance":"The calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari is known to have lived in Istanbul and thus the work is thought to have been made there.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The album was transferred to the Museum in 1914 from the Library of Sultan Mahmud I at Ayasofya Museum.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesinden Bir Osmanlı Hat Sanatı Klasiği: Karahisari Albümü”, *P, Sanat, Kültür, Antika Dergisi*, 21 (Spring 2001), pp.66–75.  \n  \nAlparslan, A., *Osmanlı Hat Sanatı Tarihi*, Istanbul, 1999, p.56.  \n  \nÖlçer, N., *et al, In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, plate 18A-B, pp.50-1.  \n  \nÖlçer, N., *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.264–5.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","gilding","Hadith","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","tooling","watercolour"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","leather (binding)."]},"35dafca1-8ab1-5d22-8ffd-d39248a402df":{"name":"*A Ferry Crossing the Gagos River*","short_description":"This is one of the both unnecessary and revolutionary illustrations in Abdallah ibn al-Fadl’s copy of Dioscorides’s medical treatise.  \nThe text states that on the shores of the Gagos River, jet can be found effective against pain in the uterus, but the artist took the opportunity to depict a ferry with a helmsman, two rowers, and eight passengers looking out of a porthole.","type":"Miniature from a copy of *Kitab al-hashaish*, a translation of Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad?","keywords":["Abbasid","De Materia Medica","Illustration","medical plant","medicine","science","scientific manuscript"]},"3603d007-07c7-5d43-ad14-c40d81e1d215":{"name":"A Sinner’s Plea to God","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"Marked as page 177 in the manuscript, this is the 12th and final painting to appear in the Bustan. It depicts group of sages in the wilderness: two debating over books, one praying alone, and one washing in a stream. Below the painting is an inscription in red naming the painter Hiranand, who was assigned by the workshop master to complete this illustration.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/a-sinners-plea-to-god-akm284.14","keywords":["Ablution","Bustan","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","pray","river","Sa‘di","Sadi","sin","sinner","stream","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"36b43269-5ffd-5b5e-bb6b-ea170ad7ed06":{"name":"Facing Pages from a Manuscript of the Qur'an","short_description":"In the second half of the sixteenth century especially, Shiraz was an important hub for the creation of large-format luxury manuscripts of the Qur’an, some of which were intended for export to the Ottoman Empire. This pair of facing pages from the closing section of a dispersed manuscript includes the *du‘a al-khatm*, or prayer said at the conclusion of a reading of the Qur’an; it is preceded by the closing verses of the Qur’an, and followed by a *falnama*, (a Persian versified form of divination). The beautiful decoration framing the gold calligraphy of the khatm prayer epitomizes the Shiraz style of illumination in its colorful exuberance. The recto of the right-hand page is comprised of Suras 113-114 indicating that the full text must have similarly composed of large lines of blue *muhaqqaq* and gold *thuluth* alternating with blocks of smaller *naskh* in black on gold-sprinkled paper, framed by panels of scrolling floral illumination, the sura headings in white on gold and polychrome illuminated panels, marginal roundels marking various points in the text. Numerous similarly decorated manuscripts of the Qur’an are preserved in Istanbul collections, demonstrating a distinct Turkish affinity for the Shiraz style.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. third quarter 10th century / AD c. third quarter 16th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"Each page: 48.9 x 30.8cm","method_for_datation":"The pages relate to the standard program of illumination and calligraphy associated with Shiraz qur’ans from the mid –second half of the 16th century, the most famous of which is the so-called Ruzbihan Qur’an (Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Is 1558), after its calligrapher Ruzbihan Muhammad al-Tab‘i al-Shirazi.","method_for_provenance":"The pages relate to the standard program of illumination and calligraphy associated with Shiraz Qur’ans of the Safavid period.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"M.2010.54.1  \nCollection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1986. In 1991, became possession of LACMA, until 2010 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  \nAC1999.158.1  \nCollection of Roland Yazhari, Portland, Oregon, until 1999 (sold to); LACMA, Shinji Shumeikai Discretionary Fund.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Gifts of the Sultan: The Art of Giving at the Islamic Courts*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2011: 145, 263, fig. 129, cat. no. 152.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 216-217, cat. no. 111.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","divination","floral motifs","gold","ink","Iran","manuscript","prayer","Qur'an","Safavid","Thuluth"],"materials":["and gold on paper","colors","Ink"]},"37ddf905-ac01-5a2a-b943-6617e2945431":{"name":"*Rustam at the Fort near Mount Sepand* (folio from a *Shahnama* manuscript)","short_description":"A folio from the manuscript of the *Shahnama* (Book of Kings) epic poem by Ferdowsi tells the story of Rustam's military campaign to Mount Sepand to destroy the impregnable fortress city. The painting illustrates an episode when Rustam and his army approached the walls of a fortress. The warriors resorted to treachery, pretending to be salt merchants. The fortress guards believed the “merchants” and opened the gates to them. According to the content of the episode, Rustam is portrayed as a merchant, without his traditional attributes of a hero: tiger skin, helmet and weapons. Shabby figures of people, types of their headdresses and Chinese-style clouds may suggest the painter’s affiliation with a Shiraz school of miniature.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"Second half of the AD 15th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 23.8cm, Width: 14.2cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date specified, school suggested).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Grube, E., \"The Miniatures of Shiraz\", *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 21 (1963): 285-95.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","workshop":"Shiraz school (?)","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Shahnama","Timurid"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"37f27206-1cef-5263-96db-efb6c241eb7f":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This single-volume Qur’an appears to be unfinished judging by the empty title cartouches above the chapters. The ornate opening double page is followed by folios covered with 15 lines of black *naskhi*, enhanced by red detailing, golden verse markers, gilt borders and lavish margin medallions. The calligrapher is \\`Ali Shukri, known as Nadherzadeh.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1867","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["naskhi","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"3820f22f-64c5-54c7-80da-20ed18f8af7b":{"name":"The constellations Andromeda and Pisces  \nFolio from a dispersed *Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib* (Images of the Fixed Stars)","short_description":"The lady in this saffron-coloured robe and crown-like helmet is a personification of the constellation Andromeda, which was identified by the second-century CE astronomer Ptolemy and continues to be considered a major constellation. With the translation of Ptolemy’s *Almagest* in the court of the ninth-century Caliph al-Ma’mun in Baghdad, astronomers working under the patronage of the Muslim rulers in modern-day Iraq and Iran adopted the Greco-Roman astronomical knowledge and expanded on it from the indigenous Arab (*Anwa’*) and Indian astronomical traditions, in this illustration combining Andromeda with Pisces. The most prominent example of this tradition is 'Images of the Fixed Stars' written by the Iranian astronomer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (died 986), which contained two representations of each constellation, one looking up at the constellation from Earth and the other looking down on it from above. Al-Sufi’s work continued to be in broad circulation, and various copies exist in major museum collections.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21.3 x 14.7cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["astronomical","astronomy","constellations","female-figure","figure","folio","science","space","stars","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"38745087-0b6a-5699-94f5-57d4e4dbd0f8":{"name":"*Idolaters Before an Idol*","short_description":"A *Fal-nama* is a kind of book of divination that can be consulted at random. Opposite each painting in an explanatory text. The text for the museum’s stylistically very unusual painting is found in the Los Angeles County Museum and explains that the scene is enacted in the “Azure monastery.” The omens associated with the miniature are highly inauspicious.","type":"Miniature from a copy of Jafar al-Sadiq’s *Fal-nama*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira c. 960 / AD c. 1550","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz or Qasvin","keywords":["divination","esotericism","Imam","manuscript","painting","Shi`a"]},"389ca57a-de31-5831-9a59-bb851adbe95e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Umar escapes from bondage and shaves the beard from Kamran's face","short_description":"Umar is one of the spies (*Ayyar*), who support the continuous fights of Hamza.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Hamzanama","painting","Umar"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"38e4904d-c574-52b6-a1e1-5202c0c6e8ba":{"name":"Pilgrimage certificate","short_description":"This certificate was made for a pilgrim named Sayyid Yusuf bin Sayyid Shihab al-Din Mawara al-Nahri for his ‘umra, illustrating significant locations in Mecca, Medina, and other religious locations. Beside these illustrations are inscriptions from the Quran and texts written in Arabic and Persian related to pilgrimage, with the name of the pilgrim and his six witnesses featured at the end. Pilgrimage certificates are considered legal documents acquired by the pilgrim at the end of the journey.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 21 Muharram 837 / AD 6 September 1433","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 665 cm, width: 34.7 cm","provenance":"Central Asia or Iraq","obtention":"Christie's London, Classical, Western Asiatic, Byzantine and Islamic Antiquities, 23 October 1972, Lot 109  \nKuzmeli Collection until 1998; sold to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Chekhab-Abudaya, Mounia, “Travelling manuscripts”, in Siu Perdue and Tagliacozzo (eds), *Asia Inside Out*, vol. 3, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2019: 146-178.  \n  \nChekhab-Abudaya, Mounia, Roxburgh, David, and Couvrat-Desvergnes, Amélie, “Sayyid Yusuf's 1433 Pilgrimage Scroll”, in Gülru Necipoğlu and Karen Learl (eds), *Muqarnas 33*, Leiden: Brill, 2016: 345-408.  \n  \nGonnella, Julia, et al., *Museum of Islamic Art: The Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2022.","author":"Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya","keywords":["Central Asia","Certificate","Iraq","pilgrimage","Qara Qoyunlu","Timurid"],"materials":["Gilt Paint","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"39b4a764-56c1-5020-87f2-1df398a84d8a":{"name":"Antonis Benaki's list of acquisitions","description":"An album which once belonged to Antonis Benakis with photographs and handwritten notes on his acquisitions made the first decades of the 20th century.","type":"Dossier","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"c. 1920","location":"Athens","provenance":"Alexandria","author":"Mina Moraitou"},"3b9a8d6f-7ca1-5e34-9c8f-c212c393a3de":{"name":"Endowment Charter (*Waqfiyya*) of Haseki Hürrem Sultan.","description":"This deed of trust for a pious foundation (*waqf*) belonging to the wife of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' Haseki Hürrem Sultan, is written in Arabic on 49 pages of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper and is dated AH 964 / AD 1557. The official monogram or *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) is found on page 1a. The text, which begins with a single-page heading, is written nine lines to the page in black ink within gold-ruled margins. The heading on page 1b and the spaces between the lines on page 2a are illuminated with gilding whose edges are traced in black.  \n  \nThe work's brown leather binding reflects the stylistic characteristics of 10th / 16th century bookbinding with its sunken oval medallion with pendants and corner-pieces. It was executed with a mould and painted with gilding. The inner covers are decorated with oval medallions cut out and pasted on. The medallions are decorated with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired (*hatayi-*style) floral motifs.  \n  \nOn pages 9b–10a of the deed are mentioned the buildings Sultan Süleyman ordered built in Jerusalem near the Dome of the Rock for his wife Hürrem Sultan, known from historical sources as the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Mosque, *Madrasa* and *Imaret* (soup-kitchen). Pages 12a–14b contain a detailed explanation as to how expenditures will be made to take care of the endowment's operations, such as the care and cleaning of the buildings, the salaries of the people who worked in them, and so forth. On pages 15b and 27a the number of commercial estates, mills, etc. donated from among Hürrem Sultan's landholdings to ensure revenue to the endowment is mentioned. But no information is given as to where these estates were located. The signatures of witnesses and Hürrem Sultan's seal are found on page 49a.  \n  \nThe deed, which also includes the signatures of witnesses, is an outstanding example of the arts of the book in the Classical Ottoman period, as well a valuable source of historical information about the Ottoman system of pious foundations and how it worked.","short_description":"The *waqfiyya* or endowment charter of the charities in Jerusalem of Hürrem Sultan, wife of Süleyman the Magnificent, known for her political involvement, elegance and charitable works, is not only a historical document but also a beautiful example of book arts of the AH 10th / AD 16th century.","type":"Paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Haseki Hürrem Sultan (also known as Khassaki Sultan, or as Roxelana, d. AH 965 / AD 1558).","dates":"AH 964 / AD 1556–7.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Length 28 cm, width 19 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the document's colophon it was written in 964 (1557).","method_for_provenance":"The deed was written in 964 / 1557. In addition, the calligraphy, the *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' the binding and the quality of the illumination show that the work was probably prepared in the 10th / 16th century in the palace atelier in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Brought from the Directorate of Pious Foundations in 1919.","bibliography":"*Soliman le magnifique,* Paris, 1990, pp.38–9, cat. no. 17.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","tooling","waqf system","watercolour","women"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","tooled leather (binding).","watercolour","written using ink"]},"3c7902f3-8b05-5d9c-98a2-183352180f18":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This Qur’an manuscript, written by Muhammad Shukri, has a richly ornamented and gilt, opening double page. The remaining text is in black *naskhi* script, with red detailing and golden verse markers, 15 lines to each page. Chapter headings are written in white on a gilt and decorated ground. They are enclosed in golden frames with geometric decoration.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1232 / AD 1816","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["Muhammed Shukri","naskhi","Ottoman Calligraphy","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"3ccbbb1a-eca6-5ee7-becd-0a2da22c8309":{"name":"Gushtasp slays the dragon of mount Saqila  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Completed in 1010, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. It inspired countless works of art, including the masterful *Shahnameh* produced for Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76), the second shah of the Safavid dynasty. This folio AKM163 (folio 402 recto) from the Shah Tahmasp *Shahnameh* highlights the exceptional bravery and strength of Gushtasp, son of Shah Luhrasp.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1530–1535","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","Shah-Tahmasp","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"3d995cca-af40-5f9f-8f23-5a077ea46883":{"name":"Royal Decree to establish the post of *Makhzen*","description":"The Royal Decree (dated 22 November 1892) of Mulay al-Hasan I asserted his *Makhzen* (royal authority) in order to take official control of the national post and transport services. In most localities, employees of this office were *‘Umana*, government officials, assisted by distributors.","type":"Royal Decree; historical document","holder":"Al-Hassania Library","dates":"22 November 1892","location":"Rabat","provenance":"Fez"},"3db5f07f-85de-5f83-b35f-8ab272489650":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"According to the colophon, this *mushaf* was completed in 1112/1700 by Ahmad al-Nayrizi, one of the most prolific calligraphers of the late Safavid period. Al-Nayrizi ranks among the greatest Iranian masters of *naskhi* script. The illumination, a later addition, was completed in 1237/1821, and is dedicated to Fath Ali Shah, the second ruler of the Qajar dynasty; this is mentioned in the colophon and further evidenced by the presence throughout the manuscript of his seal-like cartouches.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1237 / AD 1821","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"41.9 x 27.4 x 6.5cm","provenance":"Persia","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 254–259.","materials":["bound in leather with blind stamping","Paper written in black ink within cloud bands against gold ground"]},"3e1aef10-1e63-5ce9-8823-475ed9609e87":{"name":"Qur’an *Mushaf*","short_description":"This Ottoman Qur’an is attributed to the master calligrapher, Hafiz Uthman (Hafiz Osman, d. 1698), writing in the style of his mentor, Shaykh Hamd Allah (Šeyh Hamdullah). The opening pages are lavishly illuminated, with white Thuluth Sura headings on gold rectangular grounds; polychrome floral composition creating zigzag border frame; and text enclosed in a cloud band, surrounded by a variety of floral units. A further embellishment is the flap-fitted case decorated in rococo style with silk and metal thread. At its centre stands the *tuğra* or imperial monogram of Sultan ʽAbd al-Majid I (1823–1861).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1111 / AD 1700","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"25.5 x 17.2 x 5.1cm","provenance":"Turkey","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 190-195.","materials":["Paper bound in leather with gold-stamping"]},"3e779188-7463-53b1-8360-81f5e5086837":{"name":"*Kitab al-Masalik wa’l-Mamalik of al-Istakhri*","description":"The AH 4th / AD 10th-century Persian geographer al-Istakhri was one of the most important figures in the evolution of Arab cartography. He travelled widely, but his account of Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf) is curiously sketchy, particularly given the importance of the Pilgrimage. This is partly because, as the title of this treatise, *Kitab al-masalik wa’l-mamalik* (‘the book of postal routes and kingdoms’), suggests, it is based on lists of stations on the postal routes of the Abbasid heartlands and in Iran, which were not available for Arabia and Egypt.  \n  \nIn its present state the manuscript is incomplete. It opens with a splendid page of illumination in gold and silver, and on the penultimate page (folio 120a) is a colophon with the date AH 706 / AD 1307, possibly a later addition. It contains the following maps: Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf); Egypt; the Mediterranean (Bahr-i Rum); Iraq (central and upper Mesopotamia); Khuzistan; Fars; Kirman; Sind; lower Mesopotamia and western Iran (‘Iraq-i ‘Ajam); Tabaristan; the Caspian; the central Iranian desert between Fars and Khurasan; Khurasan; Central Asia, from Transcaspia to beyond Bukhara; Ceylon (Sarandib), with Adam’s Peak and the west coast of India. The map of Sind is a later replacement, and a number of maps announced in the text are now missing. They were obviously lost when the original manuscript was unbound, perhaps for repairs, and the remaining folios rebound in the wrong order.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 706 / AD 1306–07","location":"London","dimensions":"25cm x 15cm","place_of_production":"Iran, perhaps Isfahan","method_for_datation":"dated AH 706 (AD 1306–7).","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.198, pp. 166-167.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","materials":["contemporary leather binding","Gold","Ink","silver and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"3ed0bda5-ca9d-536f-b3ed-1c1519674199":{"name":"The rocky lotus: Sumulutun  \nFolio from the manuscript of *Khawass al-Ashjar* (The Characteristics of Trees)","short_description":"Born around 40 AD in Anazarbus in Cilicia (today’s Turkey), Dioscorides exerted a great influence on scholarship and practice from the Middle Ages until the 16th century. His treatise *De Materia Medica* was first translated into Syriac, a language generally familiar to physicians in the Abbasid empire (750–1258).\\[1\\] The earliest Arabic translation directly translated from a Greek copy\\[2\\] was made by two scholars, Istafan ibn Basil and Hunayn ibn Ishaq, in the mid 9th century in Baghdad under the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–61).1 Ibn Ishaq was a physician, Arab scientist, and Nestorian Christian. Known as the “master of translators,” he was active in the Bayt al-Hikm (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad.  \nAccording to sources, in 948, Byzantine Emperor Romanus I offered a Greek copy of *De Materia Medica* as a gift to the Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, ‘Abd al-Rahman III (912-961). There is no evidence to suggest a full Arabic translation of this copy was ever made in Cordoba.\\[3\\] In the intervening years, both the Greek text and accompanying illustrations continued to undergo revision as new copies were made.  \nA famous Arabic copy made in the first quarter of the 13th century was widely recopied and distributed and is now dispersed throughout many private and public collections, including the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Known as the Khawass al-Ashjar, it describes the fabrication of medicines from some 500-600 plants; animals, like fish and shellfish; and minerals that serve as the basis for pharmacology in Near Eastern countries and beyond.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"13th Century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"29.6 x 20cm","provenance":"Iraq","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Notes:  \n\\[1\\] See Saliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 8.  \n\\[2\\] Ibid.  \n\\[3\\] Ibid., 9.  \n  \nBloom, Jonathan, “The introduction of Paper to the Islamic Lands and the development of the illustrated Manuscripts,” *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 17–23. ISBN: 9789004116696.  \nD’Andiran, Gerald, *Early Medicine, from the body to the Stars*, Basel: Schwabe, 2011. ISBN: 9783796527098.  \nGraves, Margaret S. et al. (eds), *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book & Calligraphy*, Istanbul: Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi, 2010: 200–05. ISBN: 9786054348084.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 6–65.","keywords":["folio","plants","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"3f4c6fa9-1eb4-5cf8-b351-d019a0e81489":{"name":"Robert Hamilton Lang","description":"Lang was manager of the Imperial Ottoman Bank in Larnaka, 1863–1872, that ran the finances of the Ottoman administration. He conducted excavations at Dali (ancient Idlaion) in the centre of the island in the late 1860s. His report is the first systematic account of an excavation produced on the island. Lang went on to a series of posts with the IOB in Alexandria, Romania and Constantinople, becoming Director General of the bank. He was honoured by Queen Victoria, the king of Rumania, the Khedive and the Sultan.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1860s","location":"London","provenance":"?"},"4250fc43-a459-535b-8747-40e09f5f1a2a":{"name":"Zavara comes to the hunting-ground of Siyavush  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting the hero Rustam’s brother Zavara was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 x 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and ink on paper","Gold","Opaque watercolour"]},"42aad0c1-ac08-52ed-b98e-35a070c4bdeb":{"name":"Manuscript on surgery.","description":"This manuscript is a copy of a book on medicine and surgery with the transliterated Arabic title of *Al-Tasrif li-man 'ajiza 'an al-ta'lif* (“The arrangement \\[of medical knowledge\\] for one who is unable to compile \\[a manual for himself\\]”) by the Andalusian physician Abu al-Qasim Khalif ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi (d. after AH 400 / AD 1009).  \nThe book is divided into 30 sections according to treatments and illnesses. Every section gives the recommendations of a physician with an established reputation for the successful treatment of a particular illness. It describes the treatments and the instruments the physician would need to carry out the procedures, and also illustrates various medical instruments, explaining how they are to be used. Such instruments include hypodermic needles, cupping glasses, cauterisation tools, bone saws, scissors, scalpels and pincers for extracting teeth.  \nThe largest sections are sections one, two and 30 which discuss, respectively, essential medical concepts, symptoms and remedies for 325 ailments, and how to perform operations. They comprise over half of the book, while the other 27 sections discuss various aspects of prescribing and concocting different drugs. Some of the ideas in the book are completely original, and it is thought that this tome is the first to contain illustrations of medical instruments.  \nThe book had a huge impact in the Arabic- and Turkish-speaking worlds, as well as in Europe. It was translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona (d. AD 1187) and influenced scholars like Guy the Chauliac (d. AD 1370) and his successors.  \nAn example of one section of the book is shown here. It records the advice of Paulus of Aegina with respect to cauterising gout and joint pain. The title of each section is recorded in red, and precedes the description that follows it. It illustrates the cauterising instrument to be used. In addition the author, al-Zahrawi, delineates the areas of the feet that may be cauterised, and finally shows how post-treatment feet should be dressed and looked after.","short_description":"This medical manuscript gives instructions for conducting surgery and dentistry and includes illustrations of the instruments required. It is an early copy of a book written by the Andalusian physician Abu al-Qasim Khalif ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 20 cm, width 15 cm, depth 3 cm.","obtention":"Presented as a gift by Khurshid al-Jarkasi in 1924.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969, p.216.  \nSavage-Smith, E., “al-Zahrawi, Abu'l Kasim Khalaf b. al-'Abbas,” *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, Vol. XI, Leiden, 1979, pp.398–9.","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi","Andalus","Gerard of Cremona","ink","medicine","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","Spain","surgery"],"materials":["Red and black ink on paper."]},"4361abfb-bea8-52e0-b83e-6fd62095a8ea":{"name":"Qur’an with a *Falnama* (Book of Divination)","short_description":"This miniature octagonal Qur’an with an attached Persian *Falnama* (Book of Divination) fragment was penned, according to the colophon, in March 1545, likely in the Iranian city of Shiraz. The elaborate opening consists first of a symmetrical double page of illuminated floral rosette patterns within an octagonal shape, followed by similarly symmetrical opening pages containing the first lines of the Qur’anic text. The text is written in small *naskh* script, divided into verses by gold dots and framed in blue, red, black, and gold details. Although the binding is not original, the manuscript is preserved in an octagonal silver box from 17th-century Turkey, with its lid decorated with a cut pale beryl. The three suspension rings attached to the box indicate that it was likely tied to or hung from something. Small Qur’ans of this type were worn on silver chains around the neck and had an amulet function for the owner, but were also an expression of luxury. Additionally, the small yet elaborate calligraphy, the very fine illumination, and the valuable box indicate a very distinguished owner or patron. In the Ottoman Empire, these Qur’ans were hung from the tops of flags. According to legend, this manuscript was found tied to a lance in a Turkish military camp outside of Vienna in 1683 and belonged to Prince Eugene. The inventory of the Viennese Kunstkammer, however, indicates that it may have been part of the collection of Rudolf II in Prague in the 17th century. The *Falnama*, or Book of Divination, written in Persian, is included at the end of the Qur’an on fol. 279b-281a. Both the inclusion of the *Falnama* as well as the decoration style suggest a Persian place of origin. This assumption is supported by a similar octagonal Qur’an in the British Library (OR. 2200), which was copied in Shiraz in AH 950 / 1543 AD. Related pieces can also be found in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin or in the Topkapi Sarayi in Istanbul, among other locations.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 952 / 1545 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Octagonal shape with a diameter of 60mm, 56 x 56mm (43 x 43mm). ff. II, II*, 281 folios.","place_of_production":"Shiraz, Iran","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 952 / AD 1545","method_for_provenance":"It has been in the Austrian National Library since at least the end of the 18th or the beginning of the 19th century.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Allegedly found tied to a lance in a Turkish military camp outside of Vienna in 1683 and belonged to Prince Eugene. Part of the collection of Rudolf II in Prague in the 17th century according to the Kunstkammer inventory.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 99-100.","binding_desc":"This red morocco binding has gold-stamped, lace-like ornaments and gold edging. It is probably an Austrian work from the end of the 18th century. The manuscript is preserved in an octagonal silver box from 17th-century Turkey, with its lid decorated with a cut pale beryl. The three suspension rings indicate that it was likely tied to or hung from something.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14411309","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","Falnama","illumination","naskh","Qur’an"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic small naskh script of 12 lines per page.","Ink"]},"45b19a0c-0267-54d0-a134-624669d15108":{"name":"Qur’an Sections","short_description":"'This book binds two of the thirty parts (*ajza*) of the Qur’an. Known as *juz*, it was often sold separately during medieval Islam, with delicate floral and geometric patterns decorating the brown cover of the book.  \n  \nThe *ayah* (verses) appear in *naskh* calligraphy sectioned with golden illustrations of vegetal motifs including the lotus and other flowers incorporated from ancient Chinese and Buddhist tradition.  \n  \nAlthough most Muslims in China did not speak Arabic, a few Chinese Qur’ans existed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Since the spread of Islam and establishment of Islamic schools during the Yuan dynasty, prayers recitation and calligraphy were performed in Arabic. Many Muslims originating from the Arab world had a merchant background where *naskh* script represented the official writing. Adapted forms of *naskh* including *Muhaqqaq* and *Rihani* thus became the predominant styles for Chinese Qur’ans decorated with the typical gold ink.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"17th–18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 22cm, Width: 28.5cm, Height: 3.5cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, engraving and pattern.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, engraving and pattern.","provenance":"China","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Anvaary, S., \"A Study of the Art of Chinese Quranography from the Sixteenth to the End of the Eighteenth Century\", *Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient*, 9: 33 (2021): 55–64.  \nGhoname, H., *Sini Calligraphy: The Preservation of Chinese Muslims' Cultural Heritage*, Doctoral dissertation, Manoa: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2012.  \nHuaizhong, M. U. Y., \"The four upsurgences of Islamic culture in Chinese history\", *Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs,* 16: 1 (1996): 9–20.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","China","Qing Dynasty","Quran"],"materials":["handwriting","Ink","Rice paper"]},"47e09866-3a31-5ee5-a109-a01ff8ff7576":{"name":"*Treaty of Peace and Trade between France and the Tunisian Regency*","description":"The Treaty of Peace and Trade, signed between France and the Tunisian Regency, was written in both French and Arabic. It protected all French ships from attacks from Tunisian privateers, gave them access to every port in the country, and guaranteed all French nationals full security.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1799","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Gouvernement Tunisien","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"483e8679-d93d-56cd-b566-f321c598b6de":{"name":"*Dala’il al-Khayrat* (*Guidelines to Blessings*) by Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli)","description":"The *Dala’il al-Khairat* (The Signs of Benediction) is a compilation of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad and other faith-related information by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. ca. 1465). Popular throughout the Muslim world and particularly in Ottoman lands. It also contains descriptions of the Holy Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, the two most important Islamic pilgrimage sites. Both are typically depicted in the centre of the manuscript, Here, detailed birds-eye views of both sanctuaries appear, surrounded by gold margins. On the right, at tthe heart of the Makkah mosque, the Ka’bah is dressed with its black kiswa cover, further enhanced by a golden belt (hizam) above and a golden door curtain (sitara or burqu’). On the left, within the mosque complex at Madina, a domed chamber contains the tombs of the Prophet and the first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, draped in golden covers – perhaps a reference to the precious, gold and silver-embroidered textiles that were spread over the tombs in Ottoman times.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation /Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"4a2ff8cf-3035-5df6-b37d-f996ba871f8d":{"name":"Illustrated manuscript of Sa'di's *Bustan*","short_description":"This illustrated manuscript of Sa‘di’s *Bustan* features a spurious colophon and four paintings, presumably all by the early twentieth-century artist Turabi Bek Khurasani. Turabi Bek was active during the first decades of the twentieth century – the final years of the Qajar dynasty. As confirmed by the paintings in this *Bustan*, some of which recall those in the renowned *Haft Awrang* of Jami (Mashhad, 1556–65) in the Freer Gallery of Art, he excelled in the Safavid revival style.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; manuscript","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira early 14th century / AD early 20th century (spurious colophon dated 779 AH / 1377 AD)","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 27.9 x 17.1 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["Bustan","Illustration","manuscript","revivalism","Sa'di","Safawid revival","Turabi Bek Khurasani"],"materials":["and gold on paper","gilded leather binding","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"4b65636f-2968-54b7-8806-3c26e49e4118":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"Although no documentary information exists for this Qur’an, it is obvious it was produced for a wealthy, possibly influential, individual. The facing *shamsa*s, or sun-like medallions, at the beginning of the manuscript — and most of its other illuminations — consist mainly of dense mats of finely rendered arabesque vines from which spring tiny coloured blossoms. Like many manuscripts produced during the Safavid era, the illuminations are executed in a palette of blue, red and gold, with touches of yellow. Text pages consist of blocks of black *naskhi* script, bordered by vertical panels of blue and gold arabesques and set between longer lines of large blue or gold *thuluth* script. Large Qur’ans such as this are typical of Safavid production.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"46.2 x 30.3 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"4be86fc9-7fe9-524a-8ea0-665de458829d":{"name":"The Italian woman poet and peace activist of Armenian descent Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj (1855–1910), and a signed copy of her poem 'Peace'","description":"The descendant of an Armenian family that migrated to Venice at the beginning of the 19th century, Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj authored poems that were translated during her life into English, French and Spanish. She corresponded with many international literary figures and was a member of the International Arbitration and Peace League of Perugia (*Società per la pace e l'arbitrato internazionale di Perugia*), founded in 1892. In 1870, the British trade unionist Randal Cremer (Nobel peace laureate in 1907) founded the International Arbitration League, which –among other things – protested British intervention in Egypt and imperialism.","type":"Photograph and autograph collected in a register","holder":"State Archives of Perugia","dates":"3 September 1906","location":"Perugia","author":"Maria Grazia Bistoni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"4c03bb38-e626-5fa6-8bad-df7b0742cf1b":{"name":"A table showing the revenues and expenditures of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway up to the end of July 1902 AH.","description":"A table showing the revenues and expenditures of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway up to the end of July 1902 AH.","type":"Archival Register","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 13 August 1902 / AH 8th Jumada 1320h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 34.5 cm; width: 21.5 cm","provenance":"Yıldız Imperial Palace","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["archival register","Hejaz Railway","ottoman empire","Railway","Transportation"],"materials":["Paper"]},"4c6528de-3b1b-5bce-b0d2-370e7037d94f":{"name":"The Ibn al-Bawwab Qur’an","short_description":"Both the calligraphy and the illumination of this Qur’an are the work of Abu’l-Hasan Ali (d. AD 1022), who is more commonly known as Ibn al-Bawwab, because he was the son (*ibn*) of Hilal, who was a doorkeeper (*bawwab*). Ibn al-Bawwab is renowned as one of Islam’s greatest calligraphers, and this Qur’an is held to be the only genuine manuscript by him still in existence. In this manuscript, the first two chapters each begin with an illuminated heading, but the beginning of every other chapter is indicated by only a line of gold *thuluth* script, stating the title of the chapter and the number of verses it contains, and a stylized palmette element that extends into the margin. The manuscript also includes five double pages of illumination.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 391 / AD 1000–01","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"17.7 x 13.7 cm","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1431/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","colophon","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"4c75a74c-9d5b-5901-a8ac-c97ee313b0f5":{"name":"Khwaja Kirmani, Mahmud Ibn-Ali, Humay u Humayun (Humay and Humayun)","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of Mahmud Ibn-Ali Khwaja Kirmani’s (1290-1352) “Humay and Humayun”. It was calligraphed by the scribe Shams al-Din Muhammad (b. Husam al-Harawi) at an Imperial workshop of the Timurid prince Baysunghur (1397-1433) who was a famous patron of arts. The colophon gives the name of the scribe as well as the date AH 831 (1427-28 AD) and the place of completion, which was Herat. The manuscript belongs to a series of luxurious manuscripts executed in Herat for Baysunghur, but which are now scattered among many collections and museums all over the world. The scribe was also known as Shams Baysunghuri or Shamsuddin al-Sultani and he was a student of Maulana Ma’ruf who was a calligrapher brought to Herat by the Timurid ruler Shahrukh. His dated works range from this manuscript, in AH 831, to AH 833 (Kalila and Dimna, Istanbul, TSM, R. 1022). Regarding the text block throughout the manuscript, the outer column is inscribed obliquely compared to the two other columns on the page which perhaps represents an added commentary to the text. These columns are decorated with triangular arabesque vignettes in gold and blue in its corners, and the entire page is framed and divided by blue and gold borders. The headings in white or gold *thuluth* within golden-framed and blue-golden panels are decorated with gold, white or green arabesques. There are three full-page miniatures in total, which are thought to be the work of a single painter who was inspired by particular models. The miniatures are still to some extent in the tradition of the painting style that was developed in Tabriz and Baghdad in the late Jalayirid period; a comparable manuscript is BL Add. 18113 found at the British Library. The conquest of these cities by the Timurids and the transfer of the artists and manuscripts to the courts of Samarkand and Herat allowed for the perfection of these earlier styles.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 831 / 1427-28 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"242 x 145mm (166 x 90mm). ff. II, II*, 67 folios.","place_of_production":"Herat, Afghanistan","method_for_datation":"Colophon: name of the scribe, completed in residence Herat, date.","method_for_provenance":"There is an added border with owner's oriental stamp and the date AH 1227 / AD 1812 on Fol. 67 b. The owner's stamp of Hammer-Purgstall is also present, and dated AH 1223 / AD 1808-09.","provenance":"Herat, Afghanistan","obtention":"Entered the Austrian National Library in 1842 with Hammer-Purgstall's second collection.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 91-93.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 16.  \nRobinson, B.W, *Fifteenth-Century Persian Painting: Problems and Issues*, New York: New York University Press, 1991.  \nSoucek, Priscilla, “Comments on Persian Painting”, *Iranian Studies, Journal of the Society for Iranian Cultural and Social Studies*, VII (1974): 72-87.  \nWellesz, E., “Eine Handschrift aus der Blütezeit frühtimuridischer Kunst”, *Wiener Beiträge zur Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Asiens*, 10 (1936): 3-20.","workshop":"Imperial workshop of Baysunghur at Timurid Herat","scriber":"Shams-ad-Din Muhammad b. Husam al-Harawi","binding_desc":"The half-leather binding has gold embossing on its spine while the front and back are composed of cardboard clad marbled paper, the style of which situates its production in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410595","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["illumination","miniature","nasta’liq"],"materials":["20 or 23 lines per page (Persian).","Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in three columns"]},"4ca47641-f0ff-50a2-a7c3-b3adf3abb210":{"name":"*Kufic* Qur’an manuscript.","description":"A manuscript comprising the second half of the Holy Qur'an that was placed for recitation in the Dome of the Rock for a number of centuries. A number of pages were lost as a result of its long use.  \nThe binding comprises two covers: the back and the front, fastened with a bolt-like clasp. The format is landscape, common for Qur'ans belonging to the first three centuries of the Islamic era. The binding is embellished by an embossed border of four lines, the inner part of which is gilded and outlined with braided silk thread. In the centre of each of the covers is a medallion with a spiral circumference. Within each medallion are intertwining vegetal decorations composed of five-leaf flowers. The inside of the binding is sheathed with light-red leather. The cover is not original and not earlier than the 12th / 18th century.  \nThe first and last two pages contain three rectangular panels framed by straight and circular bands which intertwine with each other. The inside of the bands are ornamented with red and blue dots. The spaces that result from the intersection of the bands are adorned with geometric lines interspersed with a number of dots in green.  \nThe Qur'an was written in *kufic* script in black ink. Vowels are stipulated in red, diacritical points in black; the pauses between verses are indicated by three slanted lines. The lines are numbered to enumerate the number of verses in each chapter. The names of the chapters *(suras)* are written in gilded *kufic* script, within rectangles framed in red. The chapter headings are not written in any one style and some are more decorative than others. The placing of the headings is unpredictable; sometimes within the upper section of the page, sometimes at the bottom within the lower band, and sometimes in the middle band. Sometimes the headings are illuminated within the decorative bands which contain simple and extremely beautiful decorations and whose design, size and form differ from one band to the next.  \nThis section is divided into seven of seven parts. The spreads that begin each of the one-seventh sections are distinguishable; the one under discussion by the presence of two frames that surround the content of each page. Both frames are decorated with different coloured dots. The number of the seventh part, the chapter title that it falls under, together with the corresponding verses from the beginning of the section to which it relates, are written in the upper section of the frame.","short_description":"The manuscript is the second half of the Qur’an. Its format is landscape and it is bound between two decorated leather covers. It is written in *kufic* script in black ink on gazelle parchment. Decorative motifs are distributed throughout and especially at the beginning of chapters. It is considered to be one of the earliest Qur’anic manuscripts extant.","type":"Qur'an, parchment, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Dome of the Rock.","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 24 cm, width 31.5 cm, depth 8 cm.","method_for_datation":"An inscription within the manuscript dates it to 984 / 1547), and indicates that the Qur'an was linked to Hasan bin al-Husayn. The style of *kufic* script also supports this date as does the style of decoration which was widespread in this period.","method_for_provenance":"Iraq was narrowed down as the place of production in view of the fact that most of the family of the Prophet was in Iraq at that time. The *kufic* script, together with the style of decoration used in this manuscript, coincide with the use of the same style which predominated in Iraq at that time.","provenance":"Possibly Iraq.","obtention":"The manuscript was transferred from the Dome of the Rock to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-'Asli, K., *Turath al-Filistin fi Kitabat Abd Allah Mukhlis \\[The Heritage of Palestine in the writings of Abd Allah Mukhlis\\],* Amman, 1986.  \nDeroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition,* London, 1992.  \nAl-Munjid, Salah al-Din, *Dirasat fi Tarkikh al-Khat al-'Arabi \\[Studies in the History of Arabic Calligraphy\\],* Beirut, 1971.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Mathaf al-Islami in al-Haram al-Sharif' al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum at al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Hasan bin al-Husayn","kufic Qur’an manuscript","kufic script","Parchment","Qur’an","Qur’an manuscript","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Gazelle or goat parchment with ink and gold watercolour","the binding embossed leather."]},"4d7b079a-e0d0-5069-8f8b-a7c650770aed":{"name":"Collection of mystical stories","short_description":"This manuscript is a collection of 39 mystical stories, poems and treatises written in Persian, Turkish and Arabic. Whilst there are no miniature paintings accompanying the written text of the manuscript, each chapter does however open with an intricately illuminated *unwan* (chapter heading).  \nThe contents of the manuscript include, among other things, *tafsir* (exegesis on the Qur’an), stories about mysticism, *qasida* poetry (an Arabic form of poetry, similar to the ode) and philosophical treatises on the Christian gospel.  \nWhilst an exact date is known (1123 AH or 1711 AD) because it was clearly recorded in the collophon of the manuscript, a precise place of origin is absent in the written record.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1123 AH / 1711 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"305 x 168mm, 232 folios","method_for_datation":"A precise date can be inferred with relative certainty because the last chapter of the manuscript closes with the words; \"finished in the year 1123\".","provenance":"Possibly Syria","obtention":"The manuscript was brought into the collection by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Flügel, Gustav, *Die arabischen, persischen und türkischen Handschriften der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hofbibliothek zu Wien*, vol. 3, Vienna: Verlag der K. K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1867: 489-501.","binding_desc":"The manuscript is half-bound in red leather with ornamental gilding on the spine upon which the title of the manuscript is impressed in golden letters, reading \"neun und dreyssig mystische Abhandlungen\" (\"thirty-nine mystical treatises\"). The material used for the boards of the book itself is cypress wood. This binding was custom made for Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14400444","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["manuscript","qasida","tafsir"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq script of 27 lines per page."]},"4dac9cf9-671a-53db-afe9-db1a23d3b6cf":{"name":"Preparation of Medicine. Folio from Manuscript of an Arabic Translation of 'De Materia Medica' of Dioscorides","short_description":"This is a single leaf from a manuscript copied in AH 621 / AD 1224 in Baghdad by Abdallah ibn al-Fadl, a well-known calligrapher, for a long time believed to be the author of the miniatures. \"De Materia Medica\" a treatise by Dioscorides, a Greek doctor, was very popular in the Middle Ages. The Khanenko Museum keeps a folio that depicts a process of medicine-making. Extremely trustworthy and artistically convincing is the manner used by the medieval artist in rendering ethnic features of personages, their gestures, clothing and various details of everyday life.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AH 621 / AD 1224","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33cm, Width: 23.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (1926, origin), publication of H. Buchthal (1942, accurate date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection, publication of Hugo Buchthal (1942): former Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","provenance":"Baghdad, Iraq","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Bilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, 5 (1942).  \nContadini, Anna (ed), *Arab Painting: Text and Image in Illustrated Arabic Manuscripts, Handbook of Oriental Studies*, London: Brill, 2010.  \nDiscordides Pedanius, *De Materia Medica: Being an Herbal with many other medicinal materials*, (Written in Greek in AD 1st century. New indexed version in modern English translated and edited by Tess Anne Osbaldeston and Robert P. A. Wood), Johannesburg: Ibidis, 2000: 939.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Abbasid","Dioscorides","Iraq","manuscript","medicine","miniature"],"materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"4dbcd917-010c-5ebd-8b39-646ec4f29059":{"name":"\"Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram' s Music\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1556–1605) personal copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It shows the king Bahram Gur with his beautiful slave girl, Dilaram, who could make animals sleep or awaken with the sound of her music.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.5cm, width: 15.1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 12 (October 1953).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Indian Miniatures.*, New York-Milan, 1959.  \n  \nUniversity Gallery, University of Florida. \"April 10th thru May 29th, 1966.\" In *Miniatures and Small Sculptures from India.*, (1966).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nGlynn, C.. \"An Early Mughal Landscape Painting and Realted Works.\" in *Los Angeles County Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 20, no. 2 (1974).  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nPal, P., ed., *Master Artists of the Imperial Mughal Court.*, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1991.  \n  \nKossak, S. M., ed., *Indian Court Painting 16th–19th century.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446562","materials":["and gold on paper","Main support: ink","Margins: gold on dyed paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"4e2c253d-3f40-5817-ad41-b7fde8b9f4b8":{"name":"Confidential report related to the Iraqi State Railways and the Trans-Iranian Railway","description":"Report surveying the state of the railways and the gauges used by the Iraqi State Railways and the Trans-Iranian Railway between 1942 and 1944. The report is incomplete; 11 pages are related to Iraq (pp. 54-85), while 16 pages cover Iran (pp. 73-160). The typewritten text is accompanied by photomechanical prints and technical drawings of locomotives. The report might have been produced both by the British or the American intelligence. It includes The Second World War-era British military map showing regional railway networks (established or under construction) in the (ex) Ottoman Empire. Manuscript annotations highlight the geopolitical interests of various nations involved in their construction. The piece also has the stamp of the Survey Directorate, GHQ Middle East.","type":"Archival Material","holder":"Qatar National Library","owner":"QNL","dates":"1939-1944","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 21 cm; width: 27 cm","place_of_production":"Great Britain","catalogue_holding_link":"https://elibrary.qnl.qa/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2711204__SHC.ARC.2016.0094-0004__Orightresult__U__X3?lang=eng&suite=def","author":"Moez Dridi","keywords":["20th Century","Middle East","Railways"],"materials":["27 folios and 1 map"]},"4ff662e6-ce17-5b02-96f0-77d7ed40404e":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Sassanid Emperor Anushirvan Feasting)","description":"The work begins with praise written in the centre of a multicoloured gilded illumination on a navy blue background on facing pages. All pages containing the eulogy and inscriptions on the pages with miniatures are illuminated in the style of Beynes Sudûr. All chapters in the *Shahnameh* begin with the illumination of the title page. The white text written above and below the miniatures and enclosed in an illuminated frame at the end of the *Shahnameh* states that the *Shahnameh*, which tells the history of Persia, was completed in seven years, that 12 of the most famous artists of the period worked on it, and that it was written by Mehmed al-Kâtib in Shiraz. The illumination of the work was by Mehmed bin Hüseyin of Shiraz in 1549. The book, one of the most distinguished works of the period, is notable for its intricate miniatures created in a superior technique characteristic of the Shah Tahmasb period. These miniatures were made by calligraphers and *musehhep* in Shiraz, for centuries a centre of the art of miniatures. Consequently, the decorative style of the Shiraz-Turkmen miniature school, evident in works created in Shiraz during the first half of the 16th century, is also noteworthy in this work. It is characterised by thin, elongated and elegant figures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 956 / AD 1549–1550","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"37cm x 23xm","place_of_production":"Shiraz/Iran","obtention":"Brought to the museum in 1915 from the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Library.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","gilding","Ink","leather binding"]},"50900128-bb54-580c-9129-d9d24be9c5ef":{"name":"Ten folios from the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi made for Shah Tahmasp I","short_description":"The ten folios come the *Shahnamah* made for the Safavid ruler, Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576). One of the finest illustrated Persian manuscript ever made, it has been referred to as the ‘Houghton’ *Shahnamah* after the collector who broke it up in New York in the 1970s. It is of large format, on fine gold-sprinkled paper, and with 258 illustrations. The format is independently conceived for each painting and must have involved constant consultation between scribes, painters and marginators. Folio 516, which in the Khalili Collection, is the only folio in the manuscript to bear a date.  \nThe manuscript was given by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman Sultan Selim II at the time of the latter’s accession in 1566. By 1903, the manuscript was in the possession of Edmond de Rothschild. It changed hands once again in the 1960s, when its then owner, Arthur Houghton Jr, began to disperse it. Today, some 140 of its paintings are in museums and collections throughout the world. The rest of the manuscript – the binding, the text block and 118 paintings – have been in the Contemporary Art Museum in Tehran since 1994.","type":"Manuscript; miniature painting; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Manuscript: 1520s – 1540s; folio 516b: dated Hejira 934 / AD 1527–8","location":"London","dimensions":"Folio: 47 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on information within the paintings themselves, on historical records and on numerous detailed studies by a number of academics and authors.","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Folio 119 only: ex-Edmond de Rothschild; Arthur Houghton Jr, Diane Woodner and Andrea Woodner; Christie’s, London, sale of 27 April 1993, lot 71.  \nRemaining 9 folios: ex-Edmond de Rothschild, Arthur Houghton Jr and Khosrovani Collections.","bibliography":"Canby, S.R., *The Shahnamah pf Shah Tahmasp. The Persian Book of Kings*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \nDickson, M.B., and Welch, S.C., *The Houghton Shahnameh* (2 vols), Cambridge, MA, and London: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \nFalk, T. (ed.), *The Treasures of Islam*, exhibition catalogue, Geneva: Musée Rath, 1985: 68–71, n. 42–4, 46, 49, 50, 53, 57 and 61.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: n. 299–308, pp.262–69.","keywords":["gold","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Paper","Safavid","Shahnamah","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","headings are in riqa‘","Ink","margins heavily sprinkled with gold","text copied in a superior nasta‘liq"]},"50cb0435-f17d-5672-aecf-be44c5bba6ef":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock,\" from the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari","description":"Missing description","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"Boston","dimensions":"31.1cm × 21cm","place_of_production":"Eastern turkey or Syria","obtention":"By 1931, Denman Waldo Ross, Cambridge, MA;  \n1931, gift of Denman Waldo Ross to the MFA.","scriber":"Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri","keywords":["folio","Mamluks","Technical Manuscripts","water"],"materials":["Ink","watercolor and gold on paper"]},"51d89765-459f-5a2f-89bb-b09f35a3e9d2":{"name":"Firman issued by Sultan Abdülmecid for the construction of the Constanţa–Cernavodă railway","description":"The first railway in the European part of the Ottoman Empire was built in Dobruja. Its construction was leased by the Ottoman sultan to the British company \"Danube and Black Sea Railway and Kustendge harbour\". According to the contract signed on 1 September 1857 the company had to build a railway linking the cities Constanţa and Cernavodă and could exploit it for 99 years, after which it became property of the Ottoman Empire. The railway, inaugurated on 4 October 1860, was 66 km long and was destined for freight transportation. After Dobruja was annexed by Romania in 1878, the state bought the railway from the British company (1882). Later, in order to connect it to the Romanian railway system (since Dobruja is separated from the rest of Romania by the Danube) a railway bridge was built across the Danube.","type":"Document","holder":"Romanian Railways Museum","dates":"1857","location":"Bucharest"},"52faeb30-e7d3-51ad-a243-69d0743d824e":{"name":"The *Dala’il al-khayrat* of al-Jazuli","short_description":"The *Dala’il al-khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabi al-mukhtar* – better known by its abbreviated tilte, *Dala’il al-khayrat* – is one of the most popular works of prayer in the Islamic world. It was composed by a natïve of Sus, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli (d. 1645).  \n  \nAs its name suggests, the work consists of numerous prayers for the Prophet, together with his epithets, and a description of his tomb, a diagrammatic depiction of which is found in most North African copies. Ottoman copies of the work, especially those from the 18th century onwards, however, tend to include perspective views of the two Holy Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina, thus diverging from the text of the manuscript.  \n  \nThe style of writing – a clear, Maghribi hand – and the square format of this manuscript place its origin in North Africa. However, the illumination, the inclusion of Mecca, and the original binding, are closer to mainstream Ottoman work, and it is posible that it was copied elsewhere, perhaps in Mecca.","type":"Manuscript; illustrated manuscript; prayer book; *Dala’il al-khayrat*; al-Jazuli; Mecca; Medina","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"Dated Hejira 24 Ramadan 1290 / AD 15 November 1873","location":"London","dimensions":"89 folios; 10 x 12cm","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"North Africa or possibly Mecca","bibliography":"Ben Cheneb, M., “al-Djazuli”, in Bosworth, C.E., van Donzel, E.J., Pearson, H. (eds), *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, vol. 2 (C-G), Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1983: 527–8.  \nPorter, V., (ed.), *Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam*, exhibition catalogue, London: British Museum, 2012: 52–5.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","Ka'ba","manuscript","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion"],"materials":["contemporary leather binding and flap with painted and tooled designs in gold and silver","Gold","Ink","silver and opaque watercolours on paper"]},"5483dab5-d84f-5427-be2a-f5641e4aecc1":{"name":"Monthly revenues deriving from the traffic of boats through the Suez Canal sent by the consul of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Port Said (Egypt) to the Commodities Exchange of Trieste","alternate_name":"*Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez, Mouvement recettes, Septembre 1876.*","description":"Out of the 109 boats that had passed through the Canal in that month, 78 were from Britain, 8 from France, 7 from the Netherlands and the remaining 16 were from Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Denmark and Norway. British ships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to India and to other British colonial possessions.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Trieste","dates":"September 1876","location":"Trieste","author":"Chiara Artico","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"548a0da4-daad-5893-abb1-4453dabee1bc":{"name":"Maulana Shams ad-Din Muhammad ‘Assar at-Tabrizi, *Mihr u Mushtari* (Romantic epic of the friendship of Prince Mihr with the youth Mushtari)","short_description":"Maulana Shams ad-Din Muhammad 'Assar at-Tabrizi (died 784 AH / 1382-83 AD) completed this romantic epic of the friendship of Prince Mihr and the youth Mushtari (*Mihr u Mushtari*) in 778 AH / 1377 AD. This manuscript was acquired for the Austrian National Library in 1677 in Constantinople by Peter Lambeck for 30 gold ducats and 15 kreuzer. It was copied in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Hidayat-Allah in c. 977-88 AH / 1570-80 AD, possibly in Shiraz, Iran. According to the 16th-century Turkish historian Mustafa 'Ali, Hidayat-Allah came from Isfahan and was the pupil of the calligrapher Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Amin from Kashan. Four other manuscripts with miniatures – produced between 1564 and 1584 – are signed by him. Stylistically, the eight full-page paintings can be linked to the artistic output of the city of Shiraz, where the manuscript was likely created between 1570 and 1580. Its dating to the end of the 16th century becomes more certain through closer inspection of the compositions throughout; the stylization of landscape and architectural forms, the colour scheme, and sparse presence of the *taj-i haidari* (Safavid staff turban) that went out of fashion during this period.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 977-88 AH / 1570-80 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"242 x 170 mm (165 x 97mm), ff. I, I*, 435 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: scribe's name mentioned.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there is a destroyed oriental owner's stamp. It was acquired in 1677 by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople for 30 gold ducats and 15 kreuzer. On fol. IIa: 'Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi N. 6'.","provenance":"Possibly Shiraz","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library in the second half of the 17th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 25-28.","scriber":"Shams ad-Din b. Giyath ad-Din al-Hafiz al-Kirmani","binding_desc":"The dark brown leather binding has a flap, and on its front cover displays a central field with gold arabesque decoration of florals and cloud scrolls that are pressed from two matrices, incorporating the central medallion with two pendants. Flanking the shorter edges of the central block, circles and ovals form pseudo-title cartouches with inlays of gold leather filigree on red and blue paper and green silk backgrounds. All around, the frame mouldings are stamped in two shades of gold with rowed, elongated vine medallions. The back cover and the flap are decorated in the same manner. Doublures of lighter-coloured leather are overlaid with a medallion design of gold and brown arabesque filigree fillings against a pink, red, blue paper background, and green silk inlays. Their central panels are decorated with gold cloud band and floral vine ornamentation pressed with matrices. The binding was probably made in late 16th-century Shiraz, Iran.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/baa18848907","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Epic","mi'raj","painting","romance","Safavid"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 14 lines per page."]},"54e60e87-a0d4-5416-b5e8-03ace6751eca":{"name":"Qur’an leaf.","description":"The single large leaf comes from a Qur'an manuscript. It shows 11 lines per page written in a fine *muhaqqaq* script in black ink on thick, well-polished, pale pink paper. The right edge of the leaf is cut. The text runs from *sura al-takwir* (LXXXI), verse 13, on the recto to sura *al-tatfif* (LXXXIII), verse 4, on the verso, which is presented now. Gold rosettes, irregularly decorated with blue dots, indicate the verses. One circular and two ovoid illuminated ornaments in the margin probably contain the words *khamsa* and *'ashra* to mark every fifth and tenth verse. Both recto and verso pages possess a sura heading written in a white *kufic* script. The headings are set in illuminated rectangular panels, which have in the main field a blue ground decorated with gold arabesques. Each of the panels possesses an ovoid gilded medallion extending into the margin. In the upper part of the recto the word *waqf* is written in a cursive script, suggesting that the Qur'an from which the leaf comes was dedicated to a religious organisation.  \nThe *muhaqqaq* script style was used for Mamluk Qur'an manuscripts of the AH 8th and 9th / AD 14th and 15th centuries. This large script has several notable features such as flat, stretched sublinear curves, letters with endings which terminate in sharp points andbreaks between the vertical and horizontal parts of some of the letters. The *muhaqqaq* is a style of script suitable for large format books. The use of coloured paper, especially pink, was popular among Mamluk scriptoriums.","short_description":"On this leaf from a Qur’an the text runs from sura *al-takvir* (LXXXI) to sura *al-tatfif* (LXXXIII). Both sides have a sura heading. Gold rosettes indicate the verses, with illuminated ornaments in the margin. The Qur’an from which the leaf comes probably belonged to a religious organisation.","type":"Qur'an, leaf, paper, manuscript","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","dates":"Hegira 8th–9th centuries / AD 14th–15th centuries.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 44.8 cm, width 33.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the style of script and the kind of illumination.","method_for_provenance":"From the style of script and the kind of illumination.","provenance":"Probably Egypt.","obtention":"Bequest from the Békésy collection.","bibliography":"James, D., *Qur'ans and Bindings from the Chester Beatty Library: A Facsimile Exhibition*, Dublin, 1980.  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988.  \nJames, D., *The Master Scribes: Qur'ans of the 11th to 14th centuries AD.* The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Vol. II, London, 1992.  \nLings, M. and Safadi, Y. H., *The Qur'an*, London, 1976.  \nSafwat, N. F., *The Art of the Pen: Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries.* The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Vol. V, London, 1996.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","Qur'an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["calligraphy.","Ink","Paper"]},"55152a48-4ea9-5d88-b3d1-c71ba5a5a61a":{"name":"*Panj Ganj* (‘Five Treasures’) of Jami","short_description":"The *Panj Ganj* (‘Five Treasures’) is a collection of five poems written by the Persian poet ‘Abd al-Rahman Jami‘ (d. AD 1492). The manuscript was produced in Iran but was not finished until it ended up in India, in the possession of ‘Abd al-Rahim, commander-in-chief of the Mughal army for both Akbar and Jahangir. The specific manner in which the text has been laid out results in three small triangular spaces on each page. ‘Abd al-Rahim’s artists completed the decoration of the manuscript by filling these spaces with decoration, usually figures of animals and birds (several examples from various folios are included here). They also added new, boldly decorated margins to each folio and added a painting on the final, colophon page of the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Calligraphy: Hegira 926 / AD 1520  \nPainting and illumination: Hegira 1015 / AD 1606-07","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"32.4 x 20.7 cm","provenance":"India","keywords":["animal","bird","border decoration","calligraphy","colophon","figural decoration","garden","illumination","miniature painting","monkey","yogi"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"566f599e-0817-50e5-8d87-c71e445f657b":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment was copied in 12th-century Iran or Iraq and its text includes sura 15, 44, 16:1-85, which is penned in monumental and geometric-ornamental angular (*kufic*) script in five lines per page. This is fully vocalised in red and blue with diacritical marks appearing in the form of golden dots. Individual verses are separated by gold rosettes with blue dots containing *kufic* counting letters. The circular medallions in the margins contain the verse count written and ornamented in gold, with a blue frame and ray-like extensions.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"12th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"248 x 190mm (185 x 120mm). ff. I, II*, 36 folios.","place_of_production":"Iran or Iraq","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, the owner's note by Darwish Muhammad Saza'i (or Sazali or Magali?) b. Ahmad Rifaat is visible. A restoration note of the Austrian National Library can be dated to 1931.","obtention":"Purchased from Memel (Vienna) in 1930.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 231-233.","binding_desc":"This black leather flap binding has a differing front and back cover. Both covers contain borders across the edges of the cover as well as a braided band and stylised leafy vine in blind print. However, the front doublures are made of European marbled paper while the back is made of red leather. The binding was probably assembled and restored in Europe in the 20th century from older oriental pieces.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14408525","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","kufic","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink and gold on paper. Calligraphic Persian/Eastern kufic of five lines per page."]},"567ac179-c89c-5f43-a912-af9c71a221ec":{"name":"Collection of Mughal miniatures","short_description":"This album contains 70 miniature paintings realised using the courtly Mughal style, arranged on 66 folios. As the miniatures were composed by different artists they vary greatly in size and execution. It is assumed that these miniatures constituted a part of a large collection of miniatures that Maria Theresia had purchased to decorate the so-called \"Millionenzimmer\" (Millions Room), one of her private reception rooms in Schönbrunn Palace. Most likely, only part of the overall collection was used for the decoration resulting in the remaining miniatures then being gathered into two albums, Min. 44 and this one, Min 64. This thesis is supported by the contemporaneous renovations of the Millions Room, which we know for a fact that Maria Teresia undertook around the 1760's AD, and the arrival of the two albums into the collection of the Imperial Court Library in 1762 AD.  \nThe themes of the miniatures range from intricate courtly portraits and illustrations of Persian epics to classical scenes from Hindu-mythology.","type":"Album","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"10th to 11th century AH / 17th to 18th cenutry AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"530 x 398mm, 70 miniatures on 66 folios","method_for_datation":"The date and origins of the miniatures were establish based on the artistic style of the paintings.","method_for_provenance":"There are many Dutch marginalia throughout the album, mainly providing the titles of miniatures. It is likely that the miniatures in this album came to Amsterdam through the Dutch East India Company, from where they made their way to Vienna.","provenance":"India","obtention":"A written record of the album appears in the card catalogue of the Imperial Court Library in the 19th century. Despite this, there is no information on how the miniatures and the album were obtained initially. It appears to have entered the collection at the same time as a similar album of Mughal miniatures (Min. 44), around 1762 AD.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 256-290.  \nDuda, Dorothea, \"Islamische Buchkunst\" in O. Mazal (ed), *Kultur des Islam: Orientalische Handschriften der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek* , Vienna: Österrichische Nationalbibliothek, 1980: 256-258.  \nIrblich, Eva, \"Das Unternehmen der Konservierung und wissenschaftlichen Bearbeitung der indischen Miniaturen des Millionenzimmers von Schloss Schönbrunn in Wien\" in W. Koschatzky (ed), *Maria Theresia und ihre Zeit*, Salzburg/Vienna: Residenzverlag, 1979: 89-92.  \nHolter, Kurt, \"Die indischen Miniaturen des Millionenzimmers im Schloss Schönbrunn\" in W. Koschatzky (ed), *Maria Theresia und ihre Zeit*, Salzburg/Vienna: Residenzverlag, 1979: 109-111.","binding_desc":"The brown leather binding was done in a classical style. A golden, double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire, is embossed in the centre of both the front and back cover, whilst the spine of the album is embossed with gold ornaments. The binding was expertly crafted in Vienna around 1820 AD.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14450761","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Album","Millions Room"],"materials":["European paper stamped with a watermark by the Dutch paper mill C. et J. Honig.","The album is made of thick","white"]},"577527f6-207f-54b6-8eee-af77d7cc4100":{"name":"Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.6 × 24.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan, Gilan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","peom","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"57952ce7-c1d9-5593-a21a-cd6480d6eec9":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics. The quality of this Qur’an manuscript suggests that it might have been executed for a member of the Imperial household. The radiant opening double-page shows two delicate cartouches with ‘Al Fatiha’ and the beginning of ‘Al Baqara’ set into a majestic framework of gilt floral arabesque cartouches. The main body of the text is executed in finest black naskh, 15 lines to the page, the sura headings written in white riqa' on a solid golden ground. Beyond the gold margins, delicated medallions mark important subdivisions in the text. The last double page shows the end of sura 113 and sura 114 on the right and the dedication page on the left. Both texts are embedded in rectangular panels accentuated with richly gilt and blue ornamentation. Beyond, the entire page is covered with delicate sprays and leaves painted in solid gold.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"580df60c-19a7-5ac3-bbe6-d83553b95b42":{"name":"*Bustan* of Sa'di","short_description":"These folios are from a copy of the *Bustan* (‘Orchard’), a didactic poem consisting of moralizing stories and anecdotes written in the mid thirteenth century by the Persian poet Sa‘di. The manuscript was produced in Iran in 1649 for the ruler of Bukhara, ‘Abd al-Aziz ibn Nasr Muhammad. However, the decorations that fill the margins of almost every page may have been added later. Oddly, they are positioned perpendicular to the text and none appear to relate to the text in any way. Some are scenes of animals (often mythical Chinese creatures) set amongst vegetation, while other are scenes of sensitively rendered people engaged in various activities, such as purchasing goods at a market.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1059 / AD 1649","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"18.7 x 11 cm","provenance":"Uzbekistan, Bukhara","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","Chinese motifs","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","script","Simurgh","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"58119adb-f72f-58c9-af23-ed78c51ccea1":{"name":"*Sita Shies Away from Hanuman, Believing He is Ravana in Disguise*","short_description":"The Great Mughal Akbar was known for his religious tolerance, and he did what he could to give his fellow Muslims insight into Hindu culture. He had holy Hindu scriptures translated into Persian, and he presented the magnificent copy of the *Ramayana* from which this miniature comes to his mother in 1594.","type":"Miniature from a copy of the *Ramayana*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1002 / AD 1594","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"India, Mughal","keywords":["miniature","Mughal","painting","Ramayana"]},"58b704d2-eb03-5537-a131-1e943e19c77a":{"name":"First Small *Shahnama*","short_description":"The poet Firdausi completed the writing of his *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) in AD 1010. It is considered the national epic of Iran and in some sixty-thousand verses relates the tales of the heroes and kings of Iran, from the dawn of time until the Islamic conquest of the country in the mid seventh century. These folios belong to one of three manuscripts known collectively as the Small *Shahnama*s. None are dated, but they are generally thought to have been produced in about AD 1300, making them the earliest illustrated *Shahnama* manuscripts in existence. (Three thirteenth-century, unillustrated *Shahnama*s also exist.) There are, however, earlier objects (mainly ceramics) decorated with scenes from the various stories that make up the *Shahnama*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 700 / AD 1300","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"19 x 13.2 cm","provenance":"Iran or Iraq","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"5936c4f1-e821-5646-a430-d424ed9b426e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Landhaur, the son of the king of Ceylon, is abducted in his sleep by a demon","short_description":"Landhaur (King of the Sun), is one of the legendary rulers of distant lands in the history of Hamza. First opponent, he converted to Islam and becomes a courageous comrade of Hamza. The episode shown here is not handed over textually.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200232","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel","keywords":["Hamzanama","Landhaur","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"5afb9d0a-a173-5509-83ce-e5ce7f4da179":{"name":"Page from a manuscript on horsemanship.","description":"A page from a manuscript on horsemanship, written in the *naskhi* script in black ink. The main titles indicating the subject matter are written in red. On this page the sub-title reads: 'the section on how to break the pole and avoid it'. At the top of the page, three Mamluk horsemen are portrayed, two of which are engaged in combat with poles. Each of them is wearing a knee-length tunic and a skull-cap, known in historical sources as *a zomt.* The third man is wearing a turban and a longer garment with narrow sleeves. He leans on the stick in a stance that suggests that he is observing the contenders and is possibly their trainer. The men's clothing has been painted in red, black and violet, appearing to be patterned with coloured threads, going in different directions in a haphazard fashion. This illustration clearly reflects the distinguishing features of the Arab school of painting that was widespread from the AH 9th / 15th century in the area encompassing Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and North Africa. The school was, however, differentiated by specific local characteristics in each region, although collectively it did reflect some general trends, the most important of which were: the small number of people depicted; the lack of a pictorial frame or background; the use of vivid colours; the absence of realism; a lack of regard to the fundamentals of perspective and the third dimension; an emphasis on the depiction of animals, especially horses. The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo has acquired three pages from this manuscript.  \nThe whereabouts of the remaining pages may suggest that the dealer of antiquities, Isa Ma'aluf, who had the manuscript in his possession until the year 1928 set about selling the book by the page to a number of countries. The manuscript was originally made up of 184 pages and contained 16 drawings depicting the mobilisation of armies. It included 46 colour illustrations to elucidate the subject matter. Unfortunately, the name of this manuscript and its author are unknown since the first and the last pages are lost. The manuscript contains a number of sections on the arts of war and horsemanship including: horsemanship and teaching it; drawing a bow; manoeuvres with a sword; knowledge on the different forms of a bow; raising and carrying a lance; manoeuvres with a shield on the ground and on a horse; javelin-throwing and casting a spear and shooting arrows. The manuscript also deals with cannons and gun-powder.","short_description":"The Mamluk period saw a renaissance of all the arts, especially book illustration. Iraqi artisans migrated to Egypt and Syria after the Mogul invasion of Baghdad and revived there the tradition of that art. This illustration from a book on horsemanship is a fine example of the Arab school of painting.","type":"Manuscript, miniature","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 24 cm, width 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"A number of technical terms and words appear in the text of this manuscript which are seen also in the works of historians who were writing about Egypt in the latter half of the Mamluk period. It also appears that the linguistic style, which includes words from the colloquial dialect, resembles that of the historian Ibn Iyas, who died in 930 / 1524.  \nFurthermore, the illustrator was intent on painting the clothing and head coverings of the characters in costumes true to those worn in the Mamluk period, reproducing the colours and styles as described in contemporary literary accounts. Sources also report that the Mamluks used to wear a loose outer garment called a *Kabr* during military training, and a red *zomt* on their heads. It is known that the red *zomt* was confined to the heads of Mamluks from the middle of the 9th / 15th century, by order of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay in the year 841 / 1437. Likewise, Ibn Iyas mentioned in his book, *Bada'i -Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Encounters Through the Ages\\]* that the general public, the peasants, were forbidden to wear the *zomt* on their heads for it was restricted solely to the Mamluks. The *zomt* was usually red in colour and fluffy as seen in the manuscript paintings.","method_for_provenance":"This illustration clearly reflects the distinguishing features of the Arab school of painting that was widespread from the 9th / 15th century in the area encompassing Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and North Africa. The school was, however, differentiated by specific local characteristics in each region and this particular manuscript depicts the Mamluk hierarchy in Egypt some time after the 9th / 15th century.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"This manuscript was bought in 1955 from the antiquities dealer, Asherof.","bibliography":"Al-Pasha, H., et al, *al-Qāhira, tarikhuha, fūnunuha, Āthāruha \\[Cairo: its History, its Arts and its Monuments\\],* Cairo, 1970.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1981.  \nFarghali, Abu H. M., *Al-Taswir al-Islami: Nash'atahu wa mawqif al-Islam minhu wa usuluhu wa madarisuhu \\[Islamic Painting: Its Formation and Islam's Attitude Towards it, its Sources and Schools\\],* Cairo, 1991.  \nHamdi, A., *et al, Ma'rid al-fan al-islāmi fi misr \\[Catalogue of the Islamic Art Exhibition in Egypt\\],* Cairo, 1969.  \nIbn Iyas, Muhammad ibn Ahmad (d. 930 / 1524), *Bada'i Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Encounters Through the Ages\\],* Cairo, 1894.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York, 1997.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["horseman","horsemanship","Illustration","manuscript","Paper","Portrait"],"materials":["Paper with watercolour painting and writing in black and red ink."]},"5b990d35-bcaf-52cf-a880-52eebc5cded0":{"name":"*Zulaikha Seizing the Skirt of Yusuf's Robe* Folio from an album (or manuscript) with ghazals by Sa'adi","short_description":"The miniature on the folio illustrates one of the key episodes of the poem \"Yusuf and Zuleikha\" by Jami. Zuleikha invites Yusuf (pictured with a “flame of the prophet\" around his head) to a magnificent palace where he declares love. However, the virtuous Yusuf tries to escape. Zuleikha catches up to him at the door and grabs the edge of his robe. The man in the golden crown watching the scene from behind the open door on the left is probably the husband of Zulayaha, the Egyptian nobleman. He holds a \"finger of surprise\" at his mouth - a conditional gesture in Persian miniature signifying great astonishment.  \nThe composition and style of the painting follow a famous miniature of AD 1640, attributed to the brush of Muin Musavvir (1617–1702), an outstanding master of the Isfahan painting school.  \nInterestingly, the miniature is painted on a folio from a poetic album (or a manuscript) of the late 16th century, containing poems by Sa’adi Shirazi (1203 / 1210–1291), a great Persian poet.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 17th century (miniature); AD 16th century (calligraphy)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 25cm, Width: 14.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by L. Guzalian (1953, date, origin) and H. Rudyk (2017, origin specified). Sa'adi ghazal identified by N. Vyshnevska (2016).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased in 1940s in Kyiv from a private owner.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nFarhad, M., “The Art of Muʿin Musavvir: A Mirror of His Times,” in Sheyla R. Canby (ed), *Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting*, Bombay: Marg, 1990.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school (?)","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Gold","Ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"5ba1e422-156b-52c9-b178-d1de57501788":{"name":"Piri Reis b. Hajji Mehmed, *Bahriye* (Navigation or Sailing Manual)","short_description":"The important manual on navigation and sailing called “*Bahriye*” was authored by Piri Re’is b. Hajji Mehmed (died 962 AH / 1554–55), an Ottoman navigator and cartographer. This 17th-century copy was penned in large *naskh* script, possibly in Ottoman Istanbul. Piri Re’is, a Turkish captain and later admiral of the Ottoman fleet, is credited with the creation of two famous world maps as well as this sailing manual for the entire Mediterranean. While the latter is relatable to Catalan and Italian *Portolane* and *Isolarii* (Sea Atlases or Naval Manuals, and Island Books respectively), the work of Piri Re’is is considered quite independent and original as it contains detailed descriptions of the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, starting from the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Interestingly, this manuscript is a late copy of his first version of 1521, while a separate second version, which included a longer and more detailed text, was made five years later and was dedicated to Suleyman the Magnificent. The earlier text consists of 132 chapters with descriptive texts of historical, geographical, and navigational content. Moreover, this copy contains 133 half– to full-page map sketches that accompany the text, of which most feature a black compass rose in the centre. Like the other more than 20 surviving copies, it likely served primarily practical purposes. In contrast, the second version of the text is extant in about ten surviving copies which reflect a representative courtly quality both in their elaborate calligraphy and illustration. This suggests that these manuals were rather intended for the education of the nobility. It has been postulated that the Vienna copy, with its schematic, rather inconsistently oriented sketches that sometimes even extend into the text block, was produced by sailors or members of the Ottoman Navy in the arsenal or in cartographic workshops. The map sketches show port cities and fortresses identified by toponyms and other representational details added in bright colours. These representations seem to follow a fixed compositional formula with stylised landscape depictions. Small offshore islands or reefs, for example, are usually highlighted in red. Judging from the illustrations, this manual is stylistically comparable to the copy kept in the University Library of Bologna (MS 3613, dated 977 AH / 1569 AD), and it has been argued that the Vienna manuscript may be a copy of the Bologna manuscript from the second half of the 17th-century. The owners’ notes and stamps on fol. 1a reveal that the manual was part of the collections of a certain Zeynül'Abidin Evliyazade as well as of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Possibly 17th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"316x220mm (250x155mm), ff. III, II*, 172 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Istanbul","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, the owner's notes and stamps of a Zeynül 'Abidin Evliyazade and of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (dated 1223 AH/1808 AD) are visible.","obtention":"Purchased from Hammer-Purgstall in 1832.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 232-242.","binding_desc":"The light brown half-leather binding features the title as well as additional ornaments in gold print on the spine. It consists of European marbled paper over boards, which suggest that it was likely made in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14393579","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Cartography","geography","island","manual","Map","naskh","navigation","sailing"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Large calligraphic naskh of 19 lines per page."]},"5c13cdb4-c7e6-5dcb-af04-c009378b92a9":{"name":"List of 49 men, women and children from the district of Chiavari (on the Italian cost, near Genoa) who were kept as slaves in Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers, in March 1816","description":"In 1771, Tunisian corsairs had kidnapped in this very district Gian Battista Raffo, a watchmaker who later fathered Giuseppe Raffo (1795-1862) who in turn served for several years as Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Genoa","dates":"23 March 1816","location":"Genoa","author":"Alfonso Assini","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"5c505fce-a478-511a-be3a-4ccea6c65fe1":{"name":"An illustrated copy of the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi","short_description":"This copy of Firdawsi’s epic is richly illustrated with 62 paintings, most extending well beyond the rulings. Stylistically, the paintings are the work of at least four artists, but only three of them are signed by Kazim Quli, who is otherwise unrecorded.  \nAccording to the colophon on folio 541a, the copying of the text was completed on 14 September 1602. No patron is mentioned, but a note on folio 1a, written by the Mughal emperor Jahangir, mentions that the manuscript entered the Mughal royal library on 21 March 1609. The manuscript remained there until at least 25 April 1686, as attested by a number of inspection and transfer notes on folios 1a and 541b, written by librarians during the reigns of emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Awrangzeb. A note on folio 1a, accompanied by the names of 3 witnesses, mentions that the manuscript was in Shikarpur on 10 September 1739, when it was given to a certain Haji ‘Abbas who was to hand it over to Sardar Mir Afdal Khan in Qandahar.","type":"Manuscript; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Friday, 27 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1011 / AD 14 September 1602","location":"London","dimensions":"541 folios, 35 x 23.8cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon and the notes written by Mughal emperors and officials within the Mughal royal library.","provenance":"Iran, probably Isfahan","obtention":"Formerly Hagop Kevorkian Collection.  \nSotheby’s, London, sale of 3 April 1978, Lot 162.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Iran","manuscript ornamentation","miniature","Paper","Safavid","watercolour"],"materials":["3 are signed by Kazim Quli","62 illustrations","gold and silver","gold and watercolour on paper","in ink","Ink","Opaque watercolour","signed by ‘Alijan ibn Haydar Quli al-Harawi","text in nasta‘liq"]},"5d530e40-18f0-5e71-b689-999b1ed68ae4":{"name":"Medical prescription.","description":"A medical prescription written on paper using a simple *naskhi* script used in daily life. This prescription is attributed to Shams al-Din ibn al-'Afif, one of the most famous physicians practising during the reign of the Mamluk sultan, al-Ashraf Barsbay (r. AH 825–41 / AD 1422–37). The historian Ibn Iyas (d. AH 930 / AD 1524) mentions that al-'Afif was the most eminent doctor in Egypt, and that he was the head of Bimaristan (hospital) of Sultan Qalawun, in Egypt. In addition he was the personal physician to Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay, and also responsible for granting doctors authorisation to practice. It is important to note here, that the afflicted who resided in Egyptian hospitals during the Mamluk period underwent both social and medical care, for they were clothed and paid until their treatment was finished. There were *Awqaf* (Endowments) made out to these hospitals, the proceeds of which defrayed the costs incurred by these institutions.  \nThe prescription itself is describing a treatment for the celiac disease. And although there are some grammatical errors in the writing of the description it is readable as follows:  \n'*Praise be to the one God* ///  \n*A* \\[medicinal\\] *powder known as “Sufuf al-Kifaya” \\[complete in its treatment\\] from the diwan of ///*  \n*ibn al-'Afif, the head of the maristan of Egypt who said: Take /// a quarter cup of Qaraz \\[a pod-like fruit of* Acacia Nilotica*\\], the same \\[measure\\] of aniseed, the same \\[measure\\] of fennel,/// 2 ounces of Kirmani cumin, … an ounce of mahagony wood, /// an ounce of seed of clover dodder, an ounce of wormwood from al-Sham \\[Syria\\] and two ounces of almonds./// Roast the qaraz and fennel and grind and crush the remaining components. /// Put hem together and add 3 ounces of water of the sand \\[al-ramli\\] radish \\[to the mixture\\] /// and the same measure of the water of green fennel. The leaves /// of two bunches of sweet basil and the leaves of one bunch of mint, 3 ounces of the water of bearberry, /// then the leaves of a fresh chopped-up bunch of sweet myrtle /// and 3 ounces of celery water. /// Mix them together and add to the \\[medicinal\\] powder, then dry the mixture /// and continue this process until it has soaked up all the water. /// Then add a quarter of a ratl \\[a measure, 449.28 g in Egypt today\\] of white sugar /// and take it in the morning and evening. This is good /// for the celiac disease.'*  \nThe latest scientific studies in nutrition indicate that some foods might cause illnesses, which can lead to death. One of these ailments is celiac disease. Those who are afflicted with this disease are not able to absorb wheat protein as a result of a disorder in the function of the intestines. If the sufferer does eat wheat or one of its by-products he or she may develop chronic diarrhoea and weight loss, ending, finally, in death. Doctors during the Mamluk period knew about this illness, and this prescription describes a treatment which modern science arrived at only very recently. Worth contemplating is the variety of herbs and plants that appear on this prescription which have a number of positive effects in the treatment of stomach ailments.","short_description":"This medical prescription describes a cure for a stomach ailment. It is attributed to Ibn al-‘Afif, the most eminent doctor of the Mamluk period and head of the Bimaristan (hospital) of Sultan Qalawun, where patients were provided with free medicine, clothes and an allowance as well as medical care until their treatment was finished","type":"Prescription, medication, paper","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 16 cm, width 10 cm.","method_for_datation":"This prescription is dated in accordance with historical sources with regard to Doctor Ibn al-‘Afif, which mentions that in addition to the above, Ibn al-‘Afif treated Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay during the final days before his death in 841 / 1437 while he was suffering from a malady of the stomach.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance of this object was established based on the fact that the document was uncovered during the course of archaeological excavations in Fustat.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"This document was uncovered during archaeological excavations that took place in 1931 in the city of Fustat.","bibliography":"Ibn Iyas, Muhammad ibn Ahmad (d. 930 / 1524), *Bada'i al-Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Events Through the Ages\\],* Cairo, 1894.  \nIbn Maymun (known as Maimonides), Musa ibn Abd Allah (1135–1204), *Sharh asma' al-'iqar \\[Explanation of the Names of Drugs\\], Cairo, 1940.*  \nMuhammad, Sobhi Eid, *“*Tathkara Tibiyya Nadira Min 'Asr Barsbay \\[A Rare Medical Prescription From The Time of Barsbay\\]” *in Majala Dirasat Athariyya \\[Journal of Archaeological Studies\\],* Vol.3, Cairo, 1988.  \nSaid, M. H., (ed., with translation), *Al-Biruni's Book on Pharmacy and Materia Medica,* 2 Vols. Karachi, 1973.  \nYusuf, M. M., \"Wa min al-Ghidha' ma Katal \\[And Some Food May Kill\\]*\",* in *Al-Ahram* Newspaper, 22 August 2003.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Disease","ink","medicine","naskhi script","paper."],"materials":["Paper and black ink."]},"5d9c4672-e793-561a-835c-cda69931fe09":{"name":"*Hamsat al-Jami* (Five poems by Jami)","short_description":"This manuscript contains the *Hamsat al-Jami* (\"Five poems of Jami\") from 951 AH / 1544 AD. Maulana Nur ad-Din ʿAbd ar-Rahman was born in 817 AH / 1414 AD in Torbat-e Jam, which is why he is mostly referred to as Jami. During his roughly fifty years as a poet, Jami wrote countless famous works including the collection of poems in this manuscript as well as the *Haft Awrang* (\"Seven Thrones\"). Most of his poetic works are allegories to spirituality and religion, as Jami was a devout scholar of Sufism.  \nAs the name suggests the Hamsat al-Jami contains five poems by the name of Tuhfat al-ahrar (\"Gift of the Free\"), Subhat al-abrar (\"Rosary of the Pious\"), Yusuf u Zulaikha (\"Yusuf and Zulaikha\"), Laila wa Magnun (\"Layla and Majnun\"), and Iskandar-nama (\"History of Alexander the Great\").","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"5th of Muharram 951 AH / 29th of March 1544 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"280 x 190mm (182 x 110mm), 239 folios","method_for_datation":"The colophon (fol. 30a) indicates that the copying of the text was completed on the 5th of Muharram 951 AH / 29th of March 1544 AD.","method_for_provenance":"Duda compared the illustrations in the manuscript with other miniature paintings and came to the conclusion that the manuscript most likely originated from Bukhara. This hypothesis is based on the stylistic attributes of the illustrations which closely align with those known to have been produced by the Bukhara school of miniature painting.","provenance":"Most likely Bukhara","obtention":"There is a stamp of a previous owner that dates back to 1080 AH / 1669 AD. Due to the poor conditions of this stamp, the owner’s name could only partially be deciphered by Duda. Based on an older shelf mark, she suggests that the manuscript has been in Vienna since the 18th century. Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall first mentions the manuscript being in Vienna in 1811 and was most likely bought by him for the Imperial Court Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 22-25.  \nFlügel, Gustav, *Die arabischen, persischen und türkischen Handschriften der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hofbibliothek zu Wien*, vol. 1, Vienna: Verlag der K. K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1865: 565-567.","scriber":"Mahmud b. Mirak ad-Dargazini","binding_desc":"The black lacquer binding on this manuscript closes with a flap. On the spine of the flap there are verses written in gold starting with the words \"in hamsa\", therefore relating directly to the text of the manuscript. Because of this relation between the text and the binding it can safely be assumed that the binding was manufactured explicitly for this manuscript.  \nThe binding is decorated with floral motifs and golden ornamental medallions. The doublures of the manuscript are made out of brown leather and decorated with blue medallions.  \nThe binding is rather fragile and parts of the painted lacquer have chipped off.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410982","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Hamsat al-Jami","Jami"],"materials":["12 of which are fully","chapter headings are written in thuluth. The manuscript consists of 239 folios including 13 illustrations","coloured and gold pigment on paper. The text is written in nastaʿliq with four columns each with 17 lines","Ink"]},"5e053a64-1076-5c13-b2f5-a260eeae41de":{"name":"The court of Kayumars  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. A large part of the poem focuses on prehistoric, legendary kings, some of whom ruled for hundreds of years and established man’s knowledge of everything from fire to weaving. According to Firdausi, the very idea of kingship originated with King Kayumars, who ruled for thirty years, overseeing a peaceable kingdom in which men wore leopard-skin robes and wild animals grew tame. In this utopia Kayumars had one secret enemy, the evil Ahriman, whose envy drove him to incite his own son, the Black Div, to murder Siyamak, the son of Kayumars. Before the assassination took place, the angel Surush warned Kayumars of Ahriman’s plot.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1524–1525","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Stuart Cary, *A King’s Book of King’s: The Shah-Nameh of Shah Tahmasp*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972. ISBN: 9780300192650.","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","Guymars","Kayumars","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"5eedbbb5-d4fb-57a8-ae2f-5c2682f16249":{"name":"Document regarding slavery and piracy","description":"This document is written in Arabic on two sheets of parchment. The page on the right dates to 1842 and contains Ahmed Pacha Bey's correspondence regarding the end of the slave markets, whilst the page on the left dates to 1846 and deals with the abolition of the slave trade.  Length: 30 cm. Width: 40 cm.","type":"Historic manuscript; document","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"1863","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"5ff60937-5e79-50fd-9f4b-b979480be0f5":{"name":"*A Youth with a Lion* Folio from an album","short_description":"The depicted scene takes place in a garden of a Persian Shah or a lord. Only the upper elite of Iranian society could afford keeping large predatory felines in their gardens. The young man's headdress fits the AD mid-17th century Safavid fashion.  \nThe author of the painting is Afzal al-Husayni (also named Mir Afzal Tuni, Afzal), a younger contemporary and follower of Reza Abbasi. Known primarily as the master of erotic drawing, Afzal preferred to depict the leisure of the Persian aristocracy: young men or love scenes in the garden. In addition to the artistic manner, the author is also indicated by an inscription in the bottom right of the folio that reads: “He! On the first day of the month of Jumat the Second of year 1056, the drawing of the most humble Afzal al-Husayni was completed”.  \nSince the late 16th century the Iranian miniature has acquired the role of an independent piece of art. The prestige of the artist's work and his creative and economic freedom was growing, and it became much easier to make a living on producing single page works than on illustrating a whole book. Separate paintings as well as calligraphic folios with poems constituted *murakka* albums, reflecting the aesthetic and intellectual demand of wealthy collectors.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 1646","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 16.3cm, Width: 19.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), L. Guzalian (examination, 1953, date specified).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Afzal al-Husayni","calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"6177d6e0-4105-5c92-a2c3-cf308dc051e6":{"name":"\"Alexander Fights a Sea Battle\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"In the episode illustrated, Alexander the Great has ordered the construction of a tall tower surmounted by a revolving mirror in order to battle the pirates menacing the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonists appear as contemporary Indians wearing turbans and tunics, rather than ancient Greeks, and one of the fighters uses a gun, an invention from nearly two millennia after Alexander’s time.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1005-6 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8 cm, width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\"in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89)  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.*. Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, 2001.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446566","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Main support: ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"61c3680d-7e1f-5627-a43b-1ebb99008f0e":{"name":"Folio with two miniatures from Persian translation of 'The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence' by Zakaria Qazwini","short_description":"A folio from Persian translation of a popular cosmography treatise \"The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence\" by Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Qazwini. The book, written in AD 13th century, covers the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history, in a mixture of science and superstition. Both sides of the folio are embellished with miniatures featuring fruit-bearing trees.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 11.5cm, Width: 11.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Berlekamp, Persis, *Wonder, Image, and Cosmos in Medieval Islam*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nNewman, Andrew (ed), *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period*, Leiden: Brill, 2003.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","manuscript","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Paints and ink on paper"]},"61e3f563-8d0b-554f-837e-efc244795bf1":{"name":"Qur’anic illumination.","description":"The right-hand page has the illumination, which is framed inside a gilt rectangle. The central decoration has two concave diamond shapes with a gilt background marked with brown lines framing stylised multi-lobed fleurons. The decoration is surrounded on each side by six triangles containing similar floral motifs. The whole illumination is separated by strips on a white background dotted with brown markings and divided by gilt segments.  \nThe left-hand page contains black *kufic* script. Vowels are marked by red dots and the *hamza* is shown with a green dot, as in the Abi al-Aswad system. The end of the verse is indicated by a triangle of three gilt dots. The end of the fifth verse is marked by a gilt medallion.  \nThe title of the *sura*, with the number of its verses, is indicated on the same line by a gilt *kufic* inscription with brown edges which terminates in a palm-leaf motif pointing towards the left-hand margin.","short_description":"The illumination, in a gold rectangular frame on the right-hand page, has two concave lozenges in its centre, gilded at the bottom and peppered with brown lines.  \nThe left-hand page is written in black *kufic* script with the title of the *sura* and the number of verses given in golden *kufic* script.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"The Qur’an was part of a legacy (*habus*) left to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by Fadhl Mawlat Abi Ayub.","dates":"Hegira 295 / AD 907.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Oblong, 9 cm x 12 cm; 2 pages.","method_for_datation":"The colophon of the Qur'an includes the Act of Mortmain (*Tahbis*) dated 295 / 907.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was copied and left to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by a woman who appears to be Kairouanese. It was probably copied in Kairouan itself which was a great centre of book production at the time.","provenance":"Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, the National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967. In 1983 it went back to Kairouan, to the Centre of the Islamic Arts and Civilisation of Raqqada. It has been displayed at the Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art since 1986.","bibliography":"*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"620147b9-073c-55b0-9874-1ee32624af18":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Two books of this multi-volume Qur'an, of which pages 100 and 101 of book II are shown here, are the only ones kept in the Rabat National Library. On almost square pages, they are both in Maghrebi *kufic* script in brown ink on parchment. Although in the same style, the calligraphy in the two volumes is not the same, suggesting the work of two copyists. However, judging from the thickness of the lines, the roundness in the angles of the letters and the depth of the curves, the two styles belong to the same period and to the same Qur'an. *Kufic* script in the West started to differ from the oriental style in the second half of the AH 3rd / AD 9th century, evolving towards a style known as Maghrebi, which reached maturity two centuries later. This type of writing, which continued to obey Abu al-Aswad's archaic system of vocalisation, has no diacritical marks. Only the short vowels are represented (*fatha*, the letter A ; *damma*, the letter O, red dots over the line), *kasra* (the letter I, red dot under the line), and *shedda* (indicating the duplication of the letter) which today is written like a lower case *w*. The yellow and green round dots denote the vocal attack.  \nIn this Qur'an, the titles of the suras lack any specific decoration. Only small golden rosettes framed by little dots, alternately blue and red, mark the separation between the verses, whereas the big rosettes, delicately adorned, embellish the verses in groups of ten. The written forms found in this specimen could link it to Zirid Qur'ans. Some very regular small punched holes in the upper margin of every page, where the word *habus* appears, prove that this book was brought as a pious offering to a shrine, probably in Fez.","short_description":"This Qur'an transcribed on parchment was offered as a pious gift to a shrine. The square format and the archaic *kufic* script with its rounded angles are characteristic of the Maghrebi calligraphy of the period. The red dots and golden rosettes mark the vowels and the separation of the verses.","type":"Qur'an, parchment, manuscript","holder":"National Library.","initial_owner":"*Habus* or *waqf* endowment.","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th centuries / AD 9th–10th centuries.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 42 cm, length 36 cm.","method_for_datation":"Format and stylistic analysis of the script: archaic *kufic* style, codified for the system of vocalisation devised by Abu al-Aswad ad Du'ali (68 / 688) and adopted in the Muslim world from the 2nd–3rd / 8th–9th centuries. The calligraphy in these two volumes of the Qur'an is similar to the Western variant, known as Maghrebi.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an is thought to be from Fez, as the town was the Idrisid capital and home of the Qarawiyyin university.","provenance":"Fez (?).","bibliography":"Allouche, I. S. and al-Rajrari, A., *Fahras al-makhtoutat al-arabiya al mahfouda fi'al khisana ai-amma bi Ribat al-Fath* (inventory of Arabic manuscripts kept at the General Library of Rabat), 2 volumes (1921–53), Paris, 1958.  \nAl-Rassy, J. et Varichon A., *De l'empire romain aux villes impériales: 6000 ans d'art au Maroc* (catalogue), Paris, 1990.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui, L., *Les bibliothèques du Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc: les trésors du royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, pp.108–9.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.182–3.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001; IAM_TN_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","religious manuscript","religious object"],"materials":["brown ink.","parchment"]},"6204d094-907f-5ef3-b378-936a43e07247":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"These images show events that took place on the Golden Horn on the evening of the third day. In them, we see the sultan seated in a tent on the Arsenal Palace quay surrounded by attendants. Two rafts are floating by. The one at the right, of which we can only see a part but appears to be a platform mounted on a pair of caiques, was donated by Yeğen Mehmed Pasha, Superintendent of the Customs Office. The figures of two rams suspended on gears and pulleys from the roof butt one another. This is following a real raft on which are set two gigantic dummies that face backwards and are dressed in Persian garb. At the front of the raft is a huge wheel of fireworks that one of the pyrotechnicists is causing to revolve. Its supporting frame is surmounted by a fire-spewing bird and rockets hurtle this way and that.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"63a0f023-76ca-5378-a69c-036e6ca9862e":{"name":"*Divan-ı Hafız* by Şemşeddin Muhammed Hafız Şirazi","description":"The miniature depicts a social gathering for entertainment. A servant offers a plate of pomegranates to the individual seated on the carpet in the centre, who is accompanied by a beautiful young boy clapping his hands and reciting a *ghazal* (love poem) to the accompaniment of musicians.","type":"Book","holder":"Konya Mevlana Museum","dates":"AH 958/AD 1560","location":"Konya","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"647040db-954c-553c-b7b9-c7c2901d4516":{"name":"Album of calligraphies including poetry and prophetic traditions (*hadith*)","short_description":"This album contains samples written by one of the most celebrated Turkish calligraphers, Shaikh Hamdullah (d. 1519), who developed the *naskhi* and *thuluth* styles from masters of the past to suit Ottoman taste. These pages, which show control, exactitude, and gentle flow, but also exaggeration of some letters to create a lively rhythmic pattern, demonstrate the calligrapher’s mature phase. The text comes from the hadith, the compilation of the Prophet Muhammad's words and deeds that is an important source for moral and legal guidance in the Islamic tradition. On each page, several lines of a small script (*naskhi*) are framed by one or two lines in a larger script (*thuluth* or *muhaqqaq*) and then pasted onto sheets of marbleized paper, which developed in Turkey and came to be much favored for calligraphic works.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 905 / AD c. 1500","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 32.1cm, W: 23.8cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982  \nCalligrapher: Shaikh Hamdullah ibn Mustafa Dede, (d. 1520)  \nVendor: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA  \nFormer owner: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA (until 1982; sold to MMA)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin, *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington DC: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987: 44ff.  \nDerman, M. Ugur.,*Letters in Gold. Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Collection, Istanbul*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998: 29–30, 46–47.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 292–93, no. 204, ill. 293 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 46–47, no. 7, ill.  \nHaidar, Navina,\"Visual Splendour: Embellished Pages from the Metropolitan Museum 's Collection of Islamic and Indian Manuscripts\", *Arts of Asia*, 42 (2012): 112–13, ill. fig. 9 (colour).  \nRaby, Julian and Tanindi, Zeren, *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century. The Foundation of an Ottoman Court Style*, London: Azimuth editions, 1993: 96–100.  \nRogers, J. M., *Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Collection of Nasser D. Khalili*, London: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva, 1995: 162, 233–35, no. nos. 161, ill. pls. 161, 162.  \nRoxburgh, David J., *The Persian Album, 1400–1600. From Dispersal to Collection*, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2005.  \nSafwat, Nabil F., *The Harmony of Letters*, Kuwait: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1997: 20, 62–63, ill. (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 21, ill. fig. 26 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 40 (1982–1983): 10, ill. (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 123, ill. fig. 93 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, Schimmel, Annemarie, Swietochowski, Marie Lukens and Thackston, Wheeler M., *The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: esp. pp. 23ff. Album making in the Mughal period.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982","keywords":["Arabic inscription","Basmala","binding","calligrapher","calligraphy","craftsmanship","gold","Hadith","ink","inscription","Istanbul","leather","leather binding","manuscript","marbling","nashki","Ottoman","Ottoman Calligraphy","Paper","poetry","Prophet Muhammad","Thuluth","Turkey","watercolor"],"materials":["and gold on paper. Margins: ink","Main support: ink","marbled paper. Binding: leather and gold.","watercolour","watercolour and gold"]},"649d4fc6-efad-5c54-848f-c9739373ad0f":{"name":"*The Elephant Clock*, folio from a *Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by al-Jazari","short_description":"This folio comes from a treatise on fantastic devices invented by the author Isma‘il al-Jazari. His elephant clock was especially intricate: every half hour, the bird on the dome whistled, the man below dropped a ball into the dragon’s mouth, and the driver hit the elephant with his goad. This automaton is reminiscent of the elaborate clocks found on medieval town halls in Europe, which made the passage of time more entertaining through the performance of the moving figures. The folio is a rare survival from Syria, where few such manuscripts from this date are known.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 30cm, W: 19.7cm; Mat: H: 48.9cm, W: 36.2cm; Frame: H: 51.4cm, W: 38.7cm","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif  \nAuthor: Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, 1136–1206  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (by 1932–d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art, New York. The Iranian Institute*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: no. Gallery VII; case 72G, 190.  \nAtil, Esin, *Art of the Arab World*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1975.  \nAtil, Esin, *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981: 255–57.  \nBernus-Taylor, Marthe, *L'Etrange et le Merveilleux en Terres d'Islam. Musée du Louvre 23 avril–23 juillet 2001*, Paris: Musée du Louvre, 2001.  \nCampbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 133, ill. (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 227–335, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 143–45, no. 92, ill. 144 (colour).  \nRoxburgh, David J. (ed), *Turks. A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600*, London, New York: Royal Academy of Arts, 2005.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/2 (Autumn 1978): 4–5, ill. 5 (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 50–51, ill. fig. 35 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Arabic inscription","Clock","Elephant","engineering","gold","ink","Mamluk","manuscript","measuring instrument","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","scientific object","Syria","timekeeping","treatise"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"66dee6a2-095c-5e95-9ab7-3051179223bf":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’).","description":"The work is written in Turkish with large *naskhi* script in black ink on 90 leaves of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper. Within are 55 miniatures depicting subjects in the text, some of them one to a page and some two. On pages 1b–2a two round medallions carry an inscription stating the work's subject and saying that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95). The text is written 37 lines to a page; the titles and chapter headings are gilded. Their illumination features floral compositions with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired motifs (*hatayi-*style), while that of the first two pages' medallions includes large floral motifs (*halkar*\\-style).  \n  \nThe work's dark-green cover is lacquered using a technique known as *Edirnekari*. The outer covers are richly decorated with gold and silver in floral compositions, while the inner covers feature medallions, pendants and corner-pieces. The binding is not original.  \n  \nThe work, which was written by the court panegyrist (*Şehnameci*) Sayyid Loqman Aşuri, consists of two main sections. The first begins with the universe and the signs of the zodiac and continues with stories taken from the Torah, the New Testament, and the Qur'an which tell of the lives of prophets and those who rendered service to the faith. These are illustrated with paintings. The first part ends with genealogical trees of the Prophet Muhammad, the Four Orthodox Caliphs, and the sultans and high officials of Muslim dynasties such as the Umayyads, the 'Abbasids, the early Islamic period, the Ghaznawids, the Ilkhanids, the Seljuqs and the Timurids. The second part opens with Sultan Osman, the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, and goes up to Sultan Murad III, with 12 portraits of Ottoman sultans. It ends with descriptions of the political events of these sultans' reigns.  \n  \nThis work was made for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III, and the quality of its paintings, its binding and its calligraphy make it one of the greatest works of Ottoman art created for a sultan.","short_description":"This manuscript includes stories of the prophets, the birth of Islam and histories of Muslim states. It was written on the order of Sultan Murad III by the historian Sayyid Lokman and illuminated by famous *naqqash* (painters) Molla Kasım and Ustad Osman. It is a unique work of Ottoman art.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, paper, ink, leather binding, lacquered","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira 993 / AD 1583.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 64.7 cm, width 41.3 cm.","method_for_datation":"It is stated on the work that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. 982–1003 / 1574–95) in 993 (1583).","method_for_provenance":"The work was almost certainly written in Istanbul by order of the Sultan.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum in 1915 from the Library of the complex in Aksaray (Istanbul) founded by the wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz ('Abd al-'Aziz) I, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Zübdetü't Tevarih, Sultan III. Murad için Hazırlanan bir Şehname”, P. *Art, Culture, Antique*, 3, 1996, pp.17–37.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, pl. 19A–E; pp.52–6.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.272–5.  \n  \nRenda, G., “New Light on the Painters of the Zubdat at Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul”, *Fourth International Congress of Turkish Art,* University of Provence, 1976, pp.183–207.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Edirnekari technique","gilding","ink","lacquer","painting","Paper","watercolour","zodiac"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","the binding lacquered (Edirnekari technique).","watercolour"]},"66ef3821-0608-5a20-9446-662a31c4e610":{"name":"*Divan-ı* Ali Şir Nevai (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"This copy of Ali Şîr Nevâî's *Divan*, a collection of poems written under his pseudonym, Fânî, is dated Hegira 943 / AD 1536–1537, and is signed by Mir Ali al-Bukhârî. It is written in Chagatai Turkish in *Nastaliq* calligraphy in two columns on papers of various colours with different patterns and *zerefşan* (gold leaf).  \nOn page 1a is a text written in a circular medallion with superscript text. This states that the work was prepared for Abdülazîz Khan, b. Ubeydullah Khan, one of the rulers of the Shaybânî Dynasty, an Islamic dynasty that ruled in Mâverâünnehir, Khârezm and Khorasan. At the top of the same page is the seal of Sultan Mahmud I's foundation, and below it is the seal of Derviş Mustafa Efendi, inspector of Evkaf. On the following facing pages is a scene of entertainment in the countryside. The title page is decorated with floral and geometric motifs. There are a total of eight miniatures in the work.  \nThe binding comprises two covers, the outer of which is leather over cardboard. It is decorated with Chinese clouds and various floral motifs on a gilt ground. The inner cover is made of brown leather, and the backgrounds of borders, corners, and edges of panels are navy blue. These sections with navy blue grounds are decorated with floral motifs obtained by the *kat’ı* (paper cutting) technique.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 943/AD 1536–1537","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"30cm x 17cm","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from the Mahmud I Library on 13 April 1914.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","gilding","Ink","leather binding"]},"6727ef2a-3a08-5d1f-a254-abd5bdf97f5f":{"name":"Isfandiyar’s second exploit: he kills two lions  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Recounting the story of Iran from mythical times through to the arrival of the Muslim Arabs in the mid-7th century AD, the epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) was originally completed in 1010 by the poet Firdausi. These dramatic scenes centering on Isfandiyar, son of King Gushtasp, were included in a 1341 Shahnameh that is now dispersed. The story of Isfandiyar’s exploits recalls the seven trials that the great hero Rustam underwent in his quest to liberate King Kay Kavus from captivity in a much earlier Shahnameh story. Isfandiyar endured his labours en route to rescuing his two sisters, who were captured during the ongoing war between Iran and Turan. Isfandiyar decided to take the shortest but most dangerous route to the Brazen Hold, the Turanian fortress made of brass where his sisters were imprisoned.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"741 AH / 1341","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.3 x 28cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Simpson, Marianna Shreve, “A Reconstruction and Preliminary Account of the 1341 Shahnama, With Some Further Thoughts on Early Shahnama Illustration,” in Robert Hillenbrand (ed), *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars*, London / New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 2000: 217­–47. ISBN: 9781850436591.","keywords":["folio","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper","Ink"]},"672e5d81-e294-5bdc-9691-e88fb689a760":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"The Fatiha *sura* ('the Opening', verses 1 and 2), taken from a Qur'an copied on parchment.  \nThe writing combines the *kufic, naskhi* and the *rayhani* styles. Its identity has still not been well established. The laying out of the cursive script is more rectangular than curved.  \nVowel-points are absent from this writing, but, in keeping with the system developed by al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, there is an abundance of orthographic signs. Vowels are marked in red, *sukun* and *shadda* in blue and *hamza* and *maddah* in brilliant green.  \nStanding out on this page is a strip containing the title and number of verses in the following *sura*, written in gold.  \nThe title is inscribed in a series of superimposed frames in which geometric decoration alternates with floral decoration using the multi-lobed fleuron. Some strips are engraved in gold and all the surrounds are brown. A palm-leaf motif made up of floral arabesques projects towards the edge of the page.  \nAt the top of the page in the right-hand margin there is a geometrically decorated gold and brown lozenge; the corners each have a crown in the same colour and the sides have blue and brown circles on the outer edge.  \nThe central area contains gilded *kufic* script indicating the number of the verses.","short_description":"This page is from a Qur'an copied on vellum. Bands of geometric decoration with the name of the *sura* and the number of verses it contains, in gold, are particularly distinctive. The colophon of the Qur'an mentions the deed of gift by the governess of Prince Badis to the Great Mosque of Kairouan.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"Fatima al-Hadinah, governess to the Zirid prince, Badis.","dates":"Hegira 410 / AD 1020.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 45.5 cm, width 31 cm; 5 lines, 1 folio.","method_for_datation":"The deed of gift clearly mentions that the legacy took place in 410 / 1020.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was copied, illuminated and bound by Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq for Fatima al-Hadinah, the governess of the Zirid prince, Badis. The work was supervised and financed by Durah al-Katibah – 'Durah the lady-scribe', the governess's secretary. The colophon of the Qur'an mentions the deed of gift by Badis's governess to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The deed is authorised by the *qadi* (judge) of Kairouan, Abdullah ibn Hashim.","provenance":"Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, this Qur'an was obtained by the Bardo Museum. In 1986 it was transferred to the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada where it is currently on display.","bibliography":"Lings, M., and Safadi, Y.-H., *The Arts of Islam* (exhibition catalogue), London, 1976, p.30, plate no. 25.  \n*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), Paris, 1982, p.273, plate no. 357.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript","rihani"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"67ae5352-aaad-57a1-9050-4df90cfc07e6":{"name":"*Suz u gudaz* (‘Burning and Melting’)","short_description":"*Suz u gudaz* (‘Burning and Melting’) is a romance, an allegorical poem that tells of the soul’s yearning for God through the story of a Hindu woman who, following the custom known as *sati*, ended her life on her husband’s funeral pyre. The poet Muhammad Riza, known as Naw‘i (d.1619), was born in Khabushan in north-eastern Iran, but later travelled to India where he composed the poem for Prince Daniyal, son of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605). The three paintings shown here depict the worship of fire, the young man telling his father of his beloved, and the two lovers seated in a garden with an attendant standing nearby.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira mid 11th century / AD mid 17th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"24.6 x 14.5 cm","provenance":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_268/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"681543eb-7d4b-5d8f-91c4-bdb708f84dc9":{"name":"Qazwini, Zakariya Ibn-Muhammad al-, Tuhfatu i-Gharaʾib (ʿAjaʾibu i-Mahluqat wa Gharaʾibu i-Mawjudat) (The Gift of Oddities)","short_description":"This manuscript is a Persian copy of Zakariya Ibn-Muhammad al-Qazwini’s (1203-1283) Arabic original “Tuhfatu i-Gharaʾib” (“The Gift of Oddities”) calligraphed by the scribe Pir Husain al-Katib. This copy can be localised in Shiraz and was inspired by the Herati style however it also reflects Turkmen and Safavid styles as well. The date 1492 is mentioned in the colophon and soon after its production, it is likely that it came into the collection of Shah Tahmasp (1514-1576), whose seal can be found within. The manuscript has richly embellished double opening pages situated within a decorative blue and gold colour scheme interspersed with floral scrolls and colourful buds and flowers. There are 204 illustrations scattered across various pages of the manuscript showing constellations, zodiacal signs, celestial symbols, animals, and fantastical creatures, among other depictions. These paintings mostly occupy a small section of the text area, and often protrude into the empty margins that surround the written text. There are occasional colour abrasions in the illustrations, as well as some miniatures having been painted over in the early Safavid period, but they are mostly well-preserved.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH  897 / 1492 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"240 x 170mm (text area 145 x 95mm). ff. I, I*, 310.","place_of_production":"Possibly Shiraz","method_for_provenance":"Seal of Tahmasp I. (1514–1576). This object is presumably from the collection of Jakob von Wallenburg (d. 1806). It was also part of the collection of Graf Wenceslaus von Rzewuski (d. 1831), after which it entered the collection of Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (d. 1856; his seal is on f. 310b).","provenance":"Possibly Tabriz","obtention":"Entered the Austrian National Library in 1842.","bibliography":"Déroche, François, *Islamic codicology. An introduction to the study of manuscripts in Arabic script (102)*, London: Al-Furqan publications, 2006: 238.  \nDuda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 76–82.  \nFingernagel, Andreas (ed), *Juden, Christen und Muslime. Interkultureller Dialog in alten Schriften. Ausstellungskatalog (Wien, ÖNB, Prunksaal, 7. 5. 2010 bis 7. 11. 2010)*, Vienna: Kremayr & Scheriau, 2010: 219 f., fig. 26.  \nRührdanz, Karin, “Illustrated Persian 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat manuscripts and their function in early modern times”, *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Times. Studies on Iran in the Safavid period* (2003): 33-47.  \nRührdanz, Karin, “Der Text über die Dämonen und seine Illustrationen in 'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat-Handschriften vom 14.-17. Jahrhundert”, in Anna Parzymies (ed), *Studies in Oriental Art in Honour of Professor Tadeusz Majda*, Warsaw: Dialog, 2006: 269-284.","scriber":"Pir Husain al-Katib","binding_desc":"The dark brown leather binding with a renewed green flap was likely produced in early 16th-century Tabriz, and restored in 1921 in Vienna. The front and back cover include a cut-out medallion with corner pieces created as recessed leather inlays with gold relief stamping. From a central rosette, a flower tendril extends upwards and downwards in an S-shape. Within, four symmetrically arranged cranes or herons are depicted in mid-flight. The extensions directly above and below attached to the central medallion include a seated hare. The spine, which has been renewed, has three cartouches with gold-stamped leather inlay, showing floral tendrils ending in animal heads. The leather doublures also show a cut-out medallion design containing delicate arabesque leather filigree on a blue ground, with golden contour lines.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14413879","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Creation","illumination","miniature","nasta’liq","wonders"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in 16 lines per page. Thuluth headings in blue","red and gold (Persian)."]},"68ecd47c-38f6-579b-9162-d8283100397d":{"name":"*Siyer-i Nebi* (‘Biography of the Prophet’).","description":"The work is written in Turkish on delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper using 13 lines per page of large *naskhi* script. The text is written within gilded margins in black ink; proper names are written in red ink. The areas between the lines of text are filled with gilding whose edges are traced in black. The six-volume *Siyer-i Nebi* or 'Biography of the Prophet' tells of the life of the Prophet Muhammad and of the history of Islam up until his death. The volume in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is a copy of the fourth volume and has 545 folios. A total of 193 miniatures depict the subjects within. The first page, an illuminated title page, is decorated with gilding. On those pages with miniatures, the painting is situated between the top and bottom two lines of text. The volume's brown leather binding is adorned with an oval medallion with palmette pendants and corner-pieces.  \n  \nThe fourth volume begins with the birth of the Prophet's daughter, Fatima, and goes on to describe her marriage to 'Ali; the miracles of Muhammad; the love of Talha and Gamza; tales of heroic Muslim women; the preparation for the battle of Badr and the battle itself; Muhammad's wounding at the battle of Uhud; the death of the Prophet's uncle Hamza; the distribution of the spoils of war; the story of Ka'b and his daughter; and the killing of the Muslims' enemy, Sufyan ibn Khalid.  \n  \n*Siyer-i Nebi* was prepared in six volumes by the palace atelier at the behest of Sultan Murad III in the AH 10th / AD 16th century. Today one volume is lost, while the others are dispersed in libraries around the world. The manuscript in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is a copy (made in the AH 11th- / AD 17th-century) of a manuscript of the fourth volume of *Siyer-i Nebi* in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, (T. 419). The miniatures are stylistically typical of the period.","short_description":"This AH 11th- / AD 17th-century copy of *Siyer-i Nebi*, literally 'Life of the Prophet', has an important place in Ottoman art not only because of subject but also because of its binding, the figurative style of its miniatures, and its architectural compositions.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner is unknown, but a seal belonging to the wife of Sultan Mahmud II, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. AH 1300 /AD 1883; queen mother from AH 1277–92 / AD 1861–76), bearing the date AH 1279 / AD 1862–63, is found on pages 1a and 545a.","dates":"mid hegira 11th century / AD 17th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 38 cm, width 26 cm.","method_for_datation":"The style of the miniatures is characteristic of the 11th / 17th century.","method_for_provenance":"Manuscripts of this quality and cost can only have been made in the palace atelier.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The manuscript was transferred to the Museum in 1334 / 1916 from the library of the complex in Aksaray (Istanbul) founded by the wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz I ('Abd al-'Aziz), Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. AH 1300 /AD 1883; queen mother from AH 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","bibliography":"çığ, K., “Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi'ndeki Minyatürlü Kitapların Kataloğu”, *Şarkiyat Mecmuası*, III (1959), pp.51–90.  \n  \nTanındı, Z., *Siyer-i Nebi. İslam Resim Sanatında Hazreti Muhammed'in Hayatı*, Istanbul 1984, pp.156–9.  \n  \nölçer, N., *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art,* Istanbul, 2002, pp.292–5.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","lacquer","leather (binding) painting","Paper","watercolour"],"materials":["black ink","finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","leather (binding).","watercolour"]},"690ddb14-8419-58b9-8cc0-666d98a20849":{"name":"Abu Mansur Muwaffaq ibn 'Ali al-Harawi, *Kitab al-Abniya 'an haqa'iq ad-adwiya* ('The Book of Fundamentals on the True Nature of Remedies')","short_description":"This is the oldest known surviving Islamic manuscript in the Persian language. It is a copy of the 10th-century writer Abu Mansur Muwaffaq ibn 'Ali al-Harawi’s so-called *Kitab al-Abniya 'an haqa'iq ad-adwiya* (‘The Book of Fundamentals on the True Nature of Remedies’), the content of which he attributes to the Samanid writer Mansur b. Nuh around 350-365 AH / 961-976 AD. According to the colophon, this manuscript was written in monumental calligraphic angular (*kufic*) script by 'Ali b. Ahmad al-Asadi at-Tusi Ash-Shatr in 447 AH / 1055-56 AD, possibly in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. This writer was also a poet who wrote the heroic epic entitled *Garshaspnama*, which was based on the famous ‘Book of Kings’ (*Shahnama*). The copy is dedicated to an *ar-ra'is al-jalil al-amjad* Abu'l-Qasim. In the margins, Turkish glosses from a later time reveal the manuscript’s stay in Turkey after which it can be traced to the inventory of the Austrian National Library in 1811.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"447 AH / 1055-1056 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"190x150mm (135x115mm), ff. II, II*, 219 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Nakhichivan, Azerbaijan","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 447 AH / 1055-1056 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, a dedication to a certain *ar-ra'is al-jalil al-amjad* Abu'l-Qasim was added, while the work itself is attributed to the Samanid writer Mansur b. Nuh (350-365 AH / 961-976 AD). Later Turkish marginal glosses prove the manuscript's stay in Turkey.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library before 1811.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 51-52.","binding_desc":"The brown neo-classical leather binding with gold printing was created in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/111CE4F9","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","kufic","remedy"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic cursive angular script kufic of 13 lines per page."]},"69bdb01a-4161-5c8b-8079-4bbee1cbfb1d":{"name":"*Noah’s Ark*","short_description":"Timur’s son Shah Rukh (r. AH 808-851 / AD 1405-1447) ordered the historian Hafiz-i Abru to write a continuation of Rashid al-Din’s famous history of the world, Jami al-tawarikh. Like the Il-Khanids, the Timurids were concerned with legitimizing their right to rule, and Hafiz-i Abru’s “A Collection of Histories” covers a period that included the time of Shah Rukh himself.  \n  \nThe style of the manuscript’s miniatures is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, but the scene on the stormy sea is quite dramatic, with the fluttering sail, the ark breaking out of the picture frame and the swollen bodies. The animals that are to populate the earth are rendered both humorously and fairly realistically.","type":"Miniature from Hafiz-i Abru’s *Majma' al-tawarikh*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH c. 828 / AD c. 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.3cm × 32.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, 4/10-1936, 2. Session, lot 191.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. no. 23.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat. no. 18.  \n  \nGhiasian, Mohamad Reza, *Lives of the Prophets: the illustrations to Hafiz-i Abru's \"Assembly of Chronicles\"*, Leiden: Brill 2018: cat.no. 2.2, 141.  \n  \nRohr, C., ”Sintflutdarstellungen: ein transkultureller Mythos durch Zeiten und Räume” in G. J. Schenk et al. (ed.), *Mensch - Natur – Katastrophe von Atlantis bis Heute*, Mannheim: Schnell & Steiner, 2014: fig. 4.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Jami al-tawarikh","Noah's Ark","painting"],"materials":["pigments"]},"6a2ad1b6-4e61-5b64-aa4c-e23e31a8188c":{"name":"*Sübhatü'l Ebrar* by Molla Camii","description":"Molla Camii was a poet and scientist of the Naqshbandi order who was born and raised in Samarkand during the Timuri period (1414–1492). He was a highly renowned figure during his lifetime, and was frequently invited by the Ottoman sultans.  \nIn this miniature Prophet Abraham and a fire-worshipping priest are depicted. Prophet Abraham informs the pagan priest that he can invite him to his table only if the priest accepts Islam. The elderly priest, declaring that he would not alter his beliefs for a mere morsel of bread, rises from the table and departs. At this point, a voice from the heavens is heard saying it is unjust to compel an elderly man to leave the table hungry, regardless of his beliefs. Prophet Abraham then realises his error and invites the priest back to the table. The priest, after being invited a subsequent time, becomes a believer upon being told what had happened.  \nIn the miniature, Prophet Abraham's head is haloed and his face is veiled. He points to the food, indicating that the priest should join him.","type":"Book","holder":"Konya Mevlana Museum","dates":"AH 943/AD 1537","location":"Konya","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","Ink","leather binding"]},"6a7f88ad-e38f-5e65-b83b-d07699dcfcd7":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’)","short_description":"Muslims consider the Qur’an the third and final portion of God’s revelation to mankind: it completes, but does not supplant, God’s earlier revelations to the Jews and Christians. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments are therefore also prophets in Islam. This manuscript is a history of the world beginning with Adam and ending with the Ottoman sultans of the sixteenth century. It includes depictions of various prophets common to all three religions (such as Abraham and Ishmael), as well as specifically Islamic prophets (such as Alexander and Khizr). The manuscript ends with a depiction of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), during whose reign the manuscript was produced. Each prophet or sultan is identified by an inscription.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira after 991 / AD 1583","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_414/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","Edirnekari technique","gilding","illumination","Illustration","ink","lacquer","miniature painting","painting","Paper","script","watercolour","zodiac"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6cac4f71-4c6d-5af5-91b7-33d7f396babe":{"name":"*Iyar-i Danish* (‘Touchstone of Wisdom’)","short_description":"The text of *Iyar-i danish* (‘Touchstone of Wisdom’) derives from the collection of Sanskrit animal fables known as Panchatantra and thought to have been compiled sometime before AD 500. Since then, several versions of the fables have appeared, in ancient Pahlavi, Persian and Arabic. The version known as *Iyar-i danish* was compiled at the Mughal court for the emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605). The fables are part of the genre of literature known as ‘mirrors for princes’, consisting of stories intended to instruct rulers in the art of statecraft. Each chapter of the text consists of a frame story dealing with a specific moral. The characters of the frame story then each tell their own stories of behaviour exemplifying the moral in question.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1003–04 / AD 1595","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"19.6 x 12.8 cm","provenance":"India","keywords":["animal","education","fables","fox","Illustration","Kalila wa dimna","lion","literature","manuscript","miniature painting","stories"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6cd1576c-84dc-565e-8f5b-d3d3ed636ea8":{"name":"Al-Hariri, *Maqamat* ('Assemblies')","short_description":"The Arab poet Al-Hariri of Basra, or Abu Muhammad al-Qasim ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Hariri (d. 516 AH / 1122 AD), wrote the *Maqamat al-Hariri* (‘Assemblies of Hariri), which is a collection of fifty stories written in the *Maqama* style of rhymed prose with intervals of poetry. Al-Hariri also extensively utilises Arabic idioms and proverbs. While this style of writing was developed a century earlier, Al-Hariri elevated this genre into a major literary form through this work. In his *Maqamat*, the anecdotes are told by the roguish wanderer and eloquent trickster Abu Zayd to the narrator, al-Harith b. Hammam al-Basri. This copy was written in calligraphic large Mamluk *naskh* script by Abu'l-Fada'il b. Abi Ishaq in 734 AH / 1334 AD. The quality of the manuscript, its courtly title page, and large format suggest that it was created in Cairo, then capital of the Mamluk Sultanate and Caliphate. The sultan who possibly commissioned the manuscript and who may be the one depicted on the dedicatory title page is An-Nasir Muhammad b. Qala'un, who was in power for the third time from 709 AH / 1309-10 AD to 741 AH / 1340-41 AD. The manuscript includes seventy paintings, which must have been completed by a group of artists or a workshop. It is likely that multiple pages are no longer extant. The images that are preserved reflect a Mamluk style of painting, including bright colours on a golden background, more monumentalised scenes, and a reduction to essential elements in expression and composition, especially when compared to the Persian-Seljuk style of Baghdad and Mosul book-painting. The figures’ facial features follow the Turkish-Mongolian ideal of beauty that emerged under the Seljuks in Persia. The essential principle of composition throughout the manuscript is the juxtaposition of individual figures with figural groups, whereby means of deliberate contrast or symmetry are employed. These compositions underline the textual structure of the stories. The manuscript probably entered the Austrian National Library between 1820 and 1840.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"734 AH / 1334 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"373 x 260 mm (c. 260 x 160mm), ff. II, II*, 195 folios.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, a note in the margin with incomplete names.","provenance":"Possibly Cairo","obtention":"Unknown but came into the Austrian National Library between 1820 and 1840.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 20-46.  \nGrabar, Oleg, *The Illustrations of the Maqamat*, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1984.","scriber":"Abu'l-Fada'il b. Abi Ishaq","binding_desc":"The classicist brown leather binding has a double-eagle supralibros printed in gold. On fol. 195b, brownish traces reveal the imprint of the original Mamluk leather binding. The binding dates to the first half of the 19th century and was likely produced in Vienna, Austria.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14421947","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Assembly","Mamluk","Maqamat","painting"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic Mamluk naskh script of 13 lines."]},"6d7f4481-8b0a-58f0-8484-d932e30b3821":{"name":"Cloudy Mountains","type":"Handscroll","holder":"Cleveland Museum of Art","dates":"1130","location":"Cleveland, Ohio","dimensions":"Image: 43.7 x 192.6cm; Overall: 45.5 x 646.8cm","provenance":"China","obtention":"Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1933.220","materials":["Handscroll","ink and color on silk"]},"6e13aca8-8a19-574f-8378-12aea190e022":{"name":"File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway'","description":"This volume contains copies of correspondence between British officials regarding the construction of the Hedjaz \\[Hijaz\\] Railway. The correspondence discusses a number of different aspects of the railway including its route, the progress of its construction and donations made towards its construction by members of the Muslim community in India.  \n  \nA limited amount of the correspondence in the volume is in French, including a copy of a letter sent by Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador in London, to Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary (folio 15).  \n  \nThe volume contains a number of reports and related information about the railway. Of particular interest are the following:  \n  \nA report on the Hejaz Railway by Major Francis Richard Maunsell, dated July 1907 (ff 56-69)  \nA memorandum respecting German influence on the Hejaz Railway by George Ambrose Lloyd, 1906 (ff 95-96)  \nA list of the principal stations on the Hejaz Railway with approximate distances between Damascus and each station (f 100)  \nA map of the Hejaz Railway with list of stations (f 106)  \nA report by Mr Teofani Loiso, Vice-Consul at Mersina, based on information provided to him by his son who was employed as an engineer on the railway (ff 105-107)  \nA report by Herr Otto von Kapp Kohlstein, a German engineer who inspected the Haifa-Damascus branch of the route and worked on the construction of the Damascus-Maan branch (ff 107-109).  \nIn addition, the volume contains cuttings (and translations) of press articles related to several aspects of the railway and its construction. Also included are two maps. The Turkish (Ottoman) language material consists of the second of these two maps.  \n  \nThe volume includes a divider which gives the year that the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in it arranged by year. This divider is placed at the front of the volume.","type":"Written Document","holder":"Qatar National Library","owner":"QNL","initial_owner":"East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department","dates":"1901-1908","location":"Doha","dimensions":"1 volume (242 folios)","place_of_production":"India","provenance":"British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers.","copyright":"Open Government Licence","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000000365.0x0003d1","keywords":["documentation","Hijaz","India","Railway construction"],"materials":["Paper"]},"6eafd8d2-5a3d-5f7f-b16f-0753d6373196":{"name":"Possibly Yusuf b. 'Abdüllatif, *Sübhet al-Akhbar* (The Rosary of World History, Genealogy of Ottoman Personalities)","short_description":"The elaborate genealogy or chain book, titled *Sübhet al-Akhbar* (‘The Rosary of World History’) was likely written by Yusuf b. 'Abdüllatif (died 1545), a court genealogist under Suleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul, around 1094 AH / 1683 AD. Since the historical information in the text dates back to 1678, the manuscript itself must have been created shortly after this period, before the deposition and death of Qara Mustafa Pasha, which occurred at the end of 1683. The text later became part of the library of Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1716 and was ultimately acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1727. Family trees and their graphical representation in the form of linked circular medallions – hence also the classification as a *Silsile-name* – have been an old tradition in Islam since the early 14th century. The literary form of such genealogies referring to ancestors, however, originated under Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. Starting with Adam and Eve, these manuscripts progress from the great biblical prophets and legendary rulers of Iran to the most distinguished Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and Turkish dynasties, and conclude with the contemporaneous rulers of the Ottoman Empire. These types of genealogies were often conceived as scrolls, which are even reflected in book form within this manuscript, as the connecting lines extend downwards in a vertical manner. These family trees are of great cultural and art-historical interest as large quantities of them are in existence, and reveal the manifold artistic source materials that even draw on European models. Moreover, their political objective to legitimise the Ottoman rule based on previous history reveals the self-representation of Ottomans as well as their visual evaluation of specific ancestral figures. As these genealogies are traced back to pagan or biblical times, the names of saints become part of a dynastic claim of legitimacy and historical awareness. From fol. 4b onwards, genealogical trees are depicted in a vertical manner, including inscribed or figuratively painted medallions of various sizes connected by red and blue lines. It is possible that the circular shape of the portraits was derived from ancient to medieval coins and medals with the ruler's portraits. These 102 paintings throughout the text are accompanied by the figures’ names in red script. Moreover, radiating, oblique or upside-down blocks of text – usually a short vita of the person – and inscriptions in smaller black script are added around them. The background is filled with delicate gold floral vine designs. According to the signature on the final painting, they were made by the painter Hüseyin al-Istanbuli. They are executed in a particularly high quality, utilise rich colours, and are modelled delicately. Gold and silver are lavishly used; a hierarchical difference is established by utilising a golden background for the depiction of saints while ruler figures are set within a different context of a landscape. The portraits of the Ottoman sultans follow a typification that had developed since the 16th century and is believed to have been so wide-spread that historically educated people could recognise the rulers based on their most distinctive facial features, their hairstyle, their garments, and their attributes. A comparable yet less elaborate manuscript in Ankara (Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, manuscript K-4) was copied in the same workshop and illuminated by the same painter, with the signature also found on the last portrait of the sultan, with a date of 1094 AH / 1683 AD. The Ottoman court style of this period is characterised by a mixture of European and Ottoman artistic traditions with a detailed realism, plastic modelling, cubic perspective motifs, richness of ornamental elements, and *horror vacui*, contrasted with a bright polychromy, and two-dimensional ornamental compositions.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 1094 AH / 1683 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"300 x 185 mm (202 x 120 mm/255 x 150 mm), ff. II, I*, 17 folios.","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Painter's signature on last miniature.","method_for_provenance":"At the earliest from 1716 in the library of Prince Eugene of Savoy, where it bore the number XXXIII.","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1727.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 27-41.","binding_desc":"The dark brown Morocco leather binding shows a large, stamped medallion in oval shape with two pendants. Along the edges of the cover is a gold interlace band. The binding dates to the last quarter of the 17th century and was likely made in Istanbul, yet it was partially restored at a later point.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14386545","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Adam","Eve","genealogy","medaillon","Mehmet","Muhammad","painting","prophet","Süleyman","sultan","turban","Zahhak"],"materials":["colour and gold on Venetian paper. Calligraphic Turkish naskh script of 19 lines per page.","Ink"]},"6f08705f-4fcd-53b3-897e-4ec99dd97489":{"name":"*Wonders of Creation*","short_description":"Zakariya Qazwini’s extremely popular *‘Aja’ib al-mukhluqat* (‘Wonders of Creation’) was compiled in AD 1270. The text describes various real and imagined marvels of the universe, exploring the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history. His text, originally written in Arabic, was later translated into both Persian and Turkish. Most copies are heavily illustrated. This particular copy includes more than 500 illustrations, including depictions of a peacock, the monkeys and other fauna of the island of Java, the *Shadadar*, a unicorn with a musical horn and an anatomical diagram of a pregnant woman. The manuscript opens with a fine illuminated double-page frontispiece.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 952 / AD 1545","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"31.9 x 18.9 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","keywords":["anatomy","astrology","astronomy","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","science","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6fd22e74-7aec-530f-aa12-acba198db8f8":{"name":"*Siyar-i Nabi* (‘Life of the Prophet’)","short_description":"In Cairo, in the late fourteenth-century, al-Darir wrote a *siyar-i nabi* (life of the prophet). Earlier such texts had been written, but al-Darir’s was the first to be written in Turkish, the language of the ruling Mamluk dynasty of Egypt. Some two hundred years later, in Istanbul, the Ottoman sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), commissioned a six-volume copy of al-Darir’s text. These illustrations are from the fourth volume of that manuscript, the volume dealing with the battles of Badr (AD 624) and Uhud (AD 625). The illustrations are the work of several individuals and are generally executed in a simple and direct style.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1003 / AD 1594–95","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"37.4 x 27 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","keywords":["calligraphy","camel","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","tent"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"706091ba-1c94-588c-882c-871fe5fdaca3":{"name":"Miniature 'Mi'raj (the Miraculous Ascension) of Prophet Muhammad'","short_description":"Mi'raj is the scene of the Ascension of the Great Prophet Muhammad to Heaven to the throne of Allah. The iconography of the scene has become established in the Iranian painting tradition since the late AD 15th century. The composition of Mi'raj, together with the poetic dedication of God and His Prophet, traditionally opened manuscripts of historical, biographical and poetic works of classical Persian literature. In the centre of the scene we see Prophet Muhammad riding the fantastic animal Boraq, a mare with a woman’s head. Muhammad is traditionally depicted with a large flaming halo around his head. His face is covered by a veil, probably added to the picture later. In front of the Prophet, we see the Archangel Jabriel showing the way. Above the Archangel there is a lion, the heavenly personification of Ali, the first righteous Imam of the Shiites. Angels with gifts fly around the Prophet. Between the figures against the blue sky, golden \"Chinese\" clouds abound. The miniature subject combines two important Islamic legends. The Qur'anic Al-Isra (Night Journey, Surah 17) recounts the Prophet's magical night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Mi'raj (Staircase), narrated in hadiths, is the story of Muhammad's miraculous ascent to Heaven to the throne of God.","type":"Miniature; Manuscript","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33.5cm, Width: 20.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko presumably in Paris from collectors the Kalebdjian brothers. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali (dir), *Le voyage initiatique en terre d'Islam: Ascensions célestes et itinéraires spirituels*, Louvain: Cerf, 1996.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nGruber, Christiane and Colby, Frederick (eds), *The Prophet’s Ascension: Cross-Cultural Encounters with the Islamic Mi‘raj Tales*, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","mi'raj","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"70d82e89-b0df-5268-a49f-ceb3a92a2ba4":{"name":"Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, *'Aga'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-maujudat* ('The Wonders of Creation and the Marvels of Creation')","short_description":"Abu Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (600-682 AH / 1203-1283 AD) wrote the famous treatise ‘The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation’ (*'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat*). According to the colophon, this copy was written in 1174 AH / 1761 AD by al- Hajji 'Ali, one of the freedmen of 'Abdalhaiy Auda Pasha and likely created in Ottoman-dynasty Cairo, Egypt. As the owners’ stamp indicates, the manuscript later belonged to Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, and was acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1842. In the early 19th century, the manuscript and binding were probably supplemented and restored, yet their original look has been preserved. Its contemporaneous leather binding exhibits Ottoman-style decoration, while its 455 paintings of various sizes and shapes seen throughout the manuscript. They seem to have been created to mimic medieval models of painting, which were not fully understood, or perhaps just poorly preserved. Interestingly, the images are in stark contrast with the neat Egyptian writing style in *naskh* script. The flat painting style throughout includes raw outlines and bright colours, all of which give the paintings a dramatic and, at times, comic expression that may be comparable to later Coptic painting.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1174 AH / 1761 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"309x212mm (215x125mm), ff. I, I*, 312 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Cairo","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1174 AH / 1761 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 312b, an owner's stamp by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall dated to 1223 AH / 1808 AD is visible.","obtention":"Acquired  in 1842 from Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 111-116.","scriber":"al-Hajji 'Ali","binding_desc":"The brown leather binding features gilt inlays of thin light-brown leather, which are stamped with floral motifs in the Ottoman style. The binding consists of a flap that has a recessed pointed medallion with pendants at its centre. Hand-painted cord or interlace motifs are visible on the overall frame, and immediately inside this frame are small, stamped floral details. The binding was likely produced in 18th-century Cairo, Egypt.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14424052","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Creation","naskh","Qazwin","wonders"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 23 lines per page."]},"71082c7e-eac1-551e-a256-81448d398bf5":{"name":"*Jihannuma* (View of the world)","short_description":"Katip Celebi went down in history as a gifted polymath. Born as Mustafa ibn 'Abd Allah in Istanbul in 1017 AH / 1609 AD, he started his studies in Arabic calligraphy and grammar when he was a mere six years old. He was said to be an exceptional writer, which later on earned him the name Katip Celebi, literally translating to \"Learned Scribe\". His passion for learning made him interested in various fields of study including lexicology, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, medicine, geography, astronomy, genealogy, history and chronicling. In addition to writing books and treatises in Turkish, Arabic and Persian, Katip Celebi also translated texts from French and Latin.  \nThis particular manuscript is a rarity for two main reasons, one that it is the first edition of Katip Celebi's famous geographical book *Jihannuma*, and the second being that it contains additional notes for the planned second edition. The presence of these reconsiderations has earnt the manuscript another name, the \"Viennese Concept\", as it clearly documents Katip Celebi's process of revising his own work and assembling a second edition of the *Jihannuma*. Finally, it is important to note that parts of the text were written and annotated by the Learned Scribe himself.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 1058-1064 AH / 1648-1654 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"235 x 165mm (195 x 95mm), 254 folios","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 45a there is \"ex bibliotheca orientali Wenceslai Comitis Rzewuski\" written in ink.","obtention":"After Waclaw Rzewuski's death in 1831 AD, the manuscript was bought from the Viennese antiquarian bookshop Kuppitsch for the Imperial Court Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Die Handschriften in türkischer Sprache, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 110-113.  \nHagen, Gottfried, \"Überzeitlichkeit und Geschichte in Katib Celebis Gihannüma\" *Archivum ottomanicum*, 14 (1995/96), 133-159.  \nTaeschner, Franz, \"Zur Geschichte des Djihannuma\", *Mitteilungen des Seminars für Orientalische Sprachen zu Berlin*, 29 : 2 (1926), 99-111.","scriber":"Katip Celebi, by name Haci Halife","binding_desc":"The manuscript is bound in red-brown leather. The edges of both covers are framed by gilded, ornamental embossing. Both doublures and endpapers of this manuscript are made out of marvellously crafted Ottoman marble paper.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14018433","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Haci Halife","Jihannuma","Katip Celebi"],"materials":["Naskh script of 25 lines per page."]},"718874e8-d67c-57c0-aabc-505af50ed024":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"Al-Takathur *sura* ('The Rivalry', 102: 8) and al-Asr *sura* ('The Time', 103: 1). This page is taken from a Qur'an written in black *kufic* script. The vowels are marked with red diacritic dots and the *hamza* and *shadda* are indicated by green and yellow marks in the style of Abi al-Aswad, the Arab grammarian (d. AH 61 / AD 681). The verses are divided by a gilded green-centred rosette outlined in brown dots. The magnificent title of the *sura* is contained within an ornamental line of *kufic,* terminating in a palm-leaf motif which projects into the margin of the page. This palm-leaf is composed of stylised, gilded leaves and floral arabesques and is illuminated in blue and green with delicate touches of brown. These motifs are part of the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers from the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","short_description":"Written in black *kufic* script, this page contains two Qur'anic quotations (102: 8 and 103: 1). The division of verses is marked by a gold rosette with a green centre. All of the motifs belong to the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers after the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"The Zirid prince, al-Mu‘izz","dates":"Hegira, beginning of the second quarter of the 5th century / AD 9th century.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 32 cm, width 22.5 cm; 5 lines.","method_for_datation":"The Qur'an was given as a legacy (*habus*) by the Zirid prince, al-Mu'izz ibn Badis to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The deed of gift dates from later than the break with Cairo, since it mentions the hatred of the prince for the Fatimids. According to historians this split began in 424 / 1033 and came to an end by 441 / 1050.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was left to the Great Mosque by the reigning Zirid prince. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production, it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Great Mosque of Kairouan.","obtention":"This Qur'an was obtained by the National Library in 1967 after the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, and was transferred in 1983 to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*30 ans au service du patrimoine* (exhibition catalogue), 1986, p.210.  \n*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), 1982, p.247, cat. no. 330.  \n*The Arts of Islam* (exhibition catalogue), 1976, p.20, cat. no. 2.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.221.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript","religious objects"],"materials":["Decorated parchment."]},"71964a69-73f1-55cb-a4b0-08031be5d50e":{"name":"The peace treaty of Bucharest","description":"The peace treaty that ended the Russo-Ottoman war of 1806-1812 was signed by the representatives of Russia and the Ottoman Empire in Bucharest, the capital of Wallachia, on the 28 May 1812. Both Wallachia and Moldavia had been occupied by Russia during the war. According to the third article of the peace treaty the Russian army had to liberate Wallachia and the Moldavian territory on the right side of the Prut River. The fourth article stipulated that Russia annexed the territory situated on the left side of the Prut, which became the new border between the Ottoman and the Russian Empires. The new area incorporated into the Russian Empire was given the name Bessarabia, which had in the past designated southern Moldavia.","type":"Document","holder":"National Museum of Romanian History","dates":"28 May 1812","location":"Bucharest"},"71a4f299-e4d9-536c-9b45-df79ec3e4787":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an","short_description":"The surviving left-hand folio of the double-page frontispiece (folio 1a) is designed as two overlapping circles in a braided frame, each containing part of the verse, letter and diacritical count. This derives from the illumination of early Qur’ans in oblong format and indicates that the transition to vertical format did not immediately bring a radical new layout. The manuscript ends with an illuminated double finispiece in which gold predominates. The pattern, here too, is based on overlapping circles.  \nThe text is copied in *naskhi*, with 20 lines to the page. *Sura* headings are in gold *kufic*, with a marginal gold palmette, which occasionally contains the name of the place where the *sura* was revealed. Individual verses are not marked, but groups of five verses are indicated by an oval and groups of ten by a circle.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *naskhi* script; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"c. AD 1000–1050","location":"London","dimensions":"202 folios; 14 x 11cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Iraq","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992, cat.1, pp.24–7.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.56, p.68.","keywords":["Abbasid","Buyid","gold","ink","Iraq","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","naskh","naskh script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","leather binding is a 19-century German restoration"]},"71b58e2a-590f-5062-b329-444a2fef694c":{"name":"\"How Rustam Found a Spring\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"The two miniatures 69.74.8 and 69.74.9 illustrate the first and second of Rustam's seven ordeals. The first depicts the frequently illustrated scene of Rustam's gallant horse Rakhsh killing a lion while the hero sleeps. The subject of the second miniature is, on the other hand, rarely depicted. Rustam and Rakhsh nearly die of heat and thirst in the desert before, with the help of divine providence, they find a spring. Rustam bathes and grooms his faithful steed by the water's edge, as seen here. The painter is very sympathetic to the closeness between the hero and his trustworthy Rakhsh.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Textile Museum, Washington (until 1969)","dates":"AH ca.700-730 / AD ca. 1300 - 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Text block: Height: 15.4cm, width: 12.2cm; Painting: Height: 4.5cm, width: 8,5cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Northwestern Iran or Baghdad","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Swietochowski, M., and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions* , 1965–1975 (1975).  \n  \nSimpson, M., \"The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts.\" PhD diss., Garland Publishing, Inc., 1979.  \n  \nDiggard, J.-P., *Chevaux et cavaliers arabes dans les arts d'Orient et d'Occident* , Paris: Gallimard Institut du monde arabe, 2002.  \n  \nKelly, E., \"A Study of Islamic Metalwork.\" In *Zoomorphic Incense Burners of Medieval Khurasan.*, Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452048","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"72310d27-d35b-55e1-9286-57585ac375e7":{"name":"*Silsila-nama* (‘Genealogy’)","short_description":"These folios belong to one of a small group of manuscripts produced in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, probably in Baghdad, for Ottoman Turkish patrons. These manuscripts are generally classed as genealogies (though they in fact do not function strictly as such) and are known by the name *silsila-nama*. They usually begin with an account of the Prophet Muhammad, followed by a history of the world from Adam to the reigning Ottoman sultan, and are illustrated with numerous small, medallion-like portraits of prophets and kings. Each individual depicted is identified by an inscription. The manuscript opens with an illuminated frontispiece.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1006 / AD 1598","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"26 x 16.4 cm","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_423/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"7269ff1c-7668-58a5-a38d-e8ec83dace0c":{"name":"*Zafarnāmah by Sharaf al-Din ʿAli Yazdi* (Timur's Return to Samarkand and the Festive Celebrations in the Garden of Bagh-ı Behesht)","description":"*Zafarnāmah* is a significant historical text from the 15th century that describes Timur's leadership and achievements. Written by Şerafeddin Ali Yezdî (Hegira 858 / AD 1454), the work was commissioned by Timur's grandson, Ibrahim Sultan. As a historical source, *Zafarnāmah* is invaluable for its comprehensive information about Timur's life. The book was compiled using notes taken by Timur's royal scribes and secretaries, indicating that its contents were meticulously selected. Its most significant source is the biography of Timur, *Zafarnāmah*, written by Nizāmeddīn-i Sāmī in 1404. The primary distinction between Şerafeddin's *Zafarnāmah* and Sāmī’s earlier *Zafarnāmah* lies in the novel information presented in Şerafeddin's later version, and the more elaborate embellishments, including miniatures, in Sāmī’s earlier one. 
The later work was inscribed by Hamdullah ibn al-Sheikh Murshid al-Kātib in Hegira 891 / AD 1486–1487, and is written in Persian with black ink in *taliq* calligraphy on fine paper. The work contains ten miniature scenes of rich workmanship, most of which depict Timur. The miniatures generally portray battles, council meetings and festivities that took place during the Timurid period. The first page contains the foundation seal of Hacı Mehmed Aga, the trustee of Teke Sancağı (Antalya region). The following page displays an illumination comprising geometric and floral motifs on blue and gilt backgrounds. The titles of the chapters and some of the prayers are written in gilt, red and blue ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 891 / AD 1486–1487","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"34.5cm x 23cm","place_of_production":"Herat/Afghanistan","obtention":"The object was brought to the Museum from Antalya Müsellim Mosque on 31 March 1916.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","gilding","Ink","leather binding"]},"72ae01c0-55bc-584b-8258-a81263d1edbd":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Emissaries bring news from the provinces of Khaybar and Chin to Anoshirvan","short_description":"\"Sergeants-at-arms hastened off to all parts of the realm and found two ancient bricks, one in Khaybar and one in Chin. They brought the two bricks to Anoshirvan and reported to the emperor of the seven climes. The king summoned the *khwaja* to his retinue and, in his presence, asked the sergeants why the two countries were in ruins. The sergeants reported that in Khaybar there was a guebre named Hisham who did everything he could by way of cruelty and injustice, while in Chin, although the Khaqan was very good, he had a son named Bahram Gur, who was extremely egotistical and unruly. The subjects of those two kingdoms were tormented by the injustice of those two, and on account of them the kingdoms were in ruins.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Emissaries","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"72c0e86c-b1ae-5017-a60e-32986c29c774":{"name":"*Surname-i Hümayun* (‘Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival’).","description":"The *Surname-i Hümayun* ('Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival') is a work dealing with the celebrations held for the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, which lasted for 52 days and 52 nights in AH 990 / AD 1582. It documents, in both word and image, how during the festivities the craft guilds paraded their various products, how a variety of entertainments were organised, how banquets were held and food distributed to the public every day, how the sultan would scatter gold and silver among the people from time to time, how poor children were circumcised and given new clothes, how beggars were made happy, and how people who had been imprisoned for debt were granted their freedom by having their debts paid. For this reason the *Surname* is an important historical source providing for us a record of the AH 10th- / AD 16th-century Ottoman lifestyle; its economy, social life, culture, art and entertainment.  \n  \nThe celebration was held in the Hippodrome, i.e. the 'Horse Square'. The Ibrahim Pasha Palace is depicted here, and the three-storey wooden spectators' gallery erected at one of its corners for the use of palace officials and representatives of foreign governments, is an indispensable element of the scenes in the *Surname*.  \n  \nOne of these scenes represents the parade of the glassmakers' guild. Here the sultan, seated on the enclosed balcony of the audience hall in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace, watches the glassmakers' guild along with the assembled people and the guests sitting in the spectators' gallery. The glassmakers present the glass objects they have made, even showing the stages of glass production and the tools they use with the help of a furnace mounted on a wheeled wagon.  \n  \nAnother painting in the *Surname* shows the procession of architects and engineers with a faithful replica of the Süleymaniye Mosque made of wood and ivory. This picture is noteworthy because it represents Ottoman art in all its splendour, celebrated in both the depiction of the architect Sinan, who was still alive in this period and probably participated in this parade, and, through his most monumental building: the Süleymaniye Mosque.  \n  \nThe celebrations of the circumcision festival are transformed into a painted story through 250 double-page miniatures with compositions generally similar to the two seen here.","short_description":"*Surname* is a magnificent manuscript telling the story of the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, held at the Hippodrome in front of the Ibrahim Pasha Palace in AH 990 / AD 1582. The setting, processions and events are depicted both in writing and in miniatures.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, watercolor, miniature painting","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982-1003 / AD 1574-95).","dates":"Hegira 991–7 / AD 1583–8.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Since some pages of the manuscript are missing, including the colophon, it has been ascertained from the Kepeci Ruus register in the archives (3 Safar 997/1583 no. 250, 37) that it was completed in 997 / 1588.","method_for_provenance":"It is known that this manuscript was prepared by the team of artists in the Topkapi Palace atelier, and that it was therefore produced in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The *Surname* was made for Sultan Murad III in the Topkapi Palace atelier and is still in the palace library.","bibliography":"And, M., *Kırk Gün Kırk Gece*, Istanbul, 1959.  \nAtasoy, N., *Surname-i Hümayun*, Istanbul, 1998.  \nAtasoy, N., “Tarih Konulu Minyatürlerin Usta Nakkaşı Osman”, *Sanat Dünyamız*, 73 (1999), pp.213–21.  \nİpşiroğlu, M.Ş. “Das Hochzeitbuch Murats III”, *Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft*, Bonn, 1960.  \nTansuğ, S. *Şenlikname Düzeni*, Istanbul, 1961.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şebnem Tamcan","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","glass","Ibrahim Pasha Palace","miniature painting","Sinan.","Süleymaniye Mosque"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","leather (binding).","watercolour"]},"74c8d2f0-d499-5753-a385-cea7dbf6cb7a":{"name":"Muhammad Jandarajizada (?), *Muraqqa'* (Album)","short_description":"This *muraqqa‘* (album) was compiled for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (reigned 1574-1595) in Istanbul in 980 AH/1572-73 AD. The term *muraqqa’* (‘patched garment’) refers to the patchwork character of the collection of calligraphy, drawing, and painting in codex-format, which was significant for Safavid and Ottoman cultures as a means of collecting and displaying artworks. Likely created according to a systematic and aesthetic process of selecting materials, the specimens of this album were arranged in a particular order. It includes 18 ornamental pen-and-ink drawings, eight figural pen-and-ink drawings, 16 paintings, eight figural lacquer paintings, eleven pages with paper cutting, and 54 pages with calligraphy as the main motif. These specimens are mounted within perforated boards of variously decorated frames. The introduction to the album names a certain Muhammad Jandarajizada as its artistic compiler, while the scribe’s name is Haidar al-Husaini. The dedication to Sultan Murad III can be found on fol. 2b, and it appears that it was gifted to him at least two years after its completion. A red lacquer seal of Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, the Austrian *internuntius* in Constantinople, on fol. 1a reveals the person who brought the album to Austria as a diplomatic gift for the Austrian emperor, after which it became part of the Austrian National Library in 1833-34.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"980 AH /1572-73 AD+G5","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"333 x 222 mm, 52 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 980 AH / 1572-83 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 2b, dedication to the reigning Sultan Murad Khan ibn Sultan Selim Khan. On fol. 48b, a cut-out and affixed owner's stamp of a so-called Mustafa as-Selaniki with the date 978 AH / 1570-71 AD. On Fol. 1a,  red lacquer seal of Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind incnluding the name Ottenfels and an Arabic motto in Arabic script.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, Austrian Internuntius at Constantinople, donated the album to the Austrian National Library in 1833/34.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 109-160.  \nFroom, Aimée, *A Muraqqa' for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595). Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Mixtus 313*, New York: New York University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2001.","scriber":"Haidar al-Husaini","binding_desc":"The binding with which the album came to the Austrian National Library was one of red morocco with gold-pressed decoration, originating from 18th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387500","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Album","angel","calligraphy","drawing","muraqqa'","painting","Yusuf"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper.","Ink"]},"74f17e3d-8cbd-5078-a0dc-decb3548d54d":{"name":"*Rihlat al-ʿabdari*","description":"A 15th-century manuscript copied in the early 18th century, consisting of one volume of 156 folios, written in the Moroccan calligraphic style known as *Musnad*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Al-Qarawiyyin Library","dates":"Early 18th-century copy of 15th-century original","location":"Fez"},"75805f88-9097-5845-bd37-d89f589785bd":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The text of this Qur’an was copied in a bold *naskhi* script in Cairo, the capital city of the Mamluk dynasty (AD 1250–1517), by the calligrapher Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Ansari al-Khazraji. The manuscript’s fine illumination has been attributed to Muhammad ibn Mubadir, one of the illuminators of the well-known Baybar’s Qur’an, now in the British Library. The central panel of the frontispiece consists of a star-polygon design, typical of Mamluk illumination of the time and a pattern that was also used in the decoration of other media, such as inlaid wooden doors. The patronage of Mamluk sultans and their amirs was focused primarily on Qur’ans and architectural complexes, to which Qur’ans, such as this fine example, were often donated.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 700–710 / AD 1300–10","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"35 x 25 cm","provenance":"Egypt, Cairo","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1457_1/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","kufic","palmette","patronage","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"75ede8fe-76f3-5385-bdc5-f85fce889190":{"name":"Quran","description":"These are two pages from a calligraphic Quran written in maghrebi script, dating to the 18th century, and a good example of the symbiosis between Hispano-Islamic and Ottoman influences. Although the script and the colour of the diacritics are typically maghrebi, the decoration and the frontispiece of the fatiha, which is adorned with floral motifs, shows the clear influence of the Ottoman school, which was itself inspired by Iranian art. The vowels are written in red, the *sukun* and the *shadda* in blue, the *hamza* in yellow or gold and the *hamza al-wasl* in green.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Musée des Arts Islamiques de Kairouan","dates":"19th century","location":"Kairouan","provenance":"Zaouia of Sidi Sahab, Kairouan","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"76bd886e-d945-5f5e-b0b1-071c229a6721":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early AH 8th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.  \n  \nThis folio illustrates elaborate hydraulic clock in the form of a palace gateway.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.8cm × 27.5cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13823/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=8e1195fe-3ca5-462a-9ff4-c563984d6be1&idx=0","keywords":["folio.","Mamluks","Technical Manuscripts","water"],"materials":["Ink","Watercolour and gold on paper"]},"776becd1-b151-59c4-9e46-f120b2d7a354":{"name":"*The Nightmare of Zahhak*. Miniature from the *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"This Safavid folio once belonged to the so-called *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576). It is probably the most luxurious and celebrated Shahnama manuscript ever produced for a royal patron. This painting depicts the tyrant Zahhak as he wakes up terrified from a nightmare announcing his death by the hands of the Iranian hero Faridun. His scream has awakened the entire palace. The *Shahnama*, composed in the AH 5th century / AD early 11th century, remains a nation epic of Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 47.2cm, Width: 32.1cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Presented in 1568 by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman sultan Selim II (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576); Collection of Baron Edmund de Rothschild, 1903–1934; then by descent to Baron Maurice de Rothschild, 1934–1957; Arthur A. Houghton Jr, 1958–1977; Stuart Cary Welch Collection (on loan to Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1983–2007); sold to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Gonnella, Julia, et al., *Museum of Islamic Art: The Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2022.  \n  \nChekhab-Abudaya, Mounia and Tugwell, Julia, *Imperial Threads: Motifs and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2017.  \n  \nSoueif, Ahdaf, *Reflections on Islamic Art*, Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2011.  \n  \nWatson, Oliver, *Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar*, Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2008.","author":"Tara Desjardins","keywords":["court","Iran","Persian","Safavid"],"materials":["calligraphy","Gold","illustration","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"776d0182-9513-5ff2-a690-04f7b572b738":{"name":"*Tughra* (official signature) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66)","short_description":"Ottoman *tughra*s are calligraphic emblems of the sultan's authority and were included in all official documents, including *firman*s (royal decrees), endowment papers, correspondence, and coins. Used by the first Ottoman sultan in 1324, they later developed into a more complex form that was not easily read or copied. This example served as the monogram of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66). Its stylised form is an intricate calligraphic composition comprising the name and titles of the sultan, his father's name, and the phrase “the eternally victorious”. Its bold, gestural line contrasts with the delicate, swirling vine scroll illumination as ornamentation. This *tughra* served as the heading for a long, narrow document in scroll form, the first line of which is preserved in golden script at the bottom of the page.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 962–67 / AD c. 1555–60","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 52.1cm, W: 64.5cm; Mat: L: 63.5cm, W: 76.2cm","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1938  \nVendor: E. Beghian, London  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[E. Beghian, London, until 1938; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Atil, Esin, *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington DC: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987: 41–42, no. 4, ill. pl. 4 (colour).  \nBowie, Theodore Robert, *Islamic Art Across the World. An Exhibition Prepared by Theodore Bowie. Vol. No. 1970/3*, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Art Museum, 1970: no. 26.  \nBurn, Barbara (ed), *Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York/Boston: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993: 83, ill. (colour).  \nCampbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 139, ill. (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.: 78, ill. fig. 45 (b/w).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"Turkish Art of the Muhammadan Period\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 2 (1944): 211, ill. (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 16, 286, 294–95, no. 205, ill. 295 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 128–29, ill. fig. 23 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 48–49, no. 8.  \nde Montebello, Philippe and Howard, Kathleen (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992: 325, ill. fig. 33 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 52–53, ill. fig. 63 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 114–16, ill. fig. 85 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1938","keywords":["Anatolia","calligraphy","court life","craftsmanship","document","firman","floral decoration","floral motifs","floriated","foliated","gold","Istanbul","legal document","letter","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","Ottoman Imperial symbols","Paper","sultan","Turkey"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"77727072-da2f-510c-951d-aa1c5205f9d2":{"name":"Imperial decree of Sultan Abdulhamid II","description":"Imperial decree of Sultan Abdulhamid II announcing that in order to facilitate the construction of the Hejaz Railway, a valuable means of easing pilgrims’ journey to the Hejaz, he has donated one month of his imperial salary, and that contributions are also expected from ministers, state officials, and all Muslims.","type":"Archival Document","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 21 June 1900 / AH 23rd Safar 1318h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 36 cm; width: 23 cm","provenance":"Sublime Porte, Grand Vizier's Office","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","materials":["Paper"]},"78bb25e6-fdd2-5c9d-af72-c30e121b175e":{"name":"Gushtasp puts Isfandiyar in chains  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Isfandiyar, eldest son and crown prince of the legendary Iranian king Gushtasp, was falsely accused of planning to seize his father’s kingdom. Not knowing the truth, his father ordered Isfandiyar chained and imprisoned in a mountain fortress. In a later battle with enemies, the king regretted his act and had Isfandiyar released so that he could provide military assistance. Gushtasp is portrayed here enthroned, wearing a blue robe. Blue was frequently used in Persian painting to signify key figures, particularly kings.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"32.8 x 23.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"7a673124-7bea-543e-8cdf-59c06cdc2216":{"name":"Record of the marriage between the Egyptian governmental official Paul Draneht Bey, aged 55, and the Italian Adele Casati, aged 19, celebrated in Oggebbio (Italy) in 1873","description":"Apparently, Adelaide Casati and her sister Margarita attended the premiere of the Aida in Cairo (24 December 1871). Their father, Filippo, was participating in the performance as a cello player. In Cairo, the two Casati sisters met their future husbands, respectively, Paul Draneht, and the Greek banker, Joannis Sinadino (who acted as witness in the marriage between Paul Draneht and Adelaide Casati). Both men moved to live in Oggebbio, Italy, when Paul Draneht bought a villa there.","type":"Archival document (marriage record)","holder":"State Archives of Verbania","dates":"28 June 1873","location":"Verbania","author":"Massimiliano Cremona","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"7a6f1e1a-ffd8-5d4d-9cce-388c9f25e887":{"name":"Double page from a manuscript of the Qur’an (37:13-23; 73-86)","short_description":"The wealth and piety of late medieval Egypt and Syria saw the endowment of numerous religious complexes, especially mosques, tombs and religious schools (*madrasas*). The ruling elite’s enthusiasm for building was paralleled by the commissioning of a set of Qur’ans for each institution. In the 8th/14th century, single-volume, two-volume and thirty-volume Qur’ans became the standard formats. The marginal ornament on this bifolium designates a rub‘, or one-quarter of a thirtieth of the Qur’an.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"Bifolio, overall: 55.9 x 36.8cm;  \nText block: 24.1 x 16.5cm","method_for_datation":"The Rayhani script, five lines per page, written in black ink with additional marks in red, compares with a fourteenth-century thirty-volume Qur’an donated to a mosque in Cairo by the Mamluk Sultan, Faraj ibn Barquq (Hegira 801-815 / AD 1399-1412), part nine kept in the British Library, London.","method_for_provenance":"The style of the Rayhani script, written five lines per page, relate this bifolium to manuscripts of the Qur’an produced in Mamluk Egypt and Syria.","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","obtention":"Collection of Maan Z. Madina (1926-2013), New York, until 2002 (sold to); LACMA, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo divino: Arte islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Angeles*, Santiago, Chile: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 20.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Qur’an","religious foundations","religious manuscript","rub‘"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"7a8205d2-2d3a-59d3-b4bb-d33dce902734":{"name":"Handwritten poem by Constantinos Kavafis","description":"The poem *The City*, here labelled *Again at the same city* (*Pali stin idia poli*) handwritten by Constantinos Kavafis and dated August","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"1894","location":"Athens","author":"Maria Dimitriadou"},"7afbbf7d-ed60-561b-9e5e-eaee7949f848":{"name":"Alphabet Book","short_description":"Alphabet books such as this are known as *elif-ba cüzü* in Turkish and were usually produced for children learning to read and write. In this case, such a fine example would surely have been for a royal or other high-placed young individual. The twenty-eight individual letters of the Arabic alphabet are spread over the first opening of the book, with each letter set in a small diamond-shaped space. Above the right-hand page is a cartouche inscribed with the words: ‘In the name of God, who is merciful and compassionate. O my Lord God, may my task be easy, free from difficulty and brought to an auspicious conclusion.’ Following pages show how each letter is joined to other letters and then, on the final pages, are prayers in Arabic.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.5 x 16 cm","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["Bookbinding","border decoration","calligraphy","didactic instruments","education","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","school","script","teaching"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"7b456f9b-750b-56db-a86f-8e36eccf0b62":{"name":"*Khusraw Hunting*, folio from *Khusraw and Shirin*","short_description":"This painting from a manuscript of *Khusraw and Shirin* by the poet Hatifi demonstrates the importance of Persian literature in the Ottoman world. The manuscript contains seven paintings, executed in a distinctive style related to western Iranian tradition from the Aq Quyunlu but also borrowing elements from European sources. This scene depicts Khusraw riding on his horse Shabdiz while hunting. A poem on the final page of the manuscript identifies the sole artist of the work, who completed the calligraphy, illumination, gilding, and painting, as Suzi (“the burning one”).","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 904 / AD 1498–99","location":"New York","dimensions":"Entire sheet: L: 24cm, W: 16.4cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul or Amasya, Turkey","obtention":"Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969  \nPoet: Written by Hatifi  \nArtist: Calligraphy and paintings by Suzi  \nVendor: Sotheby's, London  \nFormer owner: Osman Ata'ullah, Turkey  \nFormer owner: Sir Gregory O. Page-Turner, England (until 1827; his sale, March 1827, no. 190)  \nFormer owner: Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet, England (1827–d. 1872)  \nFormer owner: Bibliotheca Phillippica, England (1872–1968; its sale, Sotheby's, London)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin (ed), *Turkish Art*, Washington D.C/New York: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980: 161, ill. fig. 71 (b/w), fol. 22b.  \nBrend, Barbara, *Perspectives on Persian Painting. Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa*, New York: Routledge Curzon, 2003: 153.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 288–89, no. 200, ill. 289 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Reports of the Departments: Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 28/ 2 (1969): 79-81, ill. 79 (b/w), folio 22r.  \nGrube, Ernst J., *Studies in Islamic Painting*, London: Pindar Press, 1995: 460, ill. fig. 11 (b/w).  \nPetsopoulos, Yanni (ed), *Tulips, Arabesques & Turbans. Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire*, New York: Abbeville Press, 1982: no. 195, 199, ill. pl. 195 (colour), folio 22r.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975: 133, ill. (b/w).  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/ 2 (Autumn 1978): 46–47, ill. 46–47 (colour), folios 15r and 22r.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 117, ill. fig. 87 (colour).  \nYoltar-Yildirim, Aysin and Brill, Robert H., \"A 1498–99 Khusraw va Shirin: Turning the Pages of an Ottoman Illustrated Manuscript\", *Muqarnas*, 22 (2005): 96–109, ill. figs. 1–12, folio 1v fig. 4; 2r fig. 5; 2v fig. 6; 15v fig. 8; 22v fig. 9; 32r fig. 10; 49v fig. 11; 67v fig. 12; 78r fig 7 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969","keywords":["Anatolia","Asmaya","binding","Figurative representation","gold","human figure","human representation","hunting scene","Illustration","ink","inscription","Istanbul","Khusrau","leather","leather binding","lion","literature","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","nasta'liq","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","painting","Paper","Persian literature","Shirin","Turkey"],"materials":["and gold on paper","binding: leather","Main support: ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"7bcc1f68-b1fc-5f4e-9ba9-572b00e46c54":{"name":"Qur’anic Manuscript","short_description":"Interlocking circles, often punctuated by circles or dots, are used in conjunction with squares, rectangles, diamonds or triangles to form the basis of intricate geometric patterns. Interlocking circles grace doors and windows, prayer niches and arches as an architectural ornament. Silver and gold jewellery and musical instruments also incorporate patterns based on interlocking circles. With such a broad range of applications, the scale of the patterns varies dramatically. For example, a pattern stamped in gold leaf for the decoration of a Qur’an case necklace can measure as little as few millimetres in diameter, while an identical pattern used in stucco or plaster that serve to adorn the interior of a prayer hall can be exponentially larger.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"2 Jumada al-Ula 1291 AH / June 1874 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 34.6cm, Width: 24.5cm, Weight: 2395.2g","provenance":"Oman","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","scriber":"Suleiman bin Muhammad al-Wa'eli","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Qur'an"],"materials":["Ink on paper"]},"7bd0767f-b448-56ce-8a8e-6180b326ce87":{"name":"\"Alexander is Lowered into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"The Khamsa of the Indian poet Amir Khusrau includes a section on the philosopher-king Alexander the Great, who in Khusrau’s telling of his life led expeditions to China, Russia, and the Western Isles. In this copy of the Khamsa made for the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Alexander is shown being lowered into the sea in a glass diving bell. While underwater, he will receive a visit from an angel who foretells his death.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597–8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 23.82cm, Width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446561","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Main support: ink","watercolour"]},"7bd75a35-d206-5701-b425-b077957ef154":{"name":"Émile Zola. *J'accuse!* … 11-13 January 1898","description":"In 1894, the French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was accused of espionage, found guilty, fired and deported. His family, who were fighting to have him pardoned, won over the famous naturalist writer, Émile Zola. In just a few days, Zola wrote an indictment (\"J'accuse\"), addressed to the President of the French Republic, which was published in *l'Aurore*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1898","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"7c3b1c92-51fd-5856-8367-ca91f32596a9":{"name":"'Mihr in a Bath House in Khwarazm'","description":"Assar Tabrizi, who was active under the Jalayirid sultan Uways and died in c. AH 792 / AD 1390, was inspired by Nizami’s famous romances *Layla wa Majnun* and *Khusraw wa Shirin* when he wrote ‘Mihr and Mushtari.’ It tells the story of the love of Mihr, son of King Shapur, for Mushtari, the vizier’s son.  \n  \nIn Persian mystical poetry, physical love is often a reflection of divine love, and the beauty of the beloved a reflection of God’s beauty. The beloved was just as often a man as a woman, and although love did not have to manifest itself physically, the sexual ambiguity of works like this was enough to awaken displeasure in more morally oriented circles.  \n  \nIn contrast to the story of Khusraw and Shirin, who clearly have a sexual relationship, this does not seem to have been the case between Mihr and Mushtari. In any event, Mihr marries Nahid, the daughter of the Khwarazm shah.  \n  \nThe bathing scene is unusual. The text explains that Mihr, the central seated figure, is having a knot in his long hair combed out","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 947-957 / AD 1540-1550","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 25cm × 20cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz (Iran)","bibliography":"Boghanim, H. and Carayon, A. (eds.), *Parfums d'Orient, Institut du monde arabe*, Paris: Beaux Arts, 2023: cat. 56, 115 and 215.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat.no. 66","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Khusraw","Layla","Majnun","miniature","Shirin","water"],"materials":["pigments"]},"7c87bedb-5773-5c25-8dc4-6634c1e81d26":{"name":"Treaty of Bardo","description":"Also known as the Treaty of Ksar Said, the Treaty of Bardo was signed by the Bey of Tunis and the French government on 12 May 1881. It consisted of two articles which established the French protectorate of Tunisia. The bey was henceforth required to give up all his powers over foreign affairs, defence and administrative reform to the French resident-general.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"12 mai 1881","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"7d3b68dc-71b0-568b-845e-68031bc767d0":{"name":"Inscription of a bridge built on the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway","description":"Inscription of a bridge built on the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway. It serves as a visual representation of authority. This can be used as a related item to Sykes-Picos Agreement map.","type":"Archival Photograph","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 1903 / AH 1320/21 h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 16.5 cm; width: 12 cm","provenance":"Unknown, (Currently in Ottoman Archive Photograph Fond)","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["bridge","Hejaz Railway","inscription","Railway construction","Transportation"],"materials":["Photograph Paper"]},"7dbe5f26-102f-5a9b-a9c9-3dbff17febde":{"name":"\"The Clever Hare with the King of the Elephants at the Spring of the Moon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. *Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript.* Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In *The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna.*, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453119","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"7dc1075a-1325-58f1-b686-f18457946a27":{"name":"Qur΄an bifolium","short_description":"The manuscript has 35 pages with five lines per page, with ruled margins, and gold and red rosettes between the verses. The opening double page is finely decorated in gold, red and blue. The binding is made of brown morocco.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 33 cm","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["calligraphy","leather","manuscript","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Paper foil","pigments"]},"7e967a87-06f8-504f-b353-0258d46e2618":{"name":"*Haft Aurang* of Jami","alternate_name":"'Seven Thrones' of Jami","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 977 / AD c. 1570","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 29.8cm, width: 18.4cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/446552","keywords":["Iran","Jami","Manuscript.","water"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"7e9c43e1-9c01-5ae6-aa4e-69ea000166c4":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"The text is written in verse and prose in six columns in black ink and *taliq* calligraphy on Harar paper. The outer edges of some pages are decorated with the *halkâr* technique, while the chapter titles are illuminated in a style typical of the period. Pages 1b and 2a are entirely covered with miniatures, with the scenes surrounded by illuminated edging. The book contains 32 miniature scenes, each depicting a story from the *Shahnameh* painted in the Timur-school style.  \nThe volume is bound in black leather over cardboard and is of a similar period. Four *salbek*s are at the corners, and in the centre of the white umbrella on the covers. The outer border panels are decorated with a variety of colours in the *kat’ı* technique.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 10th century /AD 16th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"42cm x 18cm","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa Library on 1 March 1914.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","gilding","Ink","leather binding"]},"8267bfa4-2166-51d7-8e12-263939dcfc97":{"name":"Calligraphic Galleon","description":"The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities.","type":"Calligram","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Ciancimino & Co, London, until ca. 1965];[Francesca Galloway, London, until 2003]","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766–67","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 48.3 cm, width: 43.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 2003","bibliography":"Blair, S.S., *Islamic Calligraphy.*, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nLeoni, F., \"Islamic Art and the Supernatural.\" In *Power and Protection.*, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University, 2016.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"The Decorated Word: Writing and Picturing in Islamic Calligraphy.\" in *The Burlington Magazine*, vol. 161 (October 2019).  \n  \nDalal, R., S. Roberts, and J. Sokoly, ed., *The Seas and the Mobility of Islamic Art.*,New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611","materials":["ink and gold on paper"]},"8310ae72-ca15-52e6-8f0c-5560520c46c5":{"name":"Folio from a Qur'an manuscript","short_description":"This folio was once part of a two-volume Qur’an produced during the Nasrid period in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. Although paper had reached the Middle East by the tenth century, it did not become widespread in Islamic Spain and North Africa until much later. Despite its conservative use of parchment, the folio displays many characteristics that differentiate it from earlier Qur’an manuscripts. *Sura* headings in gold *kufic* script stand out in contrast with the distinctive *maghribi* script of the text, and gold medallions serve as ornate verse markers.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira late 7th–early 8th century / AD late 13th–early 14th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 53.5cm, W: 55.9cm","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1942  \nVendor: Mrs. Kamer Aga-Oglu, Ann Arbor, MI  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Mrs. Kamer Aga-Oglu, Ann Arbor, MI, until 1942; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Aanavi, Don, \"Western Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 27/3 (November 1968): 199, ill. (b/w).  \nAli, Wijdan, *The Arab Contribution to Islamic Art : From the Seventh to the Fifteenth Centuries*, Jordan: The Royal Society of Fine Arts, Jordan, 1999: 123, ill. fig. 82 (b/w).  \nBurn, Barbara (ed), *Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York; Boston: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993: 82, ill. (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 61–62, no. 32, ill. 62 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 44–45, ill. pl. 3 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 68, 88–89, no. 20, ill.  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 33/1 (Spring 1975): ill. 15 (b/w).  \nEttinghausen, Richard (ed), *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York*, Berlin: Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, 1981: 122–23, no. 44, ill. 123 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 33, ill. fig. 40 (colour).  \nWalker, Daniel S., Ponce Guadián, Arturo, Babaie, Sussan, Carboni, Stefano, Froom, Aimee, Swietochowski, Marie Lukens, Masuya, Tomoko, Daskalakis-Matthews, Annie Christine, Kahil, Abdallah and Kessler, Rochelle, *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994-Enero de 1995*, Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994: no. 3, 50–51, ill. 51 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 56–57, ill. fig. 41 (colour).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1942","keywords":["calligraphy","foliated","gold","illumination","ink","Islamic Spain","magribi","manuscript","Nasrid","opaque watercolour","Parchment","Qur'an","religious object","Spain","verse markers"],"materials":["and gold on parchment","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"8417a7db-dd62-56ca-887b-404da568f48b":{"name":"\"Design for the Water Clock of the Peacocks\"","alternate_name":"from the Kitab fi ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya (Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices) by Badi' al-Zaman b. al Razzaz al-Jazari","description":"Al-Jazari, the author of this treatise on a variety of practical and fanciful mechanical devices, served at the Artuqid court in Diyar Bakr in the late eleventh to the early twelfth century. Some of the elements of the peacock clock, run by water, are shown in this illustration. In the completed device, the arch containing two peacocks would be surmounted by another containing a peahen that would turn from right to left in the course of a half hour, causing the peacocks to whistle.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Jack S. Rofe, Scotland (until 1929); [Hagop Kevorkian, New York (at least until 1953)]; [ Kevorkian Foundation, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.4 cm, width: 22.1 cm","place_of_production":"Syria or Iraq","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Robinson, B. W., *The Kevorkian Collection: Islamic and Indian Illustrated Manuscripts, Miniature Paintings and Drawings.*, New York, 1953.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"An Exhibit of Islamic and Indian Paintings.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin.*, new series, vol. 14 (December 1955).  \n  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam : Art of the Mamluks.*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.  \n  \nBrinkmann, V., ed. *Machine Room of the Gods : How Our Future was Invented.*, Frankfurt, 2023.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., Deniz Beyazit, and Martina Rugiadi. \"The Great Age of the Seljuqs.\" In Court and Cosmos. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451302","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"8483f56d-4097-5e63-a47a-8a53aa99f289":{"name":"*Hilye*","alternate_name":"Calligraphic composition describing the noble qualities of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)","description":"Despite the steady advance of western-style artworks, traditional Ottoman arts and crafts did not disappear entirely. This hilye or word portrait of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has been rendered on tripartite, foldable cardboard, decorated on the outside with elaborate ebru paper marbling. Its composition follows a layout current since the 11th/17th century when it was devised by the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz Osman (1052-1110 H/1642-1698CE). Traditionally, the hilye presents Hadith recounting the noble physical and spiritual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), often embellished with rich illumination. A large oval cartouche, with the hadith in black naskhi, appears in the centre, surrounded by four roundels naming the four rightly-guided caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Above the cartouche, the Bismillah is written in thuluth style. Below, a verse from the Holy Qur'an (68:4) is followed by the last lines of the hadith, a prayer, the names of the artist and two individuals certifying his work, and the date. All calligraphic elements are set against a stippled gold background enhanced with European-style floral elements.","type":"Oil on board","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1295 / AD 1878","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"84a2af32-23c5-5782-9961-db81e133a30a":{"name":"\"The Hare, the Lion, and the Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453088","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"85493164-1267-5bd7-94a0-ee830d45bd3c":{"name":"Qur´an folio","short_description":"Parchment folio from a manuscript of the Qur´an in *kufic* script (*Sura* 4: verses 170-3).","type":"Religious manuscript","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Maghrib; Tunis; Kairouan","keywords":["calligraphy","kufic script","religious manuscript"]},"8573340c-4d2f-5e03-8ece-8ea167d4279a":{"name":"Diplomatic document with case.","description":"This document is one of more than 120 letters of diplomatic correspondence kept in the Swedish National Archives that testify to Swedish relations with the Ottomans. In 1657, the Swedish King Charles X Gustavus (r. 1654–60) sent Claes Ralamb and Gotthard Vellingk as his envoys to the Sublime Porte to achieve an alliance with the Ottoman Empire. The Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü who wrote this letter, acknowledges the receipt of two letters from the Swedish king and confirms that his envoys have been admitted to the presence of the sultan. He notifies that the Sublime Porte rejects his request to enter into an alliance with the Ottoman Empire because his actions do not correspond to his words. The grand vizier reproaches the king for his alliance with the former Voivode of Transylvania, Georg Rákóczy, and for his attack on Poland against the will of the sultan. In fact, after his accession to the throne, in 1655 Charles X Gustavus declared war against the Polish King Johann Kasimir because he would not allow his succession to the throne. One year later, in 1656, he gained a victory over Poland. However, the sultan took the Swedish attack on Poland as an attack on the Ottoman Empire. Georg II Rákóczy (1615–60), who had achieved sovereignty in Moldavia and Walachia with the aid of Sultan Mehmed IV, likewise reinforced Sweden's war against the sultan's will. In 1657, for that reason he suffered the loss of the Transylvanian throne at the instigation of the Ottomans. Claes Ralamb (1622–98), who stayed in Istanbul from May 1657 until January 1658, was the first Swedish envoy at the Sublime Porte. In these circumstances, his mission had to come to an end without success. According to the inscription in the left corner above, he presented this letter enveloped in the red silk case on 27 May 1658 to Charles X Gustavus in Gothenburg.","short_description":"Letter written by the sultan’s Grand Vizier Mehmet Köprülü to the Swedish King Charles X Gustavus. Claes Ralamb, the first Swedish envoy at the Sublime Porte, asked, on behalf of his king, for an alliance with the Ottoman Empire. The sultan rejected this and Ralamb returned to Sweden without success.","type":"Paper, ink, silk","holder":"Swedish National Archives.","initial_owner":"King Charles X Gustavus (r. 1654–60).","dates":"Hegira 1067–8 / between May AD 1657 and January AD 1658.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 76 cm, width 50 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the date of C. Ralamb's stay in Istanbul. The letter itself is not dated.","method_for_provenance":"This letter was sent by the Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü to King Charles X Gustavus written at an encampment near Edirne as mentioned in the letter.","provenance":"Ottoman encampment near Edirne, Turkey.","obtention":"The object is part of the diplomatic correspondence regularly handed over to the National Archives by the Foreign Ministry.","bibliography":"Björkman, W., “Die Schwedisch-Türkischen Beziehungen bis 1800”, in *Festschrift für Georg Jacob zum 70. Geburtstag*, Leipzig, 1932.  \nZetterstéen, K. V., *Türkische, Tatarische und Persische Urkunden im Schwedischen Reichsarchiv*, 1945, pp.25–6, no. 56.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Diplomatic relations","War"],"materials":["Ink","Paper","silk."]},"85ef64b4-b35e-5591-9865-b764784b8092":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"This volume is one half of a divided manuscript usually referred to as the Collection of Epics. These paintings belong to the half containing the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’), which is today part of the collections of the Chester Beatty Library. The other half of the manuscript, which consists of shorter epics written in imitation of Firdausi’s *Shahnama*, is held by the British Library. None of the illustrations are original to the manuscript but instead were later added to it, probably about ten years after it was first produced.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 800 / AD 1397","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25.8 x 16.8 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","keywords":["arms","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","lion","miniature painting","Rustam","script","warfare"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"869b29bc-51fe-528b-b3a2-1d11954beeb5":{"name":"The Jami‘ al-Mabadi’ wa’l-Ghayat of al-Marrakushi","description":"Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan al-Marrakushi’s treatise, compiled c. 680 AH (AD 1281–2) in Cairo, is the most important written source for medieval Islamic astronomical instruments and includes discussions of sundials, armillary spheres, astrolabes and quadrants for determining time from solar altitude.  \n  \nIt is copied in *naskh* script with 28 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","location":"London","dimensions":"30.8cm x 19.2cm","place_of_production":"Iran or India","method_for_datation":"dated AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","bibliography":"Maddison, F. and Savage-Smith, E., *Science, Tools & Magic. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XII. Part One: Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe, London: The Nour Foundation, 1997: cat. 118, pp. 190-2, 200.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat. 368, p. 311.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["metalwork","Ottomans","water","water-scoop"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","leather binding with flap"]},"86b8321d-1511-5aba-a8cf-ce33f27cf40c":{"name":"\"Khusrau Catches Sight of Shirin Bathing\"","alternate_name":"Folio 50 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"One of the five stories related in Nizami's Khamsa (Five Tales) concerns the love affair between the Iranian king Khusrau and the Armenian princess Shirin. This beautifully-detailed painting captures the moment when Khusrau first catches sight of Shirin, bathing in a stream. While the pond has now tarnished to near black, it was originally painting in shining silver, complementing the golden sky above.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"F. R. Martin (Sweden), Alexander Smith Cochran (NY, USA)","dates":"AH 931 / AD 1524–25","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 32.1cm, Width: 22.2 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913.","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts\", *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8 (1913), 80–86.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446594","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"87879e92-ff30-570b-8cd8-47fd7a42b282":{"name":"Book of the Images of the Fixed Stars of al-Sufi","alternate_name":"Kitab suwar al-kawakib al-thabita of al-Sufi","description":"This book, based on the Almagest of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, concerns the forty‑eight constellations known as the Fixed Stars, which, according to the medieval conception of the universe, inhabited the eighth of the nine spheres surrounding the earth. The constellations each appear twice in mirror image, shown as observed from the earth and from the sky.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Léonce] Alexandre Rosenberg, Paris, until 1913","dates":"AH late 9th century /AD late 15th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 25,8cm, width 18,1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1913","bibliography":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, D. S. Walker, A. P. Guadián, S. Babaie, S. Carboni, A. Froom, M. L. Swietochowski, T. Masuya, A. C. Daskalakis-Matthews, A. Kahli, and R. Kessler. \"Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995.\" In *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York.* , Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994.  \n  \nCarboni, S., *Following the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., and C. Moore, ed. \"A Resource for Educators.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446297","materials":["ink and gold on paper","leather binding"]},"87cd43a9-2f34-5603-8fcc-c5f26dd19789":{"name":"Noble Qur'an Manuscript","short_description":"Literally meaning \"the recitation\", the Noble Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) from Allah verbally through archangel Jibril (Gabriel) over a period of twenty-three years (609–632 AD).  \n  \nThe Qur’an is comprised of 114 *surah*s (chapters) classified into two types, *Makki* and *Madani*, depending on whether their *avat* (verses) were revealed before or after the Hijrah (the Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Madinah). The Qur’an is arranged in 30 *juz* (parts).  \n  \nMuslims regard the Qur'an as proof of Muhammed’s prophethood and the culmination of a series of divine revelations from Adam, the first prophet, and continuing with the Scrolls of Suhuf Ibrahim (Abraham), the Torah or *Tawrat* (Pentateuch) of Moses, the Book of Zabūr (Psalms of David, and the *Injil* (Gospel) of Jesus.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"20th Safar 1332 AH / 17th January 1914 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 31.3cm, Width: 21.5cm, Weight: 1641.7g","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","scriber":"Muhammed bin Udai al-Battashi al-Wardi","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Noble Qur'an"],"materials":["gold leaf and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"8913a2c3-c150-58aa-b350-9e9629da01c2":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"These folios are part of a 201-folio fragment of one of the oldest Qur’ans in existence, a manuscript that is generally accepted as having been produced in the early eighth century, and therefore no more than a century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the eleventh year of the Islamic era (AD 632). The text of the Qur’an is always in Arabic and on these folios it is written in *kufic* script on vellum. Colourful bands of mainly geometrical decoration in a palette consisting primarily of red, blue, green and yellow pigments mark the start of each new *sura* (chapter) of the Qur’an.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 2nd century / AD early 8th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"38 x 47 cm","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and ink on vellum"]},"892929c1-c076-5866-8b6c-b938d759084c":{"name":"La Marche de la Caravane du Grand Caire pour la Mecque","description":"‘The march of the caravan from Cairo to Mecca’ is an illustration (page 130 ) from volume II of Troisième voyage du sieur Paul Lucas, fait en M.DCCXIV, & c. par ordre de Louis XIV dans la Turquie, l’Asie, la Sourie, la Palestine, la Haute et la Basse Egypte, & c., by Paul Lucas. It is the earliest printed European depiction of the mahmal procession.","type":"Illustration","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","owner":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"1719","location":"London","dimensions":"Height:16 cm; Width: 35,7cm","place_of_production":"Printed in Rouen, France","catalogue_holding_link":"https://khalilicollections.org/collections/hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/khalili-collection-hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage-la-marche-de-la-caravane-du-grand-caire-la-mecque-arc-pt171/","materials":["Engraved print"]},"89551a6b-2ae7-52e1-a91e-7ff3b1d265b5":{"name":"Gradual","description":"Some things are made to last forever. One of them is the Gradual from the St. Katharinental Abbey in what is today the canton of Thurgau. The late Gothic hymnal was created in 1312 and was used in the abbey for approximately 500 years. Because it was kept locked away between uses, the Gradual is in excellent condition and the colours of the precious miniatures adorning the pages have lost none of their brilliance. The book was opened only while the nuns sang from it during Mass. They would stand on the choir steps so that they could all read from the book at the same time. The name «Gradual» derives from the Latin word gradus meaning «step». The book is almost half a metre tall to enable all the nuns to read the liturgical chants. This Gradual is one of the most valuable manuscripts in Switzerland. Weighing thirteen kilograms, it is also a true heavyweight of cultural history.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Swiss Confederation, Canton of Thurgau, Gottfried Keller Foundation","dates":"around 1312","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 48.5cm, W: 33.5cm, D: 20cm, Weight: 12.2kg","method_for_datation":"Documents","provenance":"St. Katharinental Abbey in Diessenhofen, Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland","obtention":"Bought 1958 at an auction","bibliography":"[https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/searchresult/list/one/snm/LM026117#details](https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/searchresult/list/one/snm/LM026117#details)","keywords":["Canton of Thurgau","Diessenhofen","Gradual","illuminated","manuscript","Parchment","St. Katharinental Abbey","Switzerland"],"materials":["binding: metal fittings","illuminated","parchment"]},"89a86236-adc3-549a-bfa6-2e0e2a3a3b00":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"These folios are from a copy of the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) made in the city of Shiraz in south-western Iran in AD 1341. The manuscript was produced for Qiwam al-Din, a vizier of the ruling Injuid dynasty. The illustrations are in a horizontal, rather narrow format dominated by large figures executed in what appears a rather unsure hand. Backgrounds are red, gold or unpainted, and vegetation consists of oversized and simplified forms. The manuscript is now dispersed with folios from it held by many museums and libraries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 741 / AD 1341","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"37.5 x 30 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"89f36061-aab4-567a-ad9a-8b9204d45732":{"name":"Ar-Ribash, *Kitab al-'Izz wa'-manafi' li'l-mujahidin fi sabil Allah b'aalt al-hurub wa'l-madafi'* ('Book of Glory and Advantage for Those Fighting in the Holy War with Artillery and Cannons for the Glory of God')","short_description":"This manual titled ‘Book of Glory and Advantage for Those Fighting in the Holy War with Artillery and Cannons for the Glory of God’ ( *Kitab al-'Izz wa'-manafi' li'l-mujahidin fi sabil Allah b'aalt al-hurub wa'l-madafi'*) was written by Ar-Ribash (in Spanish Rivas or Rives) around 1630-32. It was translated around 1638 from Spanish by Ahmad b. Qasim b. Ahmad b. al-Faqih Qasim b. ash-Shaikh al-Haghari al-Andalusi. According to the colophon, this copy was completed by the scribe Muhammad Khuja, the son of translator Ahmad b. Qasim, in 1050 AH / 1641 AD in the city of Tunis, Tunisia. The manuscript was published by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1811, so it must have entered the Austrian National Library before this date. Interestingly, from a cultural and historical point of view, this North-African copy is an example of European technical knowledge disseminating into the Arab world. However, hadiths were added to the text, and landscape background as well as the figures of European artillerymen were omitted from the 38 half- to full-page technical drawings. Fewer than a dozen copies exist, and their dates of manufacture range from the middle of the 17th to the late 18th century. Another example of this manual is a directly or simultaneously copied manuscript located in the National Library of Algiers in Tunis (no. 1511). The author copied the text of the book *‘Plática manual de artillería’* by Luis Collado (Milan 1592) partly verbatim, and partly in an abridged form. The same manuscript as well as C. Lechuga’s *‘Discurso de la artillería’* (Milan 1611) served as models for the technical illustrations.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1174 AH / 1761 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"367 x 240 mm (270 x 172mm), ff. I, II*, 171 pages/87 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1050 AH / 1641 AD","method_for_provenance":"It bears the old shelfmark no. 73, and was published by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1811.","provenance":"Tunis","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library before 1811.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 17-20.  \nJames, David, \"The Manual de Artillería of al-Ra'is Ibrahim b. Ahmad al-Andalusi with Particular Reference to its Illustrations and their Sources\", *Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies* 41, part 2 (1978): 237-257.","scriber":"Muhammad Khuja","binding_desc":"The European white vellum paper binding features a title inscription in brown ink on its spine. The title is written in Arabic script with the added Latin translation of *’Liber gloriae et utilitatis pro iis, qui ope tormentorum bellicorum pro fide certant*.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC15055840","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Artillery","cannon","Maghrib","painting"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic maghribi script of 22 lines per page."]},"89f81d78-7886-5bf1-850f-f11ee861c1ae":{"name":"Qur’an Pages with Case","short_description":"Single pages of the Qur’an from Granada remain inside this box stitched of brown, black, red and white leather. Two leather covers without a spine mantle 1,172 loose paper sheets.  \n  \nFloral and geometric patterns in red and yellow ink surround the *ayah* (verses) in Arabic calligraphy. The Mudejar and Morisco read and wrote scriptures in Arabic as well as Spanish as distinct interpretations of the Qur’an.  \n  \nSince the forced expulsion of Muslims in the 15th century, very few complete samples of Qur’ans from Andalusia still exist. While Arabic calligraphy expresses a religious devotion as the worldly form of God's word, a gradual disappearance of Islamic schools in the Iberian Peninsula limited access for Muslims to study the Arabic language.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"15th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 17.5cm, Width: 12cm, Height: 5.5cm","place_of_production":"Spain, Grenada","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Ekhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \nGonzalez, V., \"THE HERMENEUTICS OF ISLAMIC ORNAMENT: THE EXAMPLE OF THE ALHAMBRA\", in S. Schmidtke (ed), *Studying the Near and Middle East at the Institute for Advanced Study,* New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2018: 375–388.  \nLopez-Morillas, C., \"The Genealogy of the Spanish Qur’an\", *Journal of Islamic Studies*, 17: 3 (2006): 255–294.  \nOmran, Z., *Applied Art ornamented by Arabic Calligraphy in the Iberian Peninsula (10th-15th centuries)*, Doctoral dissertation, 2021.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Granada","Quran","Spain"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper"]},"8a1a5938-d8f7-5633-a242-0a2bc0bf6853":{"name":"Qur’an leaf","short_description":"This is a fragment of one of the luxurious Qur’ans ever produced commonly identified as the Blue Qur’an. It contains verses 267-273 from Sura al-Baqara within 15 lines of *kufic* script in gold ink on indigo dyed-parchment. The extensive use of extended strokes is proof of the use of blunt point ruling of this leaf. The calligraphic style of this leaf is characterised by the letter ha in the form of a semicircle resting on a vertical bar. There are no vocalisation marks above or below the vowels as well as no dots are visible to differentiate between letters of the same shape. As with other leaves of the Blue Qur’an, ornamentation on this leaf is kept to a minimum, with silver rosette, slightly faded and oxidised, marking the end of each verse. Meanwhile, groups of ten verses are marked by a seventeen silver petalled flower design with an inscription in the middle that spells out the number of that particular verse, as on the recto of this leaf it reads ‘seventy-two’.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 300-400 / c. AD 900-1000","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"28.6 x 38.2cm","provenance":"Near East or North Africa","materials":["Kufic script on blue vellum"]},"8a43d752-4d38-57e5-983c-c182f0858098":{"name":"Fath 'Ali Khan Shaba of Kashan, *Shahanshah-nama* (The Book of the King of Kings)","short_description":"The *Shahanshah-nama* (‘The Book of the King of Kings’) is a copy of an epic poem in honour of Fath 'Ali Shah (1772-1834), written by Fath 'Ali Khan Shaba of Kashan (d. 1238 AH / 1822-23) around 1225 AH / 1810 AD in Isfahan, Iran. There is no colophon, however, at the end of the preface, a certain 'Abd al-Wahhab Musawi from Isfahan names himself as the scribe in calligraphic cursive *nasta’liq* script. Another small note in *shikasta* script states the name of a certain Muhammad Husain(i) al-Haqir Bahir ibn Hasib-Allah. The manuscript was presented to Emperor Franz I in Vienna as a gift from Fath 'Ali Shah by the Persian ambassador. The 26 paintings included throughout the book were executed in the European-inspired Qajar style around 1225 AH / 1810 AD. The depictions of Fath 'Ali Shah and his court consist of portrait-like features, and the ruler’s insignia as well as the court costume are of great cultural-historical interest.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 1225 AH / 1810 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"390 x 260 mm (280 x 175 mm), 439+1 folios.","provenance":"Isfahan","obtention":"Presented to Emperor Franz I in Vienna as a gift from Fath 'Ali Shah by the Persian ambassador.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 13-15.","scriber":"'Abd al-Wahhab Musawi, Muhammad Husain(i) al-Haqir (?) Bahir ibn Hasib-Allah","binding_desc":"The lacquer binding has a light-brown leather spine. A floral band with corner fillings incorporating multi-coloured flowers frames the central medallions with two pendants each at the top and bottom on the front cover. In the medallion, a small bird’s nest is seen amongst peonies and other flowers on a black background. In the pendants situated above and below the centre medallion, more peonies and pansies are depicted. The undecorated parts of the cover are black-brown with gold speckling. The back cover is attached upside down and is identical to the front cover apart from the bird depiction in its centre. It is made in the Qajar style, likely in early-19th-century Isfahan.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14412032","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Shahanshah-nama"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic cursive nasta'liq script of 20 or more lines per page.","Ink"]},"8a6532ff-cf2a-5f34-9f53-a4d9192c2490":{"name":"A folio from the Maqamat al-Hariri representing a *Jendoul* (folio 61r)","description":"The boat depicted by Yahya al-Wasiti in this AH 7th / AD 13th-century miniature, illustrating the \"Maqamat\" of al-Hariri, is a richly ornamented boat rowed by three men standing aft. The story it illustrates mentions that it was used on the river Euphrates. The fact that three oarsmen were needed suggests that it may have been rowed upstream, as well as carrying several passengers and perhaps cargo.  \n  \nIn AH 1444 - 1445 / AD 2023-24, artist Rashad Salim and the Safina Projects team studied this image in detail in preparation to reconstruct the historic boat. This was an unusual challenge, as the image is not proportionate. The study process included creating artist’s impressions and technical drawings, scale modelling by three different modelmakers experienced in different kinds of boatbuilding, and experimentation with rowing methods to understand how this boat worked and to calculate its proportions before the first prototype Abbasid Jendoul reconstruction was built in AH 1444 - 1445 / 2024-25.","type":"Folio","holder":"National Library of France","initial_owner":"The manuscript was probably produced for the Turkic emir shown in the left-hand frontispiece (folio 1v), a lieutenant of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir (r. AH 623–639 / AD 1226–1242)","dates":"AH 634 / AD 1236-1237","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Page 37cm x 28cm","method_for_datation":"Colophon in the manuscript provides the name of the artist and date of completion.","method_for_provenance":"Similarity with other Baghdadi manuscripts, and the appearance of the name of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir in one of the paintings (AH 8th / 15th maqama, fol. 164v).","provenance":"Probably Baghdad","obtention":"Acquired from the estate of collector Charles Schefer in 1899.","scriber":"Yahya ibn Mahmoud al-Wasiti","binding_desc":"Leather","catalogue_holding_link":"https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52519766k/f131.item.zoom","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","crew","manuscript","maqamat al-hariri","miniature","painting","passengers","rowing","wasiti"],"materials":["calligraphy","miniature painting.","parchment","watercolours"]},"8af510d9-874c-5bbc-951d-4a7aa8e9950f":{"name":"*Silsile-name* ('Chain book' or Genealogy)","short_description":"This *Silsile-name*, meaning chain book or genealogy, was completed by the scribe and painter Huseyin in 1104 AH / 1692 AD in Istanbul, according to the colophon. It was acquired in Turkish Ottoman territory soon after by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (died 1730 AD) and listed in the printed catalogue of his personal library in 1702, his coat of arms appearing as embossed stamps on two folios (fol. 2a, 36a). However, it was acquired by the Austrian National Library in the early 18th century and restored in 1921, as an inscription on fol. 1a indicates. Family trees and their graphical representation in the form of linked circular medallions - hence the name - have had a long tradition in Islam since the early 14th century. The literary form of such genealogies referring to ancestors, however, originated under Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. Starting with Adam and Eve, these manuscripts develop from the great biblical prophets and legendary rulers of Iran to the most important Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and Turkish dynasties, concluding with the contemporaneous Ottoman rulers. The genealogies were often conceived as scrolls, and here this appearance is even reflected in book form with the connecting lines between profiles continuing horizontally across the page from right to left. These family trees are of great cultural and art-historical interest as they exist in large numbers and reveal manifold artistic source material that even draw on European models. Moreover, their political objective to legitimise the Ottoman rule based on past history reveals the manner of self-representation of Ottomans as well as their visual evaluation regarding specific ancestral figures. As these genealogies are traced back to pagan or biblical times, the names of saints become part of a dynastic claim of legitimacy and historical awareness. Genealogies with paintings in medallion form can be divided into two categories: one creating manuscripts of the highest quality in an Istanbul studio working for the court, and the other one of slightly lower quality produced by workshops of the Mevleviye Order, which were either located in Istanbul or in various places in the Ottoman province such as Baghdad at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. This particular copy was likely made by a workshop close to the court, stylistically relating to a similar manuscript located in Warsaw, Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa, BOZ 183). Its 36 folios are in horizontal landscape format, with inscriptions accompanying the tondo-shaped miniatures that were carefully crafted by the otherwise unknown painter Huseyin in the Ottoman court style from the end of the 17th century. Depending on the importance of the person depicted, the diameter of the circular medallions varies; moreover, the flame aureoles of saintly figures stand out amongst their mortal counterparts. While the biblical ancestors and the Turkish tribal fathers are depicted in small roundels, the medallions increase in size starting with the Prophet Muhammad, his successors, the Abbasid caliphs, and the Mongol rulers, reaching its biggest form in the depiction of the first Ottoman sultan (fol. 30a). The great variety of the elaborate robes and of the headdresses adorned with numerous decorative elements point to the luxury of the commission. European painting conventions are reflected in the shading, the colour scape, and the modelling of the skin, masterfully combined with Ottoman artistic traditions. However, while the prophets and past rulers are shown as ideal portraits following traditional models in a uniform scheme, the depictions of later Ottoman sultans have individual, portrait-like features. This reveals that the painter may have had access to portrait miniatures from the sultan’s collection at court.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1104 AH /1692 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"225 x 345 mm (170 x 250 mm), ff. I*, 36 folios.","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1104 AH / 1692 AD","method_for_provenance":"Acquired in Turkish Ottoman territory in 1692 or 1699 by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (died 1730 AD) and listed in the 1702 printed catalogue of his library as no. 1 of Turkish manuscripts. On fol. 2a and fol. 36a, likely the count’s coat of arms appears as an embossed stamp. On fol. 1a, there is an old signature as well as an inscription outlining that it was restored in June 1921.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library since the early 18th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 15-26.","scriber":"Huseyin","binding_desc":"The brown-black leather binding has a stamped arrangement of a central medallion with two pendants on the sides, as well as profiled corner fillings. The decorative motifs present reddish floral arrangements and stylised cloud bands over a gold background. While the delicate ornamentation on the binding still reflects 16th-century traditions, it was likely made at the end of the 17th century.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387495","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Adam","Eve","genealogy","medaillon","Mehmet","Muhammad","painting","prophet","Süleyman","sultan","turban","Zahhak"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Small Turkish naskh in three columns up to 20 lines per page.","Ink"]},"8b77b70b-784c-5988-890e-779ea486c18e":{"name":"Letter by the Prefect of Cosenza (Calabria, Italy) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade, referring to the exceedingly long working hours of women and children in the spinning factories","description":"In Italy, the first law that introduced some forms of protection for female workers was approved in 1902 (l. 242/1902). It limited the working hours for women to 12 hours a day and introduced a one-month maternity leave after delivery. When this letter was written, there was a discussion in the country on the possible regulation of the working conditions of women and children. The Prefect of Cosenza reported that there were factories in which women and children worked from 4:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night.","type":"Letter (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Cosenza","dates":"Cosenza, 4 January 1896","location":"Cosenza","author":"Margherita Martino","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8bfb57b0-3eda-5341-8fd5-4e8591fd6cb2":{"name":"Treaty between the Moroccan Government and Great Britain","description":"The 1856 Treaty between the Moroccan Government and Great Britain began the European race to concede the Sharifian Kingdom of Morocco.","type":"Treaty; historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1856","location":"Tetouan"},"8c914730-20a7-5718-b92c-20ee629a7048":{"name":"Circular letter by the Italian Director General of Police to all the Italian Prefects, regarding 'Italian migration to Tunis and Bona (Algeria)'","description":"The Italian consuls reported large numbers of unemployed Italian migrants in Bona (Algeria), where many Italians ended up begging in the streets, and in Tunis, where many Italians were in dire straits. The Director General of Police instructed the Prefects to inform the Italian population about this situation and warn it against “the shameful and fraudulent enticement by Migration Agents who, out of greed, push our peasants towards the most heartbreaking poverty”. The Prefects were also instructed to “assiduously prevent clandestine migration and repress its promoters”.","type":"Circular letter (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Catania","dates":"Rome, 6 December 1878","location":"Catania","author":"Anna Maria Iozzia","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8c92f71c-b73f-530e-9820-d74185e369c6":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The Qur’an is often divided into sections, such as thirty sections, one to be read each day of Ramadan, the month of fasting, or seven sections, one to be read each day of the week. In this manuscript the end of each section was originally marked by an illuminated finispiece. Each page of text is written in *thuluth* script in gold ink outlined in black.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 607 / AD 1211","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"12.2 x 16 cm","place_of_production":"Sinjar","provenance":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1448/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"8d580ca5-2f15-5f82-9f15-cc5c1c0c7b42":{"name":"'The Dervish from Faryab Crosses the River on his Rug'","description":"In his *Bustan* (The Flower Garden), Sadi described an amazing experience that he had on a ferry. While the author paid for his journey, an old dervish from the town of Faryab did not have the money and was left on the riverbank. As the boat made the crossing, Sadi heard laughter in its wake. It was the dervish, sailing over the river on his prayer rug.  \n  \nIn this rendition, the ferry is shown as a western carrack, with Sadi dressed in a green caftan and standing in the bow. The page comes from a manuscript calligraphed by Mir Ali Haravi in Herat in AH 932 / AD 1526. At this point, the volume evidently had only a few illustrations, while others were added later in a style in keeping with the original ones.  \n  \nThe richness of detail on this painting harks back in time, though the young man standing next to Sadi is wearing a turban typical of the Shah Abbas period (r. AH 995- 1039 / AD 1587-1629). This shah was responsible for the completion of the manuscript, and the stamp at the top shows that it was donated to the family sanctuary in Ardabil in 1608/1609.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 1008-1016 / AD 1600-1608","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"folio: 28.5cm × 18.5cm","place_of_production":"Isfahan (Iran)","bibliography":"Christie's, London 21/4-2016, lot 100.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners, Copenhagen: The David Collection*, 2017: cat. 31.  \n  \nMeyer, Joachim, *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat.119, 290--291.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Bustan","Dervish","folio","manuscript","miniature","Sadi","water"],"materials":["pigments"]},"8dd3b36c-526b-5668-b79e-f5e7fec4f4dc":{"name":"Anthology of Persian Poetry","short_description":"Manuscripts of this particular format are known by the term *safina*, a Persian word meaning ‘boat’ and an apparent reference to their long and narrow, boat-like shape. *Safina*s were presumably designed to be carried in the pocket, and most are anthologies of verse, as is this one. *Safina*s were especially popular in fifteenth-century Iran, during the reign of the Timurid dynasty. The three paintings included here illustrate Firdausi’s *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) and Nizami’s Layla and Majnun. The margins of most pages of the manuscript are decorated with stencilled patterns.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 853 / AD 1449","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"21.2 x 7.7 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"902c2907-e9b7-5dd0-9cee-203c7c56caa4":{"name":"A leaf from the *Siyar-i-Nabi*","short_description":"In 1376 AD, the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria celebrated his coming to power by commissioning the compilation and translation of the history of Prophet Muhammad. Sultan Barquq ordered the renowned Mustafa ibn Yusuf ibn Umar al-Mevlevi al-Erzumi to author the history of the Prophet known as *Siyar-i Nabi*. Two hundred years later, in AD 1594-95, the celebrated text was copied by the royal scribe Mustafa ibn Vali in Istanbul. The manuscript was a royal commission where in every other page the scribe would leave space for miniature. The completed six volumes depicting 814 miniatures were later presented to the Ottoman Sultan Murad II. In this leaf, the illustration shows a group of visitors in awe, when they saw the house of a humble pious boy, who has the utmost respect and affection to the Prophet Muhammad (saw), has turned into a palace as a divine gift.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1000 / c. AD 1600","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"37.2 x 26.6cm","method_for_provenance":"\\- Commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Murad III in 1594;  \n  \n\\- In the possession of Princess Se'adetlu Bash-Rukhshah-Qadin Hazretleri in 1753;  \n  \n\\- In the possession of Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson.","provenance":"Turkey","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 18. Müstakim-zade, Süleyman Saadeddin, *Tuhfe-i Hattatin*, Istanbul, 1928.  \nSuyolcuzade, Mehmed Necib, *Devhatul Kuttab*, Istanbul, 1942.","materials":["Gouache heightened with gold on paper"]},"9046e802-e0a4-5cd0-ad42-5b6b93278655":{"name":"Two pages from a Qu’ran.","description":"These two pages which contain the *sura*s, al-Balad (verses 10–20) and al-Shams (verses 1–6) are taken from a Qur'an written in thick *kufic* script.  \nThe orthographical signs are denoted by single red dots and the *tanwin* by two vertically arranged red dots in the manner of Abi al-Aswad, (d. AH 61 / AD 681). The use of the colour red to denote all the orthographical signs is a system that was adopted by the Iraqi school of calligraphy, unlike the Andalusian school which used various colours. In the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan there are Qur'ans displaying both methods of writing, which shows the important linking role that Ifriqiya played as a meeting place between East and West.  \nThe tenth verse is marked with a star surrounded by multicoloured lobes. The title of the *sura* is made up from the name of the *sura* and the number of verses it contains. It is written in gilt *kufic* script framed with stippled strap-work reminiscent of the decoration of some of the contemporary bookbinding from Kairouan. The frame has a palm-leaf motif made up of stylised leaves and floral arabesques which extend to the edges of the page.","short_description":"Taken from a Qur'an written in *kufic* script, these two pages contain two Qur'anic quotations: the *suras* al-Balad (verses 10–20) and al-Shams (verses 1–6). The use of red for the orthographic symbols is typical of the Iraqi school of calligraphy, while the Andalusian school used a range of colours.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","dates":"Hegira, late 2nd–early 3rd centuries / AD 8th–9th centuries.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 35 cm, width 25 cm; 14 lines.","method_for_datation":"Compared with other Qur'ans dating from the middle of the 3rd / 9th century, the *kufic* lettering style seems more archaic, allowing us to date this Qur'an from the late 2nd to the early 3rd century (8th / 9th century). This is corroborated by the decorations found at the beginning of each *sura* in this Qur'an, which are mostly geometric and have a more naïve look about them than later Qur'ans.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an belonged to the old library of the Great Mosque. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Probably Kairouan.","obtention":"At the time of the abolition of the *habus* foundation in 1959, this Qur'an was acquired by the Bardo Museum before being transferred to the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada in 1983.","bibliography":"*Tunisia**: from Christianity to Islam* (exhibition catalogue), Lattes, 2001, p.194, plate no. 112.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","furnishing","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Decorated parchment."]},"9245b827-e2b3-5d39-ad6f-d1f2358eaffb":{"name":"Fatwa on water management","alternate_name":"Legal opinion on water rights; Islamic jurisprudence manuscript","description":"This manuscript presents a fatwa—an Islamic legal opinion—concerning the management and distribution of water in Moroccan society. Issued by a religious jurist (*faqih*) in Marrakech during the AH mid-14th / AD mid-20th century, it reflects the pivotal role of Islamic law (*fiqh*) in regulating access to water as both a natural resource and a sacred trust. The fatwa provides guidance on conflicts between water users, allocation of irrigation turns, and the religious duty of ensuring fairness and equity in distribution. Written in Arabic script in clear, formal calligraphy, the text embodies the enduring connection among law, faith, and environmental stewardship in Morocco. Such documents illustrate how water, a scarce and precious resource, was historically governed through ethical and religious frameworks, complementing customary practices and communal agreements. Today this manuscript serves as a testimony to the moral and spiritual dimensions of water management, highlighting how Islamic scholarship reinforced the idea of water as a collective right entrusted by God. The manuscript’s presence in the museum underscores the continuity of faith-based governance and its influence on Moroccan hydraulic traditions.","type":"Manuscript: religious and legal text","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious institution / private library (later transferred to museum)","dates":"AH 1370s / AD 1950s","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx.): 30cm x 22cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on internal colophon, handwriting, and curatorial records.","method_for_provenance":"Museum documentation and historical context of religious endowments.","obtention":"Museum acquisition for permanent exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","scriber":"Traditional Islamic scholar (anonymous copyist)","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["fatwa","Islamic law","Marrakech","Morocco","religious manuscript","water rights"],"materials":["Arabic script in traditional calligraphy","Ink on paper"]},"92b3efa7-036f-51ea-b0de-19ce7cc1ea97":{"name":"The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II a","short_description":"The miniature painting “The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. This painting is attributed to Siyavush, a Georgian slave at the court of Tahmasp who contributed an impressive total of 22 paintings to this manuscript. The scene shows the Khaqan and his advisors taking stock of the death of their champion Kamus-i Kashani in the recent battle with Rustam.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45.5 x 31.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","silver and ink on paper"]},"93fe25c7-170f-5744-87f3-b4b4861a6ad7":{"name":"Part 15 of a 30-part Qur’an copied by Yaqut al-Musta‘simi","short_description":"Three other sections of this Qur’an survive in various libraries, but this is the only one that retains its original illumination. The frontispiece is decorated with a panel of intersecting rectangles and circles in gold with rich arabesque ornament in black, blue, white and red. The opening and closing spreads of text have three lines to the page. The heading of *sura* *al-Kahf* (XVIII) is written in white *kufic* in a decorated panel with a marginal palmette (folio 34b). The main text is in *muhaqqaq*.  \nFolio 58a bears the signature of the celebrated Baghdadi calligrapher, Yaqut al-Musta‘simi (d. 1298 AD), who gave the classical repertory of Qur’anic calligraphy known as the Six Pens its canonical form. Through his teaching and the eminent pupils who followed him, his version of the Six Pens was in use in many parts of the Islamic world from the 14th to the 17th centuries.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *muhaqqaq* script; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hejira 681 / AD 1282–3","location":"London","dimensions":"24.5 x 17cm; 58 folios","method_for_datation":"Both date and provenance are based on the signature of the calligrapher, Yaqut al-Musta‘simi, whose work well documented.","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.11, pp.60–67.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.160, p.139.","keywords":["gold","Ilkhanid","illumination","ink","Iraq","kufic","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","muhaqqaq script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour","Yaqut al-Musta‘simi"],"materials":["16th-century Iranian stamped and gilded leather binding and flap","Ink","Opaque watercolour and gold on paper","with paper-filigree doublures"]},"940aec1c-3a64-5908-99a0-bb3d302b70cd":{"name":"The Noble Qur’an (single volume)","short_description":"The circle is an Islamic symbol of wholeness and unity and a quintessential element of Omani design. This is a recurrent theme throughout Islam culture as demonstrated by this example of the Noble Qur'an. Circular motifs and families of patterns are based on the mathematical division of circles into smaller geometric components. Hexagons, octagons, squares and triangles are used in combination with smaller circles and other geometric elements to form elaborate medallion-like designs known as 'roundels'. Roundels are featured in wood, plaster, copper and silver work and serve as a central motif on the *al-kummah* (men’s traditional embroidered cap). Contained entirely within a single circle, the roundel exemplifies the mathematical lucidity that characterises all Islamic art and architecture.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"Rabi al-Awwal 1295 AH / 6 March 1878 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 33.4cm, Width: 24.3cm, Weight: 2212.7g","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","scriber":"Umar bin Salim bin Said al-Mahruqi","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Noble Qur'an"],"materials":["Ink on paper"]},"94fdd44c-a8e5-54f6-97c9-c03ca1038043":{"name":"*Shifa' al-gharam bi akhbar al-balad al-haram*","description":"A 15th-century manuscript copied in the early 18th century consisting of 247 folios, written in the Moroccan calligraphic style known as *Mujawhar*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Al-Qarawiyyin Library","dates":"Early 18th-century copy of 15th-century original","location":"Fez"},"95a395e9-4f22-5c84-a839-c155ac43072c":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Two brothers pick up an elephant on the field; Farrukh-Nizhad goes, picks the elephant up, and converts them to Islam","short_description":"Great deeds, mainly lifting heavy weights, are arguments for the correctness of Islam. The text of the episode is unknown.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200239","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel","keywords":["Elephant","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"964a5e5c-38f2-52e1-916c-5aa787fad913":{"name":"\"How a Braggart was Drowned in a Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio 33v from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This miniature is an illustration of the most dramatic episode in the tale told by the Moorish princess in the Green Paviliion on Monday. While traversing the desert, Bashr, a good and pious man, and his bragging and evil-minded traveling companion come upon a jar filled with pure water sunk into the sand. After they have quenched their thirst, the selfish companion insists upon bathing in the water, in spite of Bashr's pleas against polluting it. The water turns out to be a deep well fed by a spring, and the heedless companion drowns. The tale ends happily for the deserving Bashr. The well is shown from two different perspectives to aid the viewer's comprehension of the scene.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"ca. AH 834 / AD 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting height: 22.5cm, width: 12.1cm; Page height: 27.9cm, width: 18.3cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in *Ars Orientalis* vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, no.62, (1989).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455058","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"97db9709-4e82-56eb-ae90-1e74fcf69789":{"name":"Qur΄an leaf","short_description":"This vellum Qur΄an page has 13 lines in *kufic* script. The vowels are indicated by red dots. Text: *Surat al A’raf*, VII, parts of verses 77–86. Verse 80 is marked with an illuminated device in colours and gold.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira late 3rd–early 4th century / AD late 9th–early 10th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 20.5 cm","provenance":"Near East or North Africa","keywords":["kufic","manuscript","Qur΄an","religious manuscript","Vellum"],"materials":["gold and red pigment","Ink","Vellum"]},"983679b0-e53d-525c-8c34-9b140549ef18":{"name":"Fragment of a medical prescription.","description":"A fragment of a medical prescription on papyrus that consists of six lines written in simple *kufic* script in black ink. It mentions the benefits of *aloe vera* for the treatment of certain ailments such as fever, stings, gripes/colic, earaches and spleen ailments. The text may be read in the following manner:  \n'… God, most gracious and the most merciful///  \naloe … with barley water///  \nfor fever, it is drunk with coriander water… and for colic and dysentery it is drunk with lukewarm water and for the \\[bites\\] of the scorpion/// and the viper, it is drunk with cold water and for the child who complains of earaches, \\[it is drunk\\] with mother's milk/// and for the spleen \\[ailment\\] it is drunk with tamarind water and for flatus, it is drunk with the water of fenugreek/// and hummus \\[ground chick peas\\].'  \nThe healing power of plants was well-known since the early Islamic period, for they were used to produce simple drugs concocted from various ingredients. Medicines were prepared by doctors and druggists (medicinal herbal specialists or *attar*) either in a hospital setting or in small pharmacies.  \nThe *aloe* leaves were pressed and preserved until they were needed. They were used in the treatment of other illnesses, in addition to those mentioned in the prescription, such as aching joints and sore eyes. *Aloe* was also used in the production of ink.","short_description":"From the early times, simple and compound medicines using extracts from plants were prepared by physicians and druggists and were highly effective. This prescription is based on the use of the aloe plant in curing various ailments.","type":"Medical prescription, papyrus","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira beginning of the 2nd century / AD 8th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 12 cm, width 5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document has been dated by comparison with a marriage certificate and a letter, both of which are also in the Museum's collection, and the similarities with regard to the style of the *kufic* script together with the papyrus on which they are all written. The marriage certificate is dated AH 91 (AD 709), and the prescription AH 106 (AD 724). These items are preserved in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, the first bearing the registry number of 25295 and the second, 22999.","method_for_provenance":"Doctor Henry Amin 'Awad who donated this document to the museum related that he bought this piece, along with another artefact, from some collectors who gathered together archaeological finds from amongst the ruins of the city Fustat, and sold whatever they found. This was before the Egyptian law on protection of antiquities was passed.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"This piece was donated to the museum by Doctor Henry Amin 'Awad in 1974, amongst many other pieces that he donated to the museum, which included medical and surgical implements and various Islamic coinage. Henry 'Awad is considered one of the biggest collectors of artefacts in Egypt, who has also undertaken studies on branches of the Islamic arts.","bibliography":"Hammad, al-Sayyed, M., *Adawat al-Kitabamin al-Fath al-Arabi hatta al-'asr al-Mamluki \\[Writing Implements from the Arab Conquest to the Mamluk Period\\],* MA thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Sohag, 1982.  \nIbrahim, H., *Sina'atal-Alwan wa al-Asbagh wa al-Ahbar \\[Production of Colours, Dyes and Inks\\],* PhD thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Sohag, 1982.  \nIsa, A., *Mu'jamasma' al-Nabat \\[Dictionary of Plant Names\\],* Cairo, 1930.  \nal-Nuwairi, Shihab al-Din A., *Nihayat al-Irab fi Funun al-Adab \\[The Culmination of Skill in the Literary Arts\\],* Cairo, 1929.","author":"Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["inscription/writing","kufic script","medicine.","Papyrus"],"materials":["Papyrus","written in black ink."]},"984e9648-99b0-5b96-b617-3bc4c6acf1fe":{"name":"The Night of Power (*Shab-i Qadr*)  \nFolio from the *Khamsa* of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (1253–1325)","short_description":"This folio illustrates an episode from a five-part poem known as the *Khamseh* (Quintet), written in Persian between 1298 and 1305\\[1\\] by the prominent Indian poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi. Known widely as Khusraw, he also wrote historical epics and romances, and worked under Turkish nobles in India in the late 13th century before entering the patronage of the royal court in Delhi, India.\\[2\\] Khusraw’s *Khamseh* (Quintet) evokes in its form and style a five-poem collection by the Persian poet Nizami (d. 1209). This copy of the *Khamseh* was produced near Delhi in the 15th century.\\[3\\] At some point in its history, its contents were dispersed. 'The Night of Power' (*Shab-i Qadr*) is the sole folio in the Aga Khan Museum Collection that originates from this dispersed manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.8 x 25.2cm","provenance":"India, Delhi","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n\\[2\\] Welch and Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982: 146.  \n\\[3\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n  \nJunod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia, *Los mundos del Islam en la colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundacion La Caixa, 2009. ISBN: 9788499000138.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801415487.","keywords":["folio","poem","poetry","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"99095f8b-3eac-55bd-8d83-8bd6a4a69678":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"This *juz'* is the final section of a 30-volume Qur’an from Morocco, written in brown ink using *maghribi* script, developed in AH 4th century / AD 10th century North Africa. Sura headings are in Kufic script, the word Allah is highlighted in gold through the text. Verses are marked by polylobed gold markers, while groups of verses are separated by teardrop and circular shapes. Copied by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali, it was dedicated to Abu Muhammad Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Ghazwani, a Sufi saints of Marrakesh.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 1063 / AD 1653","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 25.8 cm, width: 20.5 cm, depth: 3.3 cm","provenance":"Morocco","obtention":"Bernard Quaritch Ltd, until 1999; sold to Qatar Museums via Bonham's London","bibliography":"Al Khemir, Sabiha, *From Cordoba To Samarqand, Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha*, Milan: Musée du Louvre Editions, 2006.  \nHilloowala, Franak, *Reading Qur'anic Manuscripts*, Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2011.","author":"Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya","keywords":["Alawite","manuscript","Morocco"],"materials":["Bookbinding","calligraphy","Gilt Paint","Illumination","Ink","leather","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"991ad9fb-ccb2-54f0-bbd7-d7ec9a42287a":{"name":"Khwaja Shams ad-Din Muhammad, named Hafiz, Diwan","short_description":"This manuscript is an 18th-century copy of the Diwan, a famous book of Khwaja Shams ad-Din Muhammad who was better known as Hafiz. The colophon found on the last page of the book contains the name of the scribe Muhammad Hashim as well as the date ‘AH 1202’, which corresponds to the years 1787-88 AD. The manuscript’s production itself can be traced to Iran, and a possible dedication to the Persian vizier Amir ‘Aziz Khan can be found on fol. 36b-37a. The two richly decorated opening pages consist of illuminated headings that are typical of later styles of Persian illumination. The blue and gold colour scheme with white, pink and red floral scrolls lining the page reflect a decorative abundance to the start of the book.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 1202 / 1787-88 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"229 x 145mm (178 x 98mm). ff. I, I*, 285 folios.","place_of_production":"Most likely Iran","method_for_datation":"Colophon: name of the scribe, date.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 36b-37a there is a possible dedication to the Persian vizier Amir 'Aziz Khan.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Part of the Austrian National Library since 1820/30.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 107-108.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 8, 9, 11.","scriber":"Muhammad Hashim","binding_desc":"This black leather binding shows damaged gold embossing on the outside, while the leather doublures are bright red. This binding was likely produced in the late 18th century in Iran.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410737","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Diwan","Hafiz","illumination","nasta’liq"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in one or two columns and 12 lines per page (Persian)."]},"996c8cbc-b4e1-51f3-8b92-38f27863f839":{"name":"Bahram Gur hunts, slaying a lion and a lioness  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Freer” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) depicts a classical Sasanian image of kingly power by illustrating an episode in the life of the Sasanian kings: Bahram Gur (r. 420­–38).  \nBahram V, “that great hunter”, is depicted in the midst of hunting lions (instead of the onagers—in Persian, gur—the source of his nickname). This adventure had begun with the king’s dispatching the male lion with an arrow to the heart; the beast roared mightily as it expired, alerting its mate. She herself lunged at Bahram, clawing him, but not preventing him from drawing his sword to slay her, too. As so often in Firdausi’s tales of Bahram, the hunt was followed by feasting and wine, and the inevitable inebriation. On this occasion, however, inebriation led to disaster and Bahram, aghast, prohibited the drinking of wine. But shortly thereafter, when wine also made possible the taming of an escaped lion, the king reversed his prohibition.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"30.8 x 22.1cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animals","folio","Freer","hunting","lions","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"9a102fc6-396b-58a9-ba31-7edc20e68a04":{"name":"Report on the behaviour of Rustam Pasha","description":"A report on Rustem Pasha, the *mutasarrif* or governor of Mount Lebanon, and his treatment of his subjects. The report describes him as a tyrannical and unjust governor with oppressive policies, curbing the autonomy of tribunals, for example. He also imposed high taxes on the tobacco trade in Mount Lebanon and ignored many of the Sultan's decrees.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Lebanese Heritage Museum","dates":"1870s","location":"`Ayn Najm","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Marie Therese Moujabber","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"9a63e53d-e8cc-5b91-9223-bdcd6013b48e":{"name":"Two pages from the Qur'an","short_description":"Two folios of the Qur'an, created by Iranian masters in the AD 15th century, are of exceptional importance. The style of handwriting, as well as ornamental decoration, indicates that the manuscript could have been created in Herat, the capital of Timurid state (now the territory of Afghanistan). The pages on display include the Qur'an *Sura* chapters #87 \"The Most High\", #88 \"The Overwhelming\", #90 \"The City\", #91 \"The Sun\", #92 \"The Night\".","type":"Calligraphy; Manuscript; Miniature","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"First half of AD 15th century (?)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 31cm, Width: 43cm (total folio, two pages attached together)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by A. Ivanov examination (1966).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","provenance":"Eastern Iran or Afghanistan","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","bibliography":"Baker, Colin F., *Qur'an Manuscripts: Calligraphy, Illumination, Design*, London: British Library, 2007.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nBilenko, Halyna and Vyshnevetska, Mariya, et al., *State Collections of Ukraine*, album, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, 2009.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","manuscript","Qur'an","Timurid"],"materials":["Ink","paints and gold on paper"]},"9ac5a090-8009-512f-bf82-741324800a8f":{"name":"Manuscript *Al-Nawadar al-Sultaniya wa al-Mahasin al-Yusufiya*\\[Sovereign Rarities and Yusufi Merits\\].","alternate_name":"The Biography of Salah al-Din","description":"A manuscript written in *naskhi* (cursive)script which, due to the physical condition of the paper, is not entirely legible. It consists of 412 pages, each of which contains 15 lines. The pages are yellowing due to their extremely old age, and the effects of airborne moisture in the paper.  \nThe author of the manuscript (Ibn Shaddad) joined the service of Salah al-Din Ayyubi (known as Saladin, r. AH 564–89 / AD 1169–93) who appointed him as an officer of his troops in Jerusalem. He remained a lieutenant to Saladin until his death, after which Ibn Shaddad headed to Aleppo where he built a *madrasa*. Next door to it he constructed a dar al-hadith (Hadith School). He settled in Aleppo until his death.  \nIbn Shaddad divided his manuscript into three parts: the first section covers the birth of Saladin, his creativity, characteristics, attributes, morals and nature; the second focuses on the changes in his circumstances, his wars and conquests to the end of his life; and the third revolves around the names of the cities and citadels that Saladin conquered between AH 583–86 / AD 1187–90.  \nThe author mentions that his contact with Saladin began in AH 584 / AD 1189 and he accompanied him until his death in AH 589 / AD 1193. Ibn Shaddad mentions that with regard to the history of events, some of which he was not eyewitness to, he depended on trusted sources. As for those events he did witness, he could describe what he saw himself. This biography is considered to be one of the most reliable references about him, thus historians rely on it for an accurate account of Saladin's life, especially in the final period of his life (AH 584–89 / AD 1189–93).  \nThe author gives detailed descriptions of historical events and battles as well as details of the weapons that were used by the Islamic and Crusader armies. Furthermore, the author gives many descriptions of the social and administrative situations in Islamic and Crusader societies, showing that there was communication between the Ayyubid and Crusader states.","short_description":"This is a biography of Sultan Salah al-Din Ayyubi (Saladin) written by his contemporary, Ibn Shaddad and examines his life, attributes, personality, wars and communication. This manuscript at al-Aqsa Mosque library is one of the best preserved and is accepted as the original copy scripted by the author himself.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif","initial_owner":"Baha’ Yusuf bin Rafi’, al-Shahir bi (known as Ibn Shaddad; d. AH 632 / AD 1234).","dates":"Hegira 626 / AD 1228.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 23.5 cm, width 16 cm, depth 4.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The manuscript has a date recorded on it.","method_for_provenance":"Jerusalem was narrowed down as the place of production based on what the manuscript says: that it was copied in Jerusalem and accepted as an authentic copy by the author.","provenance":"Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Conder, C. R., *The Life of Saladin* by *Beha ad-Din, compared with the Original Arabic and Annotated,* London, 1773.  \nIbn Shaddad, Biha' al-Din, Y., (d. 632 / 1234), *Nawadar al-Sultaniya wa al-Mahasin al-Yusufiya \\[Sovereign Rarities and Yusufi Merits\\],* Cairo, 1964.  \nMaalouf, A., *Crusades Through Arab Eyes,* New York, 1985.  \nSalameh, K., *Fahras Makhtutat Maktabat al-Masjid al-Aqsa \\[Catalogue of Manuscripts at the Library of al-Aqsa Mosque\\],* Jerusalem, 1983.","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["biography","Ibn Shaddad","manuscript","naskhi script"],"materials":["Black ink on paper."]},"9b3f660e-4ffe-5386-81a6-45ee26750034":{"name":"Page of *muraqqa‘at*","short_description":"The page is made up of eight separate calligraphic pieces, seven of which are signed by some of the greatest Ottoman calligraphers. The earliest, Shaykh Hamdullah al-Amasi (d. 1520), is considered to be the founder of the Ottoman calligraphic tradition. He is represented by two pieces (last two panels), one of which is dated early *Dhu’l-Qa‘da* 901 (11–20 August 1496). Next is Hafiz ‘Uthman (1642–98), the main transmitter of Hamdullah’s practice, also represented by two pieces (top left and 2nd from the top, right). The fifth piece (3rd from the top, left) is signed by Hafiz Yusuf, a contemporary of Hafiz ‘Uthman and teacher of Mustakim-zade, the Ottoman connoisseur of calligraphy. The sixth piece (3rd from the top, right) is signed by Muhammad Rasim (1687–1755) who, in 1737, was appointed teacher of calligraphy at the Palace. Mahmud Jalaluddin (d. 1829), who signed the 7th piece (2nd from the top, left), was unique among 18th- and 19th-century Ottoman calligraphers in being virtually self-taught, mastering the art by copying the work of Shaykh Hamdullah and Hafiz ‘Uthman. The eighth piece is unsigned.","type":"Calligraphic work; *muraqqa‘*; Ottoman calligraphers","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Late 15th – late 18th century; assembled and illuminated in the 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"65.8 x 53.2cm","method_for_datation":"Seven of the eight pieces that make up the page are signed by calligraphers whose work and active years are well documented.","provenance":"Turkey; pieces signed by Shaykh Hamdullah, Hafiz ‘Uthman, Hafiz Yusuf, Muhammad","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *Empire of the Sultans. Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection*, Virginia & London, 2000: no.178, pp.248–9.  \nSafwat, N.F., *The Art of the Pen. Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. 5, 1996: cat.55, pp.115–9.","keywords":["calligraphy","Hafiz ‘Uthman (Osman)","Hafiz Yususf","Mahmud Jalaluddin","Muahammad Rasim","Muraqqa‘","naskh","naskhi script","Ottoman","Ottoman Calligraphy","Paper","Shaykh Hamdullah al-Amasi","thulth","Thuluth"],"materials":["Gold","Ink","mounted on card","silver and opaque watercolour on paper","text in thuluth and naskhi","with framing bands of embossed paper-ribbon"]},"9b5d3d0d-e554-56aa-a4ef-440d5f3ce35d":{"name":"Calligraphy mounted as album page","short_description":"The page with calligraphy and a floral border originally belonged to one of the albums compiled for the Mughal ruler Shahjahan (r. 1627-1658). The border consists of two overlapping tendrils with reduced foliage and a few stylised flower heads (peonies, lotuses and rosettes). With their golden contour lines and colours which allude to enamel, they are reminiscent of the pietra dura inlay work characteristic of the Shahjahan period. The tendril is enlivened by pairs of naturalistically rendered birds. It is this interplay of stylisation and naturalism that is important for the aesthetic appeal and visual pleasure.  \n  \nThe four-line calligraphy is the work of Mir ʿAli Haravi. Born in Herat in 1476, he became a pupil of Sultan ʿAli Mashhadi after his basic education. After the capture of Herat in 1528 by the Uzbeks, Mir ʿAli Haravi, who had achieved renown, was brought to Bukhara, where he worked until his death in 1556.  \n  \nAmong Mir ʿAli Haravi's great admirers was Shah Tahmasp's nephew Sultan Ibrahim Mirza (1540-1577), who owned several albums of the master scribe's calligraphy. Subsequently, the other great collector was Shahjahan and it is quite conceivable that some of his own Mir ʿAli calligraphies had formally been in the possession of Ibrahim Mirza.","type":"Album page","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Around 1987 Hashem Khorovani, Geneva, 1987-2004: art market, London","dates":"Hegira 935-955 (calligraphy), 1040-1050 (border) / AD 1530-1550 (calligraphy), 1630-1640 (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Heigth: 37.6cm, Width: 25.6cm","method_for_datation":"The border is typicall for albums that once belonged to the Mughal ruler, Shajahan. Their dating was established by various scholars in the past decades.","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2004.","provenance":"Usbekistan, Bukhara (calligraphy), India (border)","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg-Kreis","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"9b7dcb90-c55f-53d3-9cfa-d242f27958bc":{"name":"Yusuf and Zulaykha of Jami'","short_description":"Chapter 12 of the Qur’an tells the well-known story of the life of the prophet Yusuf (Joseph). In the fifteenth century, the story of Yusuf’s encounter with Zulaykha (the wife of Potiphar) was retold and expanded, in verse, by the renowned Persian poet Jami’. The story is an allegory of the mystical search for union with the divine, with Zulaykha representing the longing of the imperfect human sole for the divine perfection of God, which is in turn represented by the figure of Yusuf. In the illustrations to the manuscript, produced about a century and a half after the poet’s death in AD 1492, Yusuf's status as a prophet is indicated by the flaming halo surrounding his head. The manuscript opens with an illuminated heading.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 947 / AD 1540","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.6 x 13.6 cm","provenance":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_251/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["Allegory","arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"9b806efe-99d1-5b6e-913c-0ee466605547":{"name":"Letter from l’Institut d’Afrique in Paris, congratulating Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade","description":"This letter from August 1841 from l'Institut d'Afrique in Paris, signed by both its president and general secretary, congratulates Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade in his kingdom, and awarding the Tunisian Prince a *diplôme de protecteur*.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1841","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"9b989b53-9b7d-5857-8fea-c5edf077c94a":{"name":"Marriage contract","short_description":"Many verbal agreements guide the Muslims in their daily lives. By writing down these transactions, the words are safely recorded, preserved and thus made accessible to the rest of the world. Elegant calligraphy, the illumination of folios and aesthetic layout of documents were considered essential when producing a legal contract that bound two people in marriage. This marriage certificate between Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud and Fatima bint Abdullah is dated AH Jumada al-Awwal 1240 (AD December 1824). The certificate is richly decorated with gouache heightened with gold on vellum, and inscribed with Maghribi script. Four large headings on the certificate were inscribed with *naskhi* script.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1240 / AD 1825","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"71.2 x 50.8cm","provenance":"Tunisia","materials":["Gouache heightened with gold on vellum"]},"9c9255a5-9a88-5f13-953c-48f2830112c9":{"name":"Ottoman official document containing the *Tughra*","short_description":"The Ottoman Sultan's certificate presents an expressive, secular form of calligraphy. It is crowned by the ornate, triangular seal of the Sultan, the *tughra*. Here, it is the *tughra* of Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754). The lines are written narrowly in gold, black and, red ink and each one is written in an upward curve to prevent the possibility of forgery. Official, ornamentally decorated documents, such as this one, would hang in offices or private houses and served as status symbols.","type":"Official document","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 1150 / AD 18th century","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Length: 180cm x Width: 68cm","method_for_datation":"Inscription mentions Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754) and date Hegira 1150 / AD 1737.","method_for_provenance":"Purchased from Ms. Lienert.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Purchased in 2000.","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["calligraphy"],"materials":["Gold","Ink","Paper"]},"9d0fa2dd-7af5-5431-b7d1-d0b10e4e74c1":{"name":"Qur΄an section","short_description":"The manuscript on paper has 47 folios, each with five lines of *naskhi* script in black ink. There are rosettes between verses and every fifth verse there is a larger roundel in the margin. The morocco binding is original to the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 21 cm, width 15 cm","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","naskhi","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["gold and pigments","Ink","Paper"]},"9e1f46e4-2853-5545-a194-7e72c163548f":{"name":"Concerning the punishment of an *Idolator* (one of the weak Muslims)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM40), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio reveals one of the abiding mysteries of the manuscript: here, similar to a group of other dispersed folios, an illustration appears in place of a block of missing text.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.8 x 22.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"a082fcd1-6ab8-5065-913f-e8b18e48249c":{"name":"Acte habous","alternate_name":"*Waqf* deed; water endowment document","description":"This historical and religious document, dated 1952, records the donation of a tour d’eau (water turn) as a waqf—an Islamic charitable endowment. Issued in Marrakech, it reflects a long-standing tradition in Islamic societies where essential resources like land, property, or water rights are donated for the benefit of the community or religious institutions.In this case, the water right was endowed to ensure ongoing access to irrigation or domestic water use, often for a mosque, madrasa, or a public fountain (*sabil*).  \n  \nSuch donations were considered acts of piety and social responsibility, intended to bring spiritual merit to the donor while serving the collective good. The document is not only a legal record but also a cultural artefact that illustrates how water was governed as both a sacred trust and a communal asset in Moroccan society.It highlights the intricate connection between Islamic law, environmental ethics, and local governance, where water—an essential and scarce resource—was managed through deeply rooted moral and religious frameworks. This *waqf *stands as a testament to how water endowments helped structure equitable access, social cohesion, and religious devotion in everyday life.**","type":"Legal manuscript","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious and charitable institutions of Marrakech","dates":"AH 12th / AD 18th century (copy)","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx): 35cm × 25cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on palaeographic analysis and historical references.","method_for_provenance":"Museum curatorial research.","provenance":"Archival reproduction of historical waqf document","obtention":"Museum archival acquisition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","scriber":"Traditional Islamic notary (name not preserved)","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Habous","Islamic law","Marrakech","waqf","water endowment"],"materials":["Arabic calligraphy","Ink on paper"]},"a0e649a0-0f53-5503-9c38-d0a4035fdc34":{"name":"Page of manuscript with Moses, Muhammad and the Archangel Gabriel.","description":"This single sheet from a manuscript features, between bands of script, the prophets Moses and Muhammad and the Archangel Gabriel conversing in heaven. Angels, perched on five clouds behind these three principal characters, appear to be listening. The scene portrayed is one from Muhammad’s visionary ascension to heaven. Muhammad stands on the right-hand side in a long green robe and turban, and Moses, wearing a long dark red robe, is on the left, in front of his heavenly throne, which is denoted by an inscription in Arabic lettering. Moses is gesturing his hands in speech. Muhammad, with whom he is conversing, stands on the opposite side. A white veil conceals his face, while his hands are hidden in the long sleeves of his gown. The heads of both prophets are crowned with halos, within which their names, written in a black script, can be deciphered. The Archangel Gabriel stands between Muhammad and Moses, turning towards Muhammad. He is characterised by a twin pair of multicoloured wings and a crown. Gabriel already featured in the Old Testament as the gate-keeper of Paradise. As one of two angels standing in the presence of God (Luke 1: 19), it was Gabriel who explained the story of the Messiah (Daniel 8: 16ff.). He was supposed to have announced the wording of the Qur’an to Muhammad. In Sura 2 verse 97 it is written that: Gabriel ‘has by God’s grace revealed it \\[the Qur’an\\] to you \\[Muhammad\\] to your heart’.  \nThe text above the three personages, which describes the story, is written in Ottoman Turkish. It includes the account of Muhammad discussing with God the number of daily prayers. Both eventually agreed on five daily prayers. Moses is Muhammad’s heavenly adviser and Gabriel is his companion. The direct speech of all those involved is written in Arabic. The text is taken from a biography of the prophet which had appeared from the AH 1st century / AD 7th century on. The generic term for this type of biography is *sira*, which translates as ‘life facts’ or ‘way of life’. This single sheet probably came from a handwritten work completed for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","short_description":"This painted page from a book shows the Archangel Gabriel with the Prophets Moses (left) and Muhammad (right). Surrounded by angels they discuss the question of daily prayers. This happened during Muhammad’s ascent to heaven. Because it was forbidden to show Muhammad, his face is veiled.","type":"Manuscript, miniature","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum","initial_owner":"Possibly Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982-1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira end of 10th century / AD end of 16th century; probably during the reign of Sultan Murad III (AH 982-1003 / AD 1574–95).","location":"Berlin","dimensions":"Height 31 cm, width 20.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The date has been established through the handwriting on the single manuscript page, which was transcribed for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (982–1003 / 1574–95).","method_for_provenance":"Both the text and the style of this page suggest that this consists of a single leaf written by a single writer in the same handwriting, which was made for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"From a London gallery in 1976.","bibliography":"Budde, H. and Nachama, A. (eds.), *Die Reise nach Jerusalem*, Berlin, 1995, p.180, cat. 1/121, ill. 180.  \nKalter, J. and Schönberger, I., *Der Lange Weg der Türken, 1500 Jahre Türkische Kultur*,Stuttgart, 2003, pp.138, ill. 149.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin* Catalogue,Stuttgart; Zürich, 1980, no. 40.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin* Catalogue,Berlin, 1979, no. 668.  \nPetspoulos, Yanni (ed.), *Kunst und Kunsthandwerk unter den Osmanen*. Munich, 1982, p.200, ill. no. 209.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Annette Hagedorn","translator":"Maria Vlotides","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["ascension","miraj","prayer","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["gilding.","Gouache on paper","Ink"]},"a0fd9b25-3128-5a5c-90c1-29e46c8df6bd":{"name":"Jami, Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ibn-Ahmad, Resaʾil-i Hazret-i Molla Jami","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ibn-Ahmad Jami’s “Resaʾil-i Hazret-i Molla Jami” dated to the second half of the 16th century, and was likely produced in Istanbul. The decoration includes nine initial decorative panels that are not uniformly designed, but reflect the Ottoman style of the late 16th century. The binding, however, is of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 957-1008 / 1550-1599 AH","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"355 x 238mm (233 x 140mm). ff. II, II*, 97 folios.","method_for_datation":"Two colophons: AH 989 / AD 1581 (fol. 22b); AH 983 / AD 1575.","method_for_provenance":"There is a seal of Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (d. 1856) on f. 96b, dated AH 1223 / AD 1808-9.","provenance":"Possibly Istanbul","obtention":"Obtained in 1842 by the Austrian National Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 58-59.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 16.","binding_desc":"This 17th- or 18th-century Ottoman binding is composed of dark brown leather over pressboard and includes a typical leather flap. The textured centrepiece is cut out, inlaid, and decorated with stencilled floral vines and cloud ribbon loops in two shades of gold. The flap shows a similar but smaller pointed medallion with the same decorative motifs. The medallions are surrounded by small golden rosette punches, gold outline and short golden rays. Additionally, there are gold lines and a gold-stamped lace band around the edges of the binding. The doublures are made of dark brown leather, except for golden double lines along the edges, which appear to have been redecorated.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14248604","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["illumination","nasta’liq"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in 27 and 25 lines per page (Persian and Turkish)."]},"a12eaf5f-47ff-5d15-9ffe-37f288c5e2fd":{"name":"The Ruzbihan Qur'an","short_description":"This is one of the most magnificent Qur’ans ever produced. The text was copied by Ruzbihan Muhammad al-Tab‘i al-Shirazi. It opens with facing *shamsa*s inscribed with verse 17:88 of the Qur’an, followed by a superb double-page frontispiece containing *al-Fatiha* (the Opening), the first *sura* (chapter) of the Qur’an. The beginning of the next *sura*, *al-Baqara* (the Cow), is indicated by an elaborately illuminated heading. Surrounding the final *sura*s of the text is another double-page illuminated opening, from the border of which emerge long, sun-like rays. Text pages consist of blocks of lines of black *naskhi* script set between longer lines of large *thuluth* or *muhaqqaq* script in blue or gold ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira mid 10th century / AD mid 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"42.7 x 29 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1558/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","border decoration","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"a2b8f43a-d5fd-57c1-a88e-b1fc3a6097b2":{"name":"*Laylā visits Majnūn in the Wilderness*","description":"Majnūn, emaciated and clad only in loincloth, is seated in the wilderness under a large tree. Reclining about him are wild beasts and waterfowl along the stream. On the further bank facing Majnūn sits Laylā, four maids standing behind her. The nearer one salutes Majnūn, her hand raised to her forehead, the second carries a large peacock plume, and the third holds a scarf in her hands, while the fourth (dark-skinned), whose head only is seen, stands behind the other two. Laylā is wearing a *coli* (tight fitting bodice) and a figured skirt. On her head is a large conical-shaped *mukuta* (crown) with *sarpes* (plume). She also wears a *keyura* (armlet), and a *mala* (necklace). In the foreground, where Majnūn sits, recline a gazelle, a tiger and a lion; on the other side of the stream recline an antelope and its mate. Along the bank are herons, cranes and ducks. In the background are high rocky hills and a large river seen to the right with a heavily forested bank. Cranes fly across the sky and songbirds can be seen in the tree above Majnūn. The sky is dark.","type":"Painting","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 1070 / AD c. 1660","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Length: 30.5cm, width: 19.9cm","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift of J. Lionberger Davis.","bibliography":"*The Arts of Persia: Ceramics, Textiles, Bronzes, Rugs, Jewelry, Miniatures of Persia from the 9th to the 19th Century with Selected Examples from Moslem India*, New London, Connecticut: Lyman Allyn Museum, 1955","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"a3577379-4a3e-5997-913a-756fad78ca88":{"name":"List of 15 'Tunisian Turks' captured by corsair captain Giuseppe Diano from the Kingdom of Sicily and sold in Palermo","description":"The documents explain that the captain corsair Giuseppe Diano plundered a Tunisian galliot and captured 15 “Tunisian Turks”. The captives’ names and ages (ranging from 15 to 55 years old) are listed. The document further explain that three out of such 15 captives had been sold to private individuals, while the remaining 12 had been bought by the Commissioner of the Committee for the Redemption of Captives (Deputazione della redenzione de’ cattivi); inferring that they were to be exchanged for Italian captives held in Tunisia. The Committee for the Redemption of Captives’ mission, in fact, was to negotiate the liberation of the subjects from the Kingdom of Sicily held as slaves.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Palermo","dates":"1808–11","location":"Palermo","author":"Renata De Simone","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"a507b49f-de2b-5383-b587-8eef58a18a27":{"name":"\"Amr has the Infidels Thrown into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khavarannama (The Book of the East) of ibn Husam al-Din","description":"This painting, with its vibrant color palette and lively action, is taken from a manuscript of the Khavarannama (Book of the East), a gathering of tales relating the adventures of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. These mostly imaginary accounts of the exploits of 'Ali and his companions against demons, dragons, and kings were composed in emulation of the great Persian poet Firdausi’s Shahnama, but have the important religious figure of 'Ali as their main protagonist.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Hassan Khan Monif, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH ca. 881-891 / AD ca. 1476–86","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 39.8 cm, width: 28.6 cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Sachau, H., Ed; Ethe, ed. \"Part I: The Persian Manuscripts.\" In *Catalogue of Persian, Turkish, Hindustani, and Pushtu Manuscripts.* Oxford: Bodleian Libraries, (1889).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *A Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian Paintings in the Bodleain Library.*, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, no.47, (1962).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *Persian Miniature Painting : from collections in the British Isles.*, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., *Imperial Images in Persian Painting.*, Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council Gallery, 1977.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451324","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"a51d8bae-57d0-5565-9480-72d8b94775ba":{"name":"'The Paths of Paradise'","description":"The miniature, which like 13/2012 and 14/2012 comes from a manuscript describing Muhammad’s mystical ascension to heaven (*miraj*), shows the Prophet and the Archangel Gabriel (*Jibril*) at the pond of al-Kawthar before one of Paradise’s richly ornamented gates. Both the ribbed domes and tiled walls are covered with rich vegetal ornamentation of various types, in keeping with contemporary architecture from Central Asia. Beside the pond are countless vessels of gold and jade and celadon-glazed ceramics from which the believer can quench his thirst after the tribulations of the Day of Judgment.  \n  \nThe Garden of Paradise itself, with its many spiritual and sensual delights, is not depicted in this beautiful painting, and no artist would probably have been able to describe it to the believer as intensely as accounts in the Koran and later writings.  \n  \nOf the museum’s seven paintings from this manuscript, the refined ‘Gates of Paradise’ is the one that most clearly points toward the artistic zenith of Timurid painting at the end of the AH 9th / AD 15th century.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 860 / AD 1465","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 41.2cm × 29.8cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Boehm, B. D. and Holcomb, M., (eds.): *Jerusalem, 1000-1400: Every people under heaven*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2016: fig. 149e, 295 and 299.  \n  \nFolsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: fig. 1, pp. 184-185, 187.  \n  \nMeyer, J., *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat. 77, 224--225.  \n  \nSims, E.,“The Nahj al-Faradis of Sultan Abu Sa’id ibn Sultan Muhammad ibn Mirranshah: an illustrated Timurid ascension text of the “Interim” period”, *The Journal of the David Collection*, 4 (2014): cat. 9, fig. 27, 132--133.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Herat","miniature","Timurids","water"],"materials":["pigments"]},"a87439ea-aee1-50f5-a0b5-501d95e7044f":{"name":"*Divan-i Shahi* (Collection of Poems by Shahi)","short_description":"This manuscript is a *divan*, a collection of poems, by Amir Shahi Sabzavari. Amir Shahi Sabzavari, also called Shahi, was a poet and calligrapher at the court of Prince Baysunghur in Herat. Shahi died in 857 AH / 1453 AD.  \nThe manuscript contains 60 folios in total, of which five are illustrated. According to the colophon the scribe of this manuscript was Abd al-Wahid. Some of the folios are signed by their painter Abd al-Gani, who is also responsible for the astonishing lacquer binding.  \nJudging by a portrait on the frontispiece that looks like Sultan Suleiman I. , the manuscript must have been finished during his reign between 926-936 AH /1520-30 AD. The manuscript was part of the collection of Polish orientalist Waclaw Rzewuski until his death in 1831 AD, when the manuscript was bought for the Imperial Court Library in Vienna.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 926-936 AH / 1520-30 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"204 x 128mm (120 x 60mm), 60 folios","method_for_datation":"Dorothea Duda recognizes portraits of Sultan Selim I. on the binding of the manuscript. She suggests that the manuscript might have been started during the reign of Sultan Selim I. but finished during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I., who succeeded his father in 1520. This is supported by the presence of an additional portrait of a man on the frontispice that looks like Sultan Suleiman I. The inclusion of both rulers therefore indicates a probable date of production somewhere between 926-936 AH /1520-30 AD.","method_for_provenance":"The provenance was established through documentation in the inventory book of the Imperial Court Library by Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Following the death of  the explorer and orientalist Waclaw Seweryn Rzewuski in 1831 AD, the manuscript was bought directly from his collection for the Imperial Court Library in the same year.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 185-187.  \nDuda, Dorothea, \"Islamische Lackeinbände - ihre künstlerische Entwicklung und ihr Verhältnis zum Buch als Gesamtkunstwerk\", *Journal of Turkish Studies* , 26 : I (2002), 163-203.","scriber":"'Abd al-Wahid","binding_desc":"The richly decorated lacquer binding on this manuscript is an artwork in itself. Executed in the Shirazi style, this binding has courtly scenes painted on its front and back cover. The doublures of the manuscript are decorated with a medallion surrounded by floral ornaments, painted in two kinds of gold on a black background.  \nThe front cover depicts a group of men set in an outdoor scene. The men in the upper half of the painting are wearing Ottoman turbans, while some men on the lower half are wearing head gear that look like a mixture of the hats the *Janissaries* wore and those the *silahdars* wore. As the *Janissaries* were part of the elite infantry of the Ottoman army and *silahdars* were close aides of the Ottoman sultans it can be assumed that the binding was in fact manufactured within the realms of the Ottoman Empire.  \nAdditionally, Duda notes that the man in the middle of the front cover and the man sitting on a throne on the back cover have similarities with formal portraits of Sultan Selim I. She consequently advocates that at least the binding must have been commissioned during the reign of Selim I.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410969","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Divan","Shahi"],"materials":["5 miniature paintings.","Blue","green and gold ink on thin","white paper. Calligraphic Nasta'liq script of 11 lines per page. 2 decorative pages"]},"a8b1900c-9427-5c3f-8152-c6361cbe0b53":{"name":"Calligrapher’s license","short_description":"This licence, written in black *naskhi*, follows at the end of a manuscript that also contains two chapters of the Holy Qur’an, *Al-Buruj* (\"The Big Stars\") and *Al-Tariq* (\"The Night-Comer\"). It is contained within a triangular cartouche with gilt borders, flanked by flower sprays. The licence is issued to Hafiz Abdallah Hilmi by Salih Nahif.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1282 / AD 1865","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","keywords":["calligraphy","Hafiz Abdallah Hilmi","Ottoman legal document"]},"a909a05f-2311-5dcb-acdb-59719da1889b":{"name":"Rustam Slaying the White Div","short_description":"Rustam is one of the most popular heroes of the *Shahnama*, the Book of Kings. In it, Ferdausi tells how Rustam must perform seven heroic deeds, the last of which is to kill the White Div and cut his liver out of his body to heal the blind Shah Kai Kavus. Rustam receives help from his hostage Olad, whom Rustam has tied to a tree, revealing to Rustam the appropriate time to defeat the White Div.  \n  \nThe iconography of the scene has remained more or less the same over the centuries, it is also one of the most frequently illustrated episodes from the *Shahnama*.  \n  \nSeveral characteristic features of this page speak for its origin in Shiraz. Attributes, such as the extension of the illustration beyond the type area, the nebulous outline of the lines of text in interspersed flowers on gold, as well as the inclusion of other figures not mentioned in the text, all strongly indicate that its provenance was the Shiraz School.  \n  \nIn the Safavid period, Shiraz could already look back on a long tradition of painting. This creative cultural heritage was reinforced in the late 1560's by a commercial boom in manuscript production, resulting in illustrations visibly gaining in quality and converging with courtly painting in Qazvin and Mashhad. The development of the Schiraz School specifically, which expanded so magnificently in the period from 1570 to 1590, is probably also connected with Prince Muhammad, who was governor of Shiraz from 1572 to 1578 before ascending to the Persian throne as Ismaʿil II.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Until 2008, private collection, Japan","dates":"Hegira 983-993 / AD 1575-85","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar works from Shiraz whose time of production could be established through historical facts and stylistic features.","method_for_provenance":"Information obtained from previous owner was provided by the gallery where the object was sold in 2008.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Lale, Uluç, “Selling to the Court: Late Sixteenth-Century Manuscript Production in Shiraz”, *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 73-96.","workshop":"Shiraz","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"a9ca7e9d-4c7b-5b08-a2ab-9b56d4a9868f":{"name":"Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II","short_description":"The miniature painting “Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. In its bottom left-hand corner, this painting is attributed to Siyavush.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"40.4 x 29.8cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","minature-painting","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Gold","Opaque watercolour","silver and ink on paper"]},"ab9dbdc1-5022-5a92-be31-a76cf3b05af7":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an with lacquer-painted binding signed by Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi","short_description":"The first two of the three illuminated opening spreads bear an index of *sura* headings and a prayer. The main text begins on the third and is written in a fine, clear *naskhi* which compares well to that of Visal, the pen-name of one of the most highly esteemed calligraphers and poets of 19th-century Iran. The marginal commentaries are signed by Visal’s second son, Mirza Mahmud, pen-named *hakim* (’the physician’), who enjoyed a considerable reputation as a *nasta‘liq* scribe.  \nThe lacquer covers are the work of Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi, who had close associations with the Visal family. The outer covers are variations on the so-called *gul-u bulbul* (‘flower-and-bird’) theme, with two birds in a rose bush on a sparkling dark-brown ground. The doublures have a superb composition of an iris and other flowers on an imitation tortoise-shell ground. The borders have quotations from *sura* *al-Baqara*, II, verses 255–7 on the front and verse 201, with other religious phrases, on the back.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; binding; lacquer-painting","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Main text: c. 1844; Persian translation dated AH 25 Sha‘ban 1272 / AD 2 May 1856; binding dated Hejira 1269 / AD 1852–3","location":"London","dimensions":"289 folios; 34.7 x 22.7cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance based on information provided in the colophon.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","bibliography":"Bayani, M., Stanley, T., and Rogers, J.M., *The Decorated Word. Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th Centuries*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 4, Part Two, 2009: cat.22, pp.116–25.  \nKhalili, N.D., Robinson, B.W., and Stanley, T., *Lacquer of the Islamic Lands*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 22, Part One, 1996: cat.156, pp.208–10.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.261, p.226.  \nVernoit, S., *Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 23, 1997: cat.4, pp.20–21.","keywords":["binding","ink","Iran","lacquerwork","Paper","Qajar","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","lacquer-painted binding","main text in naskhi","Persian translation and commentaries in nasta‘liq"]},"accd0163-3954-552c-88bd-3170ae13d17a":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This fragment of the Qur’an includes a *sura* (chapter) heading marking the beginning of chapter 32 of the Qur’an, which is most often known by the title *al-Sajda* (Prostration), but in this heading the alternate title *al-Tanzil* (Revelation) is given. The heading also states that the chapter contains twenty-nine verses. The text of the manuscript is written in black ink in *kufic* script on vellum. Also included in this fragment of the Qur’an are full-page frontis- and end-pieces, executed mainly in gold with individual motifs delineated in brown.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"21.8 x 32.3 cm","provenance":"Near East, probably Iran or Iraq","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Gold pigment and black ink on vellum"]},"ad9d8415-0b17-5ab2-bb81-d214aedc3c9e":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"The binding of this Qur'an is composed of a two-page (back and front) cover of light-brown leather. The right-hand side of the binding is decorated with a cartouche that has faded and now has unclear remains of a stamped design on it. This was a well-known style of ornamentation for leather bindings of books and manuscripts.  \nThe volume opens on to a frontispiece embellished with a decorative cartouche. The cartouche is filled with illuminated vegetal motifs against a background of dark-blue. An inscription written in Mamluk *thuluth* script adorns the frontispiece, the text reads: 'Intended for al-Maqam al-Sharif al-Sultan al-Malik al-Zahir abu Sa'id Jaqmaq, May his triumph be glorious'. The frontispiece is followed by five folios containing prayers and commentaries on the fundamentals of *al-Tajwid* (the art of reciting the Qur'an). These pages are also written in *thuluth* script. This is followed by pages that contain chapters from the Qur'an. The first of these is a double-page spread where, set in the right hand page, is a rectangular area framed with blue marginal lines; within this zone is the title, *Surat al-Fatiha (The Opening Chapter)*, written in *thuluth* script. Vegetal decorations adorn this area from above and below. The *sura* (chapter) itself is written within a rectangular frame, whose edges on three sides are ornamented with colourful vegetal motifs. The facing page has the same layout and decoration but it bears the title of *Surat al-Baqara (The Chapter of the Cow)* and the first verses of the chapter. The right-hand border of the first page and the left-hand border of the second page are decorated with three ornamental shapes, two of which are circular medallions filled with illuminated vegetal decorations. The centre shape assumes the form of a polychrome lotus blossom.  \nThe first of the 114 chapters of this Qur'an are written in *thuluth* script and illuminated and written against a blue background, embellished with vegetal motifs and set within a rectangular frame. Each verse is separated from the next by a decorative motif in the form of a golden tri-petalled flower. Each petal is separated from the other by a single dot. On the left and right sides of some pages in this volume there are decorated roundels filled with illuminated vegetal motifs. The number of lines on each page of this manuscript is 13.","short_description":"Mamluk Sultans and amirs endowed their religious establishments with copies of the Qur'an as a demonstration of piety. Being the holy book of the Muslim belief, the calligrapher, illuminator and binder vied to show their skill in executing these Qur'ans as we see in this copy commissioned by Sultan Jaqmaq.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Sultan al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Jaqmaq (r. AH 842–57 / AD 1438–53).","dates":"Hegira 842–57 / AD 1438–53.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 40 cm, width: 30 cm.","method_for_datation":"This manuscript is dated based on the inscription written in the beginning of the volume: 'Intended for al-Maqam al-Sharif al-Zahir Jaqmaq', who reigned 842–57 / 1438–53).","method_for_provenance":"In the beginning of this Qur'an, there is an indication that it was a work commissioned for Sultan Jaqmaq. It is probable that the work was commissioned in Cairo the Capital of the Egyptian State, for Egypt was famous at that time for the proliferation of its manuscripts, especially of the Qur'an. The Mamluk sultans were also known for their great personal interest in the Qur'an, and for their patronage of calligraphers. These precious Qur'anic manuscripts were often made part of a *waqf* (endowment) to mosques.","provenance":"Cairo.","obtention":"This Qur'an was donated to the Museum in 1956. The manuscript had been part of the collection in the private library of King Faruq – the last of the Egyptian Kings who was descended from the family of Muhammad Ali and who ruled from 1936–52 – in the Qasr al-Quba, one of the palaces of the royal family before the Revolution.","bibliography":"Al-Alfi, Abu S., *Al-Fan al-Islami \\[Islamic Art\\],* Cairo, 1984.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1987.  \nJa'id, N., “Fan Kitabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif wa Tajmilahu \\[The Art of Writing and Decorating the Holy Qur'an\\]”, in *Huda al-Islam \\[Guide to Islam\\],* No. 6, 1984, pp.43–50.  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988.  \nSalama, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Mathaf al-Islami fi al-haram al-Sharif* \\[*Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in the Haram al-Sharif\\],* Lebanon, 2003.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York. 1997.  \nAl-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din Abd al-Rahman (d. 911 / 1505), *Tarikh al-Khulafa' \\[History of the Caliphs\\],* Beirut, 1980.  \nZain al-Din, N., *Musawwar al-Khat al-Arabi \\[Illustrated Arabic Calligraphy\\],* Baghdad, 1980.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["binding","illumination","ink","manuscript","Paper","patronage","Qur’an","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vegetal motifs"],"materials":["on paper","stamped leather.","the binding","the text written in thuluth script in black and red ink with gold illumination"]},"aea9b65b-d732-5c4b-ab3b-e64e9ba4e216":{"name":"Dhu’l-Nun Prays for Rain for the Egyptians","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"This is the seventh painting to appear in the Bustan, and it is marked as page 124 in the manuscript. It represents the story of Dhu’l-Nun, an Egyptian mystic who died in 861 CE.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan* , London: British Museum Press, 1998.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/dhul-nun-prays-for-rain-for-the-egyptians-akm284.9","keywords":["Bustan","Egyptian","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","mystic","painting","Persian","pray","rain","Sa‘di","Sadi","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"af93fac1-5782-5f52-9b88-3b5082b80012":{"name":"Automata","short_description":"Folio from *The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by Isma\\`il ibn ar-Razzaz al-Jazari, illustrating the water-powered mechanism for a \"perpetual flute\", the text in elegant *naskhi* script; signed by the calligrapher Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif.","type":"Scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira end of Ramadan 715 / AD end of Dicember 1315","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Syria; Iraq","keywords":["Artuqid","calligraphy","engineering","inscription","naskhi script","science","scientific manuscript"]},"afa75823-03d1-5b8b-9466-52bd507fdea6":{"name":"*al-azīzi falaj* log","description":"This manuscript, completed in February 1891 CE by the skilled Omani scribe Rabiʿah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi, offers a vivid glimpse into the life and rhythms of Seiq Town, in the Jabal Bani Riyam range of al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate). Written in a clear and confident hand, it records the intricate water-sharing system of the ʿFalaj al-ʿAzīzī, a vital lifeline for the community.  \n  \nUnlike most *falaj* logs in Oman, this copy replaces common distribution units with the ṭāsah, a pierced copper vessel whose draining time measured each turn of irrigation. Within its pages are the names of landowners, gardens, mosques, and endowments, each evoking the people and places that shaped this mountain community. Sixty-two irrigation cycles, alternating between day and night, are marked with care, the beginnings signalled by graceful elongated letters.  \n  \nIts final section sets out the rules for calculating the *falaj*’s rotation, preserving the knowledge and order on which the community’s survival depended, a timeless record of both master engineering skills and human cooperation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 8 Rajab 1308 / AD 16 February 1891","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 58cm, width: 32cm","place_of_production":"Seiq Town, al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah)","provenance":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism)","obtention":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism).","scriber":"Sheikh Rabi’ah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink on paper"]},"afb1004b-ee97-5abe-bea3-b81b89002821":{"name":"Manuscript, collection of Hadith.","description":"The text of the Hadith compiled by Abu al-Hasan ibn al-Hajjaj, known as Muslim, is traced with black and red inks, in Maghrebi cursive script, with diacritic points and orthoepic symbols. The pages from the frontispiece and the colophon are decorated with illuminations.  \nA frame on the colophon page divides the space into three: two rectangular bands and a square containing a circle.  \nThe top band contains the last three lines of the text. The lower band is decorated with a frieze of overlapping concentric circles and scattered rosettes along with double *boteh* or paisley motifs. In the circle the text from the colophon is written in a golden cursive script, which stands out against a red background. The circle is embellished with a wide frieze with alternating fleurons and lotus flowers painted in red and yellow on a blue background. The spandrels are decorated with foliage and varied bouquets of yellow and red flowers of Eastern inspiration on a green background.  \nThe lower margin of the frame contains a poly-lobed arch and the date of the copy: Thursday of the month Shawwal 1284 (January–February 1868) and by a floral motif on a blue background of Eastern inspiration. The decoration of this colophon reveals the Eastern artistic influences (Chinese and Iranian) that penetrated Morocco from the end of the AH 12th / AD 18th century.","short_description":"Two pages of this collection of Hadiths have been illuminated. The decoration on the colophon, or last page, gives the date and the name of the scribe, revealing the Chinese and Iranian artistic influences that penetrated Morocco from the late AH 12th / AD 18th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Royal Library.","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1868.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 29.5 cm, length 23 cm.","method_for_datation":"Date written on the colophon.","provenance":"Morocco.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Arabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Faharis al-Khizana* *al-Hassaniyya*, Vols. III, IV, V, VI, Rabat, 1983–7.  \nArabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Faharis al-Khizana* *al-Malakiyya*, Vol. II, Rabat, 1982.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometrical decoration","Hadith","religious manuscript","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["black","gilding.","Paper","red and blue ink"]},"b14f5d5c-36fc-5ea7-b766-849a10ee521d":{"name":"Two Mughal miniatures without text","short_description":"These two paintings are individual pages that likely stem from a 17th-century Mughal album. As such, they are pasted on decorated frames, which in turn are glued to European cardboard and bound in an album-like manner. Illegible red stamps of the same collection are found at the back of both miniatures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 12th century / 17th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"310 x 225mm, 4 folios.","place_of_production":"India","method_for_provenance":"The first miniature seems to have an oriental customs stamp and an illegible oriental signature in the lower right corner. An illegible red stamp is also situated on the back of both miniature.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Obtained by the Austrian National Library in 1937.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 216-217. Pfaffenbichler, Matthias (ed), *Das Indien der Maharadschas. Ausstellungskatalog Schallaburg, 23. März bis 10. November 2013*, Schallaburg: Schallaburg Kulturbetriebsgesellschaft, 2013: 204.","binding_desc":"This half-leather binding is made of dark green paper and leather corners. It was likely produced in 20th-century Europe.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14018804","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Album","miniature","Portrait"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper."]},"b1caaa98-898d-5835-84d6-2569546ecf1d":{"name":"Document attesting to the 'Telegraph Crisis' between Morocco and Great Britain","description":"A letter from Sultan al-Hasan I to his Minister of Foreign Affairs and representative in Tangier, Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Torres, ordering the immediate cessation of work on installation of the telegraph system between Gibraltar and Tangier, which the British had undertaken without negotiating with Morocco, thereby causing a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.","type":"Historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1887","location":"Tetouan"},"b2321553-5c91-5213-acee-6a0d551d3c53":{"name":"Double page from a manuscript of the Qur’an (9:126-129; 10:9-12)","short_description":"Although parchment had already begun to pass out of vogue elsewhere in the Islamic world, this bifolium, copied in gold ink on parchment, reflects the conservative nature of Spain in the 7th/13th century, as does its distinctive script. Known as *Maghribi*, after the region of North Africa that roughly encompasses modern Morocco, this cursive script is a direct descendant of *kufic*. While retaining some of the solemnity and grandeur of the earlier rectilinear script, *Maghribi* incorporates graceful, deeply curved lines. It developed in the early 6th/12th century in both Spain and North Africa, and its use is restricted to these regions. This bifolium comes from a dispersed manuscript of the Qur’an with pages in numerous museum and library collections worldwide.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira late 7th century / AD late 13th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"27.5 x 44.8cm","method_for_datation":"The style of the *Maghrabi* script suggests a late 7th/ late 13th century date and an attribution to Spain or possibly Morocco.","method_for_provenance":"The text is written in *Maghrabi* script; other pages from the same dispersed Qur’an have been ascribed to either Spain or North Africa.","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Collection of Maan Z. Madina (1926-2013), New York, until 2002 (sold to); LACMA, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 2005: 24, fig. 19.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Maghrebi script","Muslim Spain","Parchment","Qur’an","Reconquista","religious manuscript"],"materials":["and gold on parchment","colours","Ink"]},"b25ced0a-8fbc-5812-85b3-eb1df7ad87a4":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"The image at the left shows an earlier stage of the flotilla. A long raft in the foreground carries a huge structure shaped like a cypress tree from which strings of fireworks are suspended along with two Catherine wheels. Rockets and projectiles hurtle about. On the basis of Vehbi’s account, this is the float prepared by the artillerymen’s corps. A two-story structure set on a pair of caiques carries a troupe of dancers and musicians on the lower floor while pyrotechnicists are busy at work on the upper one.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b2ae47d0-404c-5df9-b57d-fd46c3ad1864":{"name":"Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar of Jajarmi","alternate_name":"(The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems)","description":"This page from an anthology of Persian poetry illustrates a poem about the moon entering the houses of the twelve zodiac signs. In the three scenes illustrated here, the moon is shown visiting the Sagittarius, depicted as an archer who shoots an arrow against his own dragonlike tail, Capricorn, and finally the planet Saturn (the water carrier, or Aquarius) lifting a bucket from a well.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ, until 1956","dates":"AH 741 / AD 1341","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 16,8cm; width: 23,2cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S. \"New York, October 9 through January 7, 1933–1934.\" In *A Guide to an Exhibition of Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1933.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. XXVIII, no. 10.  \n  \nAckerman, P., \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art.*, 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, 1962.  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *The Islamic World.*, vol. 11. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., S. Carboni, T. Masuya, and A. H. Morton., *Illustrated Poetry and Epic Images : Persian Painting of the 1330s and 1340s.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994.  \n  \nRossabi, M., C. Melville, J. C. Y. Watt, T. Masuya, S. Blair, R. Hillenbrand, L. Komaroff, S. Carboni, S. Bertelan, and J. Hirx., *The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353* , New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451404","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"b3139452-a18c-5578-a8f9-65f5a88d9fe0":{"name":"A treaty between the Regency of Tunis and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, concerning the jurisdiction over Tuscan Jews who migrated to Tunisia","description":"Treaty of one article, in Italian and Arabic, signed by the Tuscan Consul Enrico Nyssen and by the Bey Ahmed Bascià, sealed with a wax seal of the Consulate General of Tuscany, and ratified by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold the II on 29 January 1847.  \nThis treaty modified the 1822 treaty between the two countries which had given to the Jews from Livorno the same status of Tunisian Jews (placing them under the Beys' jurisdiction). According to this new treaty, the Tuscan Jews who had moved to Tunisia (or would move to Tunisia in the future) and registered in the Tuscan Consulate, were placed under Tuscan jurisdiction and protection. Such provision did not apply to the so-called “Grana” Jews who had moved to Tunisia from Livorno (Tuscany) in the late 17th century.","type":"Treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"Tunis, 2 November 1846","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"b3ad190f-fed9-546e-924a-e3b7f2699f23":{"name":"*The Ka'ba in Mecca*","description":"Émile Prisse d'Avennes (1807–1879) drew this plan of the Ka'aba in Mecca, a detailed view of the place of pilgrimage which had so fascinated Europeans.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1858–1859","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"b446feeb-3505-58d3-be81-c30f25be28fc":{"name":"Peace Treaty of Campo Formio, 17 October 1797, between the French Republic and the Austrian Empire","description":"With the Peace of Campo Formio in October 1797, Napoleon confirmed the conditions of the armistice at Leoben, which was signed in April 1797. Austria had to cede Belgium and Lombardy to France and was compensated with the eastern part of the Venetian Republic.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"1797","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b4f079f1-9f1d-5622-ac99-7add9077bf23":{"name":"A single-volume Qur’an with depictions of Mecca and Medina","short_description":"An unusual feature of this Qur’an is the inclusion of two small depictions of Mecca and Medina within the illuminated opening spread (folios 1b–2a). Such depictions in Qur’ans is very rare.  \nThe colophon is signed by the calligrapher Muhammad Amin al-Salahi.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; manuscript illumination; Mecca; Medina","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"Dated Hejira 1211 / AD 1796–7","location":"London","dimensions":"305 folios; 15.6 x 11cm","method_for_datation":"The Qur’an is dated. The attribution to Turkey is based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 7 October 2015, lot 241.","keywords":["European influence","geography","hajj","Hijaz","Holy place","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","naskh","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Qur'an","Religion","tulth"],"materials":["brown morocco binding","gold and watercolour on paper","incidentals in thuluth","Ink","text in naskhi"]},"b53b54bc-9b3e-5bed-8d47-cbb1205c84bc":{"name":"*Kitab al-diryaq* (Book of Antidotes)","short_description":"This 13th-century manuscript copy referred to as the *Kitab al-diryaq* (‘Book of the Theriac’) is also named ‘Book of Antidotes’, as the word ‘theriac’ was originally the term for the remedy of bites of poisonous animals. Its introduction states that the text is the summary of the first part of Galen’s (born 129 AD) book on the Latwerges, in which he discusses theriac practices in particular: *Jawami' al-maqala al-ula min kitab Jalinus fi'l-ma'junat*. The essential components were compiled into this pseudo-scientific work by an unknown Alexandrian physician and later attributed to the scholar Yahya an-Nahwi, also called John Philoponos or Grammatikos (c. 490 – c. 565). However, the text is an Arabic adoption of the ancient concept of theriac, likely originating from the 10th century, and based on the Arabic literary tradition of the biographical lexicon combined with a scientific treatise. Nine famous doctors of antiquity, who have worked with theriac, are presented with their portraits in the beginning, and their biographies form the basic structure of the text. Information and descriptions relating to the practice of theriac are further expanded on by listing the ingredients of the medical concoction as well as areas of application. By including a three-part treatise on snakes, as they are the main component of the antidote. Chapters on the selection, trapping, and preparing snakes for medicinal purposes are also incorporated. This richly decorated manuscript is believed to have been made around 1220-40 in Mosul, a city in modern-day Iraq, which was part of the al-Jazira region that had a culturally diverse population and rulers interested in science and medicine. It may potentially be related to the courtly milieu of Badr ad-Din Lu’lu’ (died 1259), successor to the Zengid emirs of Mosul, who is known to have commissioned other manuscripts. The 16 paintings include rather unscientific depictions of various doctors and snakes, doctors preparing the theriac, and the discovery and further development of the remedy. It is unclear how the manuscript came to the Austrian National Library but it is mentioned in the records of Hugo Blotius (1533-1608), the first librarian of the court library, as being in 1576.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 1220-40 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"365 x 280 mm (320 x 255 mm), ff. I, I*, 31 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Mosul","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and 31b, an old inscription: *Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi*. On fol. 1b and 31b, a red stamp of the Bibliothèque Impériale, therefore it was temporarily in Paris form 1809-15.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library since 1576.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 46-69.  \nKerner, Jaclynne J., *Art in the name of science: the Kitab al-diryaq in text and image*, in Anna Contadini (ed), *Arab painting. Text and image in illustrated Arabic manuscripts (Handbook of Oriental Studies 1/90)*, Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2010: 23-39.","binding_desc":"Before the folios’ conservation as loose pages, the old binding consisted of white parchment with gold print on its spine: *Jahiae de Theria, Cod. Ms. Orient. N. IX.*. On the covers, the imperial double eagle is visible as the supralibros, and on the back cover, the following abbreviations are stated: *E.A.B.C.V.* (*Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi*) and *17.G.L.B.V.S.B.55* (1755 Guilielmus Liber Baro van Swieten Bibliothecarius). According to the latter inscription, it was bound in this form in Vienna in 1755.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10E11226","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Doctor","medicine","painting","poison","snake"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 15 lines per page."]},"b5774f3e-8016-55ca-9542-099e3ef271b9":{"name":"Portrait of Akbar in old age","short_description":"This posthumous portrait of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE) was probably commissioned by his grandson Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 CE), who was thirteen when the emperor died. The aged Akbar is depicted in three-quarter profile, a view reserved for figures of lesser rank but perhaps accepted for posthumous emperor portraits. Mughal conventions such as the golden halo and the fact that the emperor stands upon the orb of the world signify Akbar’s power as a ruler. The intricate details of his embroidered robe and sash, the pearls around his neck, and the bejewelled dagger hilt emphasize his royal standing and are complemented by a scrolling vegetal border rendered in gold. On the border of the album page, believed to be contemporary with the portrait, three of the emperor’s attendants stand symbolically (and literally) behind him, respectively holding his umbrella, standard, and shield. Two puttis, winged angelic figures derived from European models, hold a golden canopy protectively over Akbar’s portrait, while the antelope and deer depicted below, also on the earthly orb, associate the reign of the late emperor with a peaceful era. This portrait is believed to come from Shah Jahan’s last album, the compilation of which began around 1650 CE, and may never have been completed. Its paintings include several single-figure portraits that acted as models for future albums (Canby 1998, p. 151). The numerous border paintings are extremely developed and skilful works of art in their own right. In the early twentieth century, the “Late Shah Jahan Album” was unfortunately dispersed, and the pages, often split into two, were sold separately.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1645","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.1 x 26cm","provenance":"Agra, India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian paintings from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.","keywords":["Album","figure","folio","human-figure","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"b5822b19-0bac-505f-bb0c-be6490cc1dc6":{"name":"List of the Christian captives of Italian origin, written by Mariano Stinca, a Neapolitan captive","description":"This list of the Chrsitian captives of Italian origin (Calabria Crotone, Catanzaro, Borgia, Palermo, etc.) was written by Mariano Stinca, a former Neapolitan captive who had become the secretary and head of protocol for Hammouda Pacha Bey.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1800","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"b891c040-ed12-5331-bbcb-c0107a795fd7":{"name":"Letter from the British residents of Gibraltar, congratulating Ahmed Bey for having closed the slave markets","alternate_name":"*A testimonial of gratitude to His Highness the Bashaw Bey of Tunis for his philantrophic and most noble resolution to abolish the inhuman and horrible traffic in Slaves…*","description":"This letter signed by approximately 30 British residents of Gibraltar, congratulates Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade and closed the slave markets in the Tunisian regency.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1841","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"b8b74d6c-8bd5-5f15-9490-e1dfa1ca07b9":{"name":"\"Firdausi's Parable of the Ship of Shi'ism\"","alternate_name":"Folio 18v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","description":"In the introduction to the Shahnama, God launched seventy ships, bearing adherents to the religions of mankind, into a stormy sea. Clearly depicted on the central ship are the Prophet and his son‑in‑law and successor 'Ali sitting beneath the red canopy, while 'Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husain, stand nearby. Details such as the inlaid stars and figures with very small elliptical pupils are characteristic of works attributed to Mirza 'Ali, the son of the master painter Sultan Muhammad.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Tahmasp, Iran (until AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim II, Turkey (from AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim III, Turkey (by AH 1214 / AD 1800); Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, France (by 1903); his son, Baron Maurice de Rothschild; France and Switzerland (from 1934); his son, Baron Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris and Switzerland(1957–59); Stiebel Ltd., New York, in 1959; Arthur A. Houghton Jr., New York","dates":"AH ca. 937-42 / AD ca. 1530-35","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 31.7 cm, width: 22.7 cm; Page: height: 47 cm, width: 31.8 cm","place_of_production":"Tabriz","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Arthur A. Houghton Jr. in 1970","bibliography":"Migeon, G., \"Exposition des Arts Musulmans au Musee des Arts Decoratifs.\" *Les Arts* no. 16 (1903).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *A King's Book of Kings: the Shah-nameh of Shah Tahmasp.* , New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M, and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975* (1975).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., S. R. Canby, and N. M. Titley. \"Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501–1576.\" *In Wonders of the Age.* , Cambridge, MA: Fogg Museum, Harvard Art Museums, no. 7, (1979).  \n  \nDickson, M., and S. C. Welch., *The Houghton Shahnameh.* Vol. vols. I & II. Cambridge, Mass. and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Persian Painting.*, London: British Museum Press, 1993.  \n  \nGruber, C., \"The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images.\" In *The Praiseworthy One.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.  \n  \nKomaroff, L, ed. \"The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.\" In *In the Fields of Empty Days.*, Los Angeles, CA,. no. 83, (2018).  \n  \nBahari, E., and A. Schimmel., *Bihzad, Master of Persian Painting.*, London, New York: I.B.Tauris Publishers, 1996.  \n  \nMelville, C., ed. *Safavid Persia : The History and Politics of an Islamic Society.*, Pembroke Persian papers. London - New York: I. B. Tauris, 1996.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, Madrid, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* , 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nRüstem, Ü., \"The Afterlife of a Royal Gift: The Ottoman Inserts of the Shahnama-i Shahi.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 29 (2012).  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \n  \nBlair, S. S., and J. Bloom. *By the Pen and What they Write.* New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015.  \n  \n\"Inscriptions on Architecture in Early Safavid Paintings of the Metropolitan Museum.\" *Metropolitan Museum Journal* vol. 53 (2018).  \n  \nKhafipour, H., ed. \"Source Studies of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Literate Communities.\" In *The Empires of the Near East and India.*, New York: Columbia University Press, 2019.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452110","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"b92b2e17-256a-5653-8c8d-8f4555614e91":{"name":"Letter of Sultan Mehmet V to Emperor Karl I","description":"In this letter, Sultan Mehmet V thanks Austrian Emperor Karl I for the conferment of the \"Austrian Military Cross\" and congratulates him for his succession to the throne. In the same writing, he expresses his condolences for the death of Emperor Franz Joseph.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"9 February 1917","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"ba1c6502-ece8-50c7-a051-8ccb55d13f84":{"name":"Letter from the Tunisian merchants of Egypt to the Bey of Tunis","description":"This letter from the Tunisian merchants of Egypt to the Bey of Tunis thanks him for nominating a new representative in Alexandria. The letter is signed by over one hundred merchants in both Cairo and Alexandria","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1820","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"ba7672c4-fed6-5ce8-8f1d-ccd9a7e359e4":{"name":"Marriage document.","description":"A document relating to a marriage and a divorce written on the back and the front of the scroll. The document refers to the marriage of a resident of Jerusalem on the front, and on the back, deals with the divorce of this same individual from his wife. Vermin have eaten away at part of the document, making it difficult to read.  \nThe marriage document occupies seven lines. It begins with a *Basmala* (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) on a line by itself, followed by the marriage contract. The contract warrants that Sheikh Sharaf al-Din Ya'qub bin al-Hajj Yusuf bin Ya'qub of Jerusalem gave his first born, a mature, free Muslim woman from Hebron, in marriage; she was said to be free from any legal impediment. It is notable that the name of the bride is not given in the contract; the information is limited to the mention of the place she is associated with, which is Hebron. We know that her name is Fatima from the divorce document, which is written on the back of the scroll. The contract mentions that the *mahr* (dowery), paid in advance was 450 *dirham*s, and that the deferred *mahr* was 150 *dirham*s. The contract also mentions that the representative of the bride in the marriage was Sheikh Qasim bin Musa bin ‘Umar al-Ghazzi. And the contract was completed by the attendance of two witnesses, one of which was al-Sayyid Sharaf al-Din Hamza bin al-Sayyid Abd al-Rahman Ali al-Mughrabi. The name of the second witness is barely legible, but the family name “al-Asti” is readable. At the bottom of the contract is the signature of the witness. And on the left side of the text is written: “her husband, her representative has legally presided, registered by Ahmad bin al-Naqib al-Hanbali”.  \nOn the back of the scroll are two other documents. Each document is five lines long and at the end of each one are the names of two witnesses. The first document reads: “Praise Be to God, on the 5th of Muharram in the year 795 \\[21st November 1392\\], to bear witness that the aforementioned Ya'qub divorced his wife, the aforementioned Fatima the day before this date. Then he recanted his divorce and took her back into his protection and marriage contract, a legal revision, attended by witnesses and witnessed on the date above.” The second document on the back of the paper is distinguished by a settlement between the husband and wife on her return to his protection. This was to take place on the condition that he gave her the deferred *mahr*. The document records the confirmation of two witnesses, that he had given the deferred *mahr* on the basis that she would not demand the *mahr* again in the event of another divorce or the death of her husband.","short_description":"Curiously, this mariage contract from Jerusalem has a document on its reverse relating to the divorce of the same couple. The document bears all the conditions and rights pertaining to marriage or divorce. It contains the names of the married couple, the judge and the witnesses. There is little fundamental difference from a contemporary Islamic marriage contract.","type":"Document, marriage, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The Islamic Religious Court (al-Mahkama al-Shar’iyya), Jerusalem.","dates":"Hegira 5th of Muharram 795 (AD 21st November 1392).","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 43.5 cm, width 28 cm.","method_for_datation":"The documents are dated.","method_for_provenance":"Jerusalem was narrowed down as the place of issue for this document supported by the text itself.","provenance":"Jerusalem.","obtention":"This document was found in the mid-1970s amongst a collection of Mamluk papers stored in a box at the Islamic Museum. The documents are likely to have been in the archive of one of the Shari'a judges practicing in Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Little, D. P., *A Catalogue of the Islamic Documents from al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem.* Beirut, 1984.  \nLutfi, H., *Al-Quds al-Mamlukiyya: A History of Mamluk Jerusalem Based on al-Haram Documents,* Berlin, 1985.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["divorce","mahr","marriage","Paper","wedding"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"bca9a195-0769-5794-865b-e5e0b784277a":{"name":"Italian police record of Romualdo Peppini (b. Turin 1863, d. Casablanca 1912), an Italian anarchist worker who immigrated to Morocco in 1901","description":"In the 19th century and for the first half of the 20th century political migration streamed from Italy to North Africa. Supporters of Italian unification, and especially the supporters of Republican nationalist ideologue Giuseppe Mazzini, were among the first migrants. After the Italian unification, some anarchists migrated, while under Fascism several antifascists took refuge in North Africa.","type":"Archival document","holder":"Central State Archives of Italy","dates":"1894–1901","location":"Rome","author":"Giulia Barrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"bcc67bdc-c7be-5340-9052-eebc133a1ba7":{"name":"Prayer Book","description":"This small prayer book, or du'anama, belongs to a corpus of illustrated devotional texts produced in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike most prayer books created at the time, this one contains twenty-nine drawings of traditional Islamic themes and subjects, which are outlined in gold and filled with prayers in ghubar naskh, an especially fine or \"dust-like\" variety of the naskh script. These include representations of the Ka'ba, the footprints (kadem) of the Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of Solomon, the bifurcated sword of 'Ali (zu'l fiqar), Noah's Ark, the lamp of the Prophet, the trumpet of the Archangel Israfil, and the cave from the story of the Seven Sleepers in the Qur'an, among others. The manuscript is signed and dated by the calligrapher, a prominent mid-eighteenth-century master known for his calligrams and pictorial calligraphic compositions, such as the galleon with inscriptions referring to the story of the Seven Sleepers also in the Metropolitan's collection (2003.241). It also contains collectors' stamps dating to the first half of the nineteenth century. The leather binding is decorated with stamped and gilded medallions within a simple border. Prayer manuals enjoyed wide popularity in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a time of political reform and religious revivalism. Used for individual prayer, they also served as mediational devices to protect, comfort, and heal their owners.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[ Art market, Nairobi, Kenya, until 1973]; Steve Cammann, Philadelphia (until 2013); [ Bauman Rare Books, New York, (until 2013)","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 15.2 cm, width: 10.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","provenance":"Kenya","obtention":"Gift from The Friends of Islamic Art Gifts in 2014","bibliography":"James Cummins Bookseller. *Catalogue 120, Fall Arrivals.* New York, no. 43, (2013)  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"Including Fine Rugs and Carpets, London, 1 May, 2019.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, London: Sotheby's, no. 43, (2019)","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/629452","materials":["and gold on paper Binding: leather and gold","Manuscript: ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"bceaff57-522d-535e-a0c3-944479903843":{"name":"*Tughra* of Süleyman the Magnificent","short_description":"The *tughra* was the personal and official Imperial symbol of the Ottoman sultans. Each Sultan had his own design.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 47.5 cm, width 59 cm","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","Ottoman","Süleyman","tughra","tuğra"],"materials":["Gold","lapis lazuli pigments","Paper"]},"bde9764b-0319-5fdd-a563-cd0ba01a6ea4":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"This is an incomplete volume from a Qur'an that would originally have consisted of 12 volumes. Each page contains seven lines of text written with liquid silver on green paper, in Maghrebi cursive script. The vocalisation and the orthoepic signs (*suqun* and *hamza*) are in gold, red and blue. The titles of the suras, along with the verse numbers, are written with golden ink. Each verse *aya* is separated by a golden eight-petal rosette, circled by a border topped by eight series of small golden dots assembled in groups of three. The group of five verses is indicated with a stylised *kufic* *hâ* in a shape of golden tear and repeated in the margin by a larger design in the shape of an illuminated droplet (gold on a red background).  \nThis manuscript is a beautiful example of a Qur'an written on paper instead of parchment. It represents the new writing trends that appeared at the end of the Marinid dynasty. Before the AH 8th / AD 14th century, all Qur'ans were transcribed on parchment, considered until then as the only noble material worthy of bearing Qur'anic texts. Although made in Morocco from the AH 9th / AD 15th century, paper was not considered a noble material and it was only used for non-sacred texts. It was not until the Marinid period that the use of paper became widespread for the transcriptions of the Qur'an and the Hadith.","short_description":"This Qur'an, written in liquid silver on green paper using Maghrebi characters, is a good example of the new writing trends of the age. The vocalisations of the symbols are coloured, while the titles of the suras, the rosettes and the teardrops between verses are in gold.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Library.","dates":"Hegira 9th / AD 15th-16th centuries.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 22 cm , length 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the use of paper, which only became widespread for the transcriptions of the Qur'an from the 8th / 14th century, and from the writing style.","provenance":"Morocco.","bibliography":"Allouche, I. S., and Al-Rajraji, A., *Majmoua moukhtara li makhtoutât arabiya nâdira min mâktabat âmma fi al-Maghrib*, 1986.  \nAllouche, I. S. and Al-Rajraji, A., *Fahras al-makhtoutât al-arabiyya al-mahfouza fi al-khizâna al-Amma bi Ribat al-Fath,* Vol. I, Paris 1954.  \nAl-Razi, J., and Varichon, A., *6000 ans d'art au Maroc*, catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","Religion","religious manuscript","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Green paper","liquid silver."]},"be16f668-8f93-5fa4-976a-635754278a7f":{"name":"The Combat of Khusraw Parviz and Bahram Chubina (Page from a Manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings))","short_description":"The illustrated page from a manuscript of the Iranian national epic, the Shahnama, depicts a contest between the Sasanian monarch Shah Khusraw Parviz (Khusraw II, r. AD 590–628) and a would-be usurper, Bahram Chubina. The protagonists, who competed for the Iranian throne, are both crowned. Bahram, the superior warrior, advances on foot toward a group of archers directed by Khusraw. This depiction of an epic battle cheekily includes, at the center of the page, a figure who has fallen, leaving his buttocks exposed. The humiliated man perhaps can be understood as representing an out-of-favor courtier, thereby drawing the centuries-old battle into the contemporary world of the manuscript’s creation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 983-987 / AD c. 1576-1577","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"45.4 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama produced for Shah Isma‘il II (Hegira 984-985/ AD 1576-77), of which there are fifty-five known surviving paintings, including the present example. The painting bears an ascription to the artist ‘Ali Asghar, who began his career at the court of Shah Tahmasp, in Tabriz. He subsequently entered the service of Sultan Ibrahim Mirza, nephew of Tahmasp and governor of Mashhad. Ibrahim Mirza was executed by order of his cousin, the newly installed Shah Isma‘il, and ‘Ali Asghar went to work in the atelier of yet another royal patron, this time in Qazwin—the new capital.","method_for_provenance":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic. The large size of the painting and the lavish use of costly pigments suggest a royal patron. Stylistic considerations suggest a date of 983-987/1575-80. Shah Tahmasp died in 984/1576 and was succeeded by his son Isma’il, who ruled for less than two years. He was followed by his brother, the nearly blind Muhammad Khudabanda whose own inglorious reign came to an end in 996/1588 with the accession of Shah ‘Abbas the Great. Shah Isma‘il, who is in fact known to have employed a coterie of distinguished artists, is then the likely patron of the book, which can be dated with some confidence to Hegira 984-985/1576-77 AD.","provenance":"Iran, Qazwin","obtention":"The Isma’il II Shahnama was in Paris at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in 1912. Sold by Georges Demotte (1877-1923), Paris, 1916 or 1918 (sold to). Collection of M. Millon (life dates unknown). Private collection, until 2005; Sam Fogg, London, until 2006 (sold to); LACMA, purchased with funds provided by H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer, Christopher V. Walker, Carolyn and Bill Powers, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Kathrine and Frank Baxter, Caron and Steven D. Broidy, John and Leslie Dorman, the Kayne Foundation, Ric and Suzanne Kayne, Jerry D. Kayne, Myron Laskin, Camilla Chandler Frost, and Ellen and Michael Korney through the 2006 Collectors Committee.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles*, Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 184.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018: 7, 107, plate 7.  \nRobinson, B. W., \"Shah Isma'il II's Copy of the Shah-Nama: Additional Material,\" *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299, no. 6.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["figural motifs","gold","Illustration","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Safavid","silver","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and silver on paper","Ink","opaque watercolor"]},"bebf4772-4e04-58b4-aec3-822a7e9990cc":{"name":"Miniature Qur’an","short_description":"This miniature Qur’an was copied in 1758 in Iran, likely in the city of Isfahan under the Zand dynasty, by the scribe Muhammad Hashim al-Isfahani. A densely decorated double page in a blue, gold and red colour scheme introduces the text. The calligraphic small *naskh* script is vocalised in red, while golden rosettes signal the end of each verse. The text block is framed by a gold border with golden diamond-, palmette-, and bud-shaped medallions in the margins containing the verse count. While text and illumination in this popular small format were created in the 18th century, the extant lacquer binding can be dated to the early 19th century. This Qur’an was enfolded in a white sewn cotton cloth with a hand-printed red and blue floral design fastened with a gold filigree hook clasp. The cotton case gives an indication of how these manuscripts might have been stored or how their covers could be protected during travel.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 1172 / 1758 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"81 x 48mm (59 x 35mm), 231 folios.","place_of_production":"Iran, likely Isfahan","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 1172 / AD 1758","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased from the Mechitarist Order in Vienna in 1940.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 248-249.","scriber":"Muhammad Hashim al-Isfahani","binding_desc":"This lacquer binding with a brown leather spine is made of cardboard with leather edges. Despite its small dimensions, the binding corresponds to larger formats of Persian lacquer bindings from the early 19th century; since the marginal decoration of fol. 1b-2a is trimmed, it is apparent that the binding was produced later than the manuscript itself. The outer covers are symmetrically painted with naturalistic, bright flower compositions on a black ground within a gold leaf border before a green background. Orange-red and pink roses, yellow jasmine-like flowers, reddish-violet irises, red-yellow carnations and primroses within green foliage are depicted. The lacquered doublures are also symmetrically decorated with a grey-violet-yellow tinted iris containing a bud and stylised green leaves. The black border decorated with small three-dot motifs surrounds the large flower before a reddish-golden ground.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14420187","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","naskh","Qur’an"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic small naskh script of 20 lines per page.","Ink"]},"c13e5170-d59e-5b16-9738-396df09125ea":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an","short_description":"The text is written in a fine *andalusi* hand with 25 lines to the page. *Sura* headings are in single-line gold *kufic*, except for the headings to *sura*s I and II, which are written in a different *kufic* in white in illuminated panels. The two-page colophon (folios 121b–122a), which is written in gold *naskhi*, states that the manuscript is the work of a hitherto unknown scribe, Yusuf ibn ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Yusuf ibn Khaldun, and that it was copied for Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Biyatush al-Makhzumi. To judge from his great grandfather’s Christian name Beatus, the patron was of Spanish stock.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; text in *andalusi* script, incidentals in *kufic* and *naskhi*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hijra 596 / AD 1199–1200","location":"London","dimensions":"122 folios; 17 x 16cm","method_for_datation":"The date is given in the two-page colophon, which also gives the names of the calligrapher and the patron. Provenance is based on stylistic comparisons and the name of the patron, which suggests a Spanish origin.","provenance":"Spain, Valencia","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.20, pp.92–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.64, pp.74–5.","keywords":["andalusi script","Andalusia","gold","ink","kufic","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","naskh","naskh script","Qur’an","Umayyads of al-Andalus","Vellum","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on vellum","Ink","modern leather binding"]},"c147d8a2-97a3-5021-88ab-e73c8c00b9c1":{"name":"Traveller's Qur’an Scroll","short_description":"This parchment encapsulates the entire Qur’an. Tear-shaped leaf-patterns frame the holy book, which stretches across five showcases. The 114 chapters are written with horsehair with scripts illegible to the naked eye.  \n  \nDue to its shape and weight, Muslim travellers, in particular pilgrims, would carry this type of Qur’an, ensuring lighter luggage than traditional books. However, it is believed that Qur’an scrolls like this sample would function as a talisman or good-luck charm on long journeys rather than a book for reading.  \n  \nToday, smartphone applications make holy books accessible at your fingertips, while many global hotels provide religious texts for their guests.","type":"Book; Manuscript","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"17th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 890cm, Width: 4.5cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were derived from an examination of material and technique in a research comparison with similar scrolls.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were derived from an examination of material and technique in a research comparison with similar scrolls.","provenance":"India, Jaipur","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Nünlist, T., \"Devotion and protection: Amuletic scrolls dating from the 14th century\", in Bethany J. Walker and Abdelkader Al Ghouz (eds), *Living with Nature and Things: Contributions to a New Social History of the Middle Islamic Periods*, Göttingen: V&R unipress, 2020: 475-533.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Kashmir","Manuscripts","Quran"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper"]},"c17d584d-4511-5578-a953-fcd5eb632aeb":{"name":"Jami, Maulana Nur ad-Din 'Abd ar-Rahman, *Yusuf u Zulaikha* (Yusuf und Zuleikha)","short_description":"The most famous romantic epic version of the story *Yusuf u Zulaikha* was written by Maulana Nur ad-Din 'Abd ar-Rahman called Jami (died 898 AH /1492 AD) in his *Haft Awrang*. According to the colophon, this copy was penned in calligraphic *nasta’liq* by the scribe Sharaf ad-Din ash-Sharif al-Khwarazmi in 982 AH/1574 AD in Yazd, Iran. It was likely purchased with a group of other manuscripts for 20 gold ducats by Peter Lambeck in 1677 in Constantinople and then transferred to the Austrian National Library. It includes seven full-page paintings that are modelled on the *Shirazi* and *Qazwini* schools of painting. However, an Ottoman illuminator added elaborate marginal decoration at the end of the 16th or the early 17th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"982 AH / 1574 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"248 x 150 mm (130 x 60 mm), 143 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: scribe's name mentioned, 982 AH / 1574 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a: *N. 4. Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca CAESARE(A) Vindobonensi*, and on the lower right: *20 auriis*. It also mentions: 'Restored in July 1921' in the National Library.","provenance":"Yazd","obtention":"Probably purchased with a group of other manuscripts under Peter Lambeck in Constantinople in 1677 for 20 ducats.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 40-42.","scriber":"Sharaf ad-Din ash-Sharif al-Khwarazmi","binding_desc":"The dark brown, gold-stamped leather binding on vellum has the following inscribed on the spine: *Histor. Fabulos. - Cod. Ms. Persic. N. LV*. On the front cover, the imperial coat of arms with the crowned double eagle holds a banded shield with the inscription in gold print: *E.A.B.C.V. (Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi)* and *17.G.L.B.V.S.S. (!) B.54* (*Gerardus Liber Baro Van Swieten Bibliothecarius 1754*). The central field of the binding, pressed from a large matrix, contains diamond latticework formed from intertwined ribbons and Chinese-style cloud bands. Delicate spirals of flowers are visible in the background. A delicate crossbar with wavy tendrils is placed at the top and bottom. The frame is formed by stamped elongated shield medallions with floral vines. The binding was made in 17th-century Persia or Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10FD8784","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["painting","Safavid","Yusuf","Zulaikha"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 15 lines per page."]},"c1a3ba49-902b-5949-8d97-4621638aa6cb":{"name":"Inheritance document.","description":"An inheritance document written on paper in a script that is difficult to read. It consists of 15 lines, some parts of which are worn away in the middle of the first and second lines, resulting in the loss of the first name of the owner. The subject of the document is an inventory of inheritance (property) belonging to an invalid on his death-bed. The document details the possessions of the owner whose name is “\\[…\\] bin Husayn al-Mas'udi”, it includes a description of his possessions: a shirt, an old mattress, old outer garments (open in front) and a woollen head covering. The owner of the document worked as an attendant at the Madrasa Tankaziyya in Jerusalem. He also worked as a glazier, cutting glass and fitting it in houses. There are also details of a shop he was leasing out. The name of his wife was Zaynab, daughter of Muhammad bin Abd Allah Al-Iskankari, and he had three daughters: Fatima, Khatun and Rahma and one son, Muhammad. The document enumerates what is due to his wife with regard to the balance of the bridal dowry and what is due in terms of the shop lease. The owner of the document had relinquished his position in the Madrasa Tankaziyya to his son, Muhammad, on the basis of an agreement that the *madrasa* would oversee.  \nThe owner of the document was probably conveying his instructions to Ahmad bin ‘Uthman bin Sayf al-'Attal and al-Hajj Ali bin Musa bin Ali al-Nahhas. The document was registered by the Right Honourable Judge *(Qadi)*, al-Ansari al-Shafi'i, who practiced Islamic law in Jerusalem. It was signed by four witnesses; the names of each are recorded at the end of the document after the text of the statement which reads: “The aforementioned has been comprehended and witnessed accordingly”.  \nThe document offers an important insight into the social and economic life in the city of Jerusalem during the Mamluk period. It illustrates the ways in which positions were exchanged and transferred from one person to the next; it details names and types of garments that were widespread among different social classes, as well as informing us about people's professions; it gives some indication of the costs of rents, and the general cost of living in Jerusalem at the time. Such documents reveal the workings of the court as an institution with a basic role in every aspect of life, and allow exploration of the administrative system of the city at that time.","short_description":"Usually the will is enumerated after death; this one, however, was written in the presence of the owner on his death bed. He was a custodian at the Madrasa Tankiziyya and a glazier. It lists what the man will leave and to whom. It also includes instructions. The document bears a great deal of social and economic information about Mamluk Jerusalem.","type":"Document, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The Islamic Religious Court (al-Mahkama al-Shar’iyya), Jerusalem.","dates":"Hegira 793 Dhu al-Qaeda (AD October 1st 1391).","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 27 cm, width 17.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document is dated.","method_for_provenance":"The document's place of issue is narrowed down to Jerusalem, suggested by the text.","provenance":"Jerusalem","obtention":"This document was found among a collection of Mamluk documents stored in a box at the Islamic Museum in the mid-1970s. The documents are likely to have been in the archive of one of the Shari'a judges practicing in Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Little, D. P., *A Catalogue of the Islamic Documents from al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem.* Beirut, 1984.  \nLutfi, H., *Al-Quds al-Mamlukiyya: A History of Mamluk Jerusalem Based on Al-Haram Documents,* Berlin, 1985.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Inheritance","Paper"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"c2ef4889-9f51-575f-8794-b1fe85502111":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (Evening entertainment in the Golden Horn) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","description":"In this miniature we see an evening of rafts and fireworks on the Golden Horn. The grand vizier is seated on the Aynalıkavak quayside in the right frame and the sultan on the palace balcony. On the first of the two rafts in this procession, dancers and musicians perform in a garden of blazing cypress tree and Solomon’s seal fireworks. On the second is a revolving fortress stuffed with fireworks that have been set off while the military band at the stern of the raft plays.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"c4e64021-9ff6-5ec2-8f32-519ced69b6f6":{"name":"Indigo-died parchment page from a Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This horizontal Qur’an page of indigo-died parchment was executed in golden *kufic* script without any auxiliary vowel markers or diacritics. It is assumed to have formed part of a manuscript made in North Africa, possibly Kairouan, during the AH 4th century / AD 10th century. The page gives verses 135-137 from chapter 4 \"*Al-Nisa’* (The Women)\".","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"North Africa, probably Kairouan","keywords":["Al-Nisa","Blue Qur'an","calligraphy","kufic","religious manuscript"]},"c7491ee6-13a8-5366-b740-046d09dd4772":{"name":"*Khamsa* by Nizami","short_description":"This is a lavishly illustrated and illuminated manuscript of Nizami’s *Khamsa* in a painterly Turkoman style that was produced in Iran in AH 904-5 (AD 1498-99). The *Khamsa* is a quintet book composed by Abu Muhammad Ilyas ibn Yusuf ibn Mu’ayyad (AH 535–605 / AD 1141–1209) known as Nizami, who is one of the greatest romantic poets of Persian literature. It is written in rhyming couplets known as *masnavi*. Nizami’s quintet consists of didactic work and four romances, whose heroes have a historical origin. The stories are as follow: *Makhzan al-Asrar* (The Treasury of Secrets), *Khusraw va Shirin* (Khusraw and Shirin), *Layla va Majnun* (Layla and Majnun), *Haft Paykar* (The Seven Beauties) and *Iskandarnama* (The Story of Iskandar).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 904-5 / AD 1498-9","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"27.6 x 16cm","provenance":"Persia","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Symbols Of Power And Beauty: The collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2015: 18-19, 162-163.  \nIslamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 104–107. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 32.","materials":["Paper bound in leather with gilt-stamping"]},"c766ed2c-4a3f-5af1-a216-8416ad33c1ad":{"name":"The thorny plant that grows in mountains  \nFolio from *Khawass al-Ashjar* (*De Materia Medica*)","short_description":"One of the earliest scientific manuscripts to be translated from Greek into Arabic was Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, as it is called in Latin. Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician, wrote his treatise on medicinal plants in the first century CE. The manuscript was initially translated into Syriac and then into Arabic in Baghdad in the 9th century (Guesdon and Nouri 2001, p. 118). It became the foundation for Islamic pharmacology and was copied widely. The present folio is from a rare dispersed 13th-century Arabic copy of the text, in which are depicted various medicinal herbs and roots with an accuracy characteristic of Arab scientific texts produced during this period. The illustrations follow the Greek model closely. The paintings do not lack artistic sensibility and, for accuracy, each specimen is depicted in its entirety from tip to root against the plain paper ground. The recto side of this page depicts a large red bramble plant with five thorned branches arranged symmetrically. A mass of green shoots, topped with red flowers, clusters at the base of the plant, which has a red root. The text identifies the plant as rasiyun, “the thorny plant that grows in the mountains.” The verso side of the page shows a single-stemmed plant with red spiky blossoms, and the text states that this medicinal plant is used in the treatment of skin disorders, including pustules, itching and ulcers.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1200","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 16.8cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Guesdon, Marie-Geneviève and Vernay-Nouri, Annie, *L’Art du livre arabe: Du manuscript au livre d’artiste*, Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, 2001.","keywords":["folio","plants","science","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour","Paper"]},"c8b1da8f-0004-5eab-99c4-f873364fde03":{"name":"Part 28 of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"Four other sections of this Qur’an survive, but this is the only one to retain a commissioning certificate, which was revealed during conservation work done on the manuscript since it entered the Collection. It had been covered by red paint and concealed beneath a piece of paper. It records that the Qur’an was copied for the library (*khizana*) of the Zangid prince Qutb al-Din Abu’l-Muzaffar Muhammad ibn Zangi ibn Mawdud ibn Zangi, who ruled over Sinjar, Khabur and Nisibin in northern Mesopotamia between AD 1198 and 1219.  \nThe text is copied in a black-outlined gold *thuluth*, which is the most unusual in Qur’anic manuscripts. *Sura* headings are in gold *kufic*. The double-page frontispiece is illluminated in gold, lapis blue and white. The use of lapis blue, one of the most expensive of medieval pigments, was to become standard in the illumination of Qur’ans, and the use of a translucent red wash to enhance the gold was to become a feature of 14th- and 15th-century illumination in Mamluk Egypt and Syria.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *thuluth* script; incidentals in *kufic*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD 1198–1219","location":"London","dimensions":"50 folios; 22 x 15.6cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the commissioning certificate, which survives on folio 1a of the Khalili manuscript.","provenance":"Northern Mesopotamia (the Jazira), Sinjar or Nisibin","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 10 April 1989, lot 184.","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992, cat.7, pp.44–9.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.67, p.79.","keywords":["gold","ink","Jazira","kufic","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","Mesopotamia","Paper","Qur’an","thulth","watercolour","zangids"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"c8dcb99a-4981-58af-a357-22664ca7f472":{"name":"Trade agreement between the Sublime Porte and the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Annexed to the treaty, a booklet with the duties that the merchants from the Grand Duke of Tuscany had to pay in Turkey","alternate_name":"'Trattato di Commercio concluso tra la Sublime Porta e la Corte di Toscana' (Costantinopoli, 7 giugno 1841) and *Tariffa dei diritti da pagarsi dai negozianti granducali alle dogane in Turchia per le merci che asportano o v’importano stata fissata in C...","description":"With this treaty, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II and the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Megid Han intended to encourage economic exchanges between the countries. Tuscan citizens and ships were accorded the same privileges that those from other countries had received. The treaty also provided for some tax reduction in favour of Tuscan merchants.","type":"Treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"Constantinople, 7 June 1841","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"c9b1b21a-3afb-57cb-86e1-8e151adf4e75":{"name":"Haftvad and the Worm  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"The vast historical scope, imaginative power, and national importance of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), an epic poem completed by Firdausi in 1010, have inspired countless works of art in all media. This folio AKM164 (folio 521 verso) from the *Shahnameh* produced for Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76) centres around Haftvad, a modest man with seven sons and one daughter whose fate is entwined with the rise of the Sasanian dynasty (224–651).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1540","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper","Zahhak"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"c9cb37fe-33b7-5284-b925-1f2ddb485073":{"name":"Album of calligraphic specimens","short_description":"The calligraphic panels, which are copied in *naskhi*, *thuluth* and *riqa‘*, are arranged in matching pairs with identical illumination, and mounted on double-page spreads splendidly decorated with patterns drawn from Mughal enamels or pietra dura work. The album bears a note to the effect that it is to calligraphy what the albums of Jahangir, the greatest connoisseur of the Mughal emperors, were to painting. It was very likely put together for Awrangzeb (r. 1658–1707), the first Mughal emperor of unimpeachable Muslim orthodoxy, who favoured calligraphy rather than painting. This magnificent presentation of the work of Indian scribes active in his reign gives a vivid impression of the restrained elegance of his court.  \nOriginally bound as a concertina album in lacquer-painted covers, the album was rebound as a codex in Europe, sometime in the early 20th century.","type":"Album; calligraphy album; *naskhi* script; *thuluth* script; *riqa‘* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"17th – early 18th century","location":"London","dimensions":"60 folios; 40.5 x 32cm (folio)","method_for_datation":"Many of the individual panels are signed by or attributed to calligraphers active during the reign of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, and the album was most likely put together for him.","provenance":"India; some specimens signed by various calligraphers; others with later attributions","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.270, pp.234–5.","keywords":["Awrangzeb","Calligraphy album","illumination","India","ink","manuscript","Mughal","naskh","naskhi script","Riqa‘ script","thulth"],"materials":["bound in lacquer-painted covers","folios edged and backed with yellow silk","gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"ca166fd8-40d8-5568-b817-4999a1ea04de":{"name":"\"The Eavesdropper\"","alternate_name":"Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This folio once illustrated a magnificent manuscript of Nizami’s Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits). The story of the Seven Portraits comprises a series of moralizing tales as told to the Persian hero Bahram Gur by seven princesses. This lively and lyrical scene illustrates a story in which a youth spies upon maidens swimming in a garden pool by moonlight. The voyeur is barely visible here, peering out of the shuttered window, unbeknownst to the playful bathers below.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"AH ca. 833 / AD ca. 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 22.5 cm, width: 12.4 cm; Page: height: 27.9 cm, width: 18.3 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nLukens, M. G. \"The Language of the Birds: The Fifteenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in Ars Orientalis vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.* , (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision.*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, no.62, (1989).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch. \"et l'Enigme de Behzad de Herat (1465–1535).\" In *L'Art Figuratif en Islam Medieval.*, Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455059","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour","Silver"]},"cbb84bd3-d79a-57ce-bfe6-bc286288c0a2":{"name":"*Khamsa* of Nizami","short_description":"Early sixteenth-century copies of the Nizami’s *Khamsa* often begin, as does this manuscript, with a double-page painting depicting, on the right, the Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) and, on the left, Bilqis (the Queen of Sheeba), seated on gold thrones supported by *jinn* and surrounded by various worldly and other-worldly creatures. (Sulayman is said to have understood the speech of the birds.) The other paintings included here depict the Abbasid caliph Ma’mun at the *hammam*, the Persian prince Khusraw hunting, and the story of Iskandar (Alexander) attacked by giant birds.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 936 / AD 1529","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"29.7 x 18 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["calligraphy","hamam","hunt","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","warfare"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"cbe9cbbe-7273-52d1-8920-45ea27d852f8":{"name":"Rustam shooting Ashkabus and his horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio, which depicts one of the hero Rustam’s more unusual victories in single combat, was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.3 x 24.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","poem","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and ink on paper","Gold","Opaque watercolour"]},"cbf85605-4ba0-5a95-83bb-a01c29a67fc3":{"name":"The Rosetta Stone","description":"A letter from General Lord Hely Hutchinson, Commander of the British army in Alexandria, Egypt, to the traveller and scientist Edward Daniel Clarke. Clarke is to ensure the security of the Rosetta Stone which he, W.R. Hamilton and Colonel Turner are acquiring from the French army under the terms of the Capitulation of Alexandria. The letter also asks Clarke to copy the inscription from the Stone. It is dated September 13, 1801.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1801","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt"},"ccc2770b-0e12-5f13-ae15-4f9ed65ca7cb":{"name":"A list showing the names of some individuals deemed eligible to be awarded nickel medals","description":"A list showing the names of some individuals deemed eligible to be awarded nickel medals for their donations toward the construction expenses of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway.  \nSome of the names included in the list are as follows:  \nMünshi Feth Muhammad Sahib, residing in the city of Batala in the Punjab Province of India; Münshi Amiruddin Sahib, residing in the city of Batala in the Punjab Province of India; Habib bin Muhammad Efendi, residing in the city of Shahabad under Karnal in the Punjab Province; Rahmat Khan from the people of India, and others.","type":"Archival Document","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 12 September 1904 / AH 2nd Rajab 1322h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 24 cm; width: 14.5 cm","provenance":"Hamidiye Hijaz Railway High Commission","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["awards","donations","Hejaz Railway","medals","railway employees"],"materials":["Paper"]},"ce0fc758-0578-5c82-a0bf-76b98283bf9c":{"name":"\"The Concourse of the Birds\"","alternate_name":"Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)","description":"The illustration on this folio depicts a scene from a mystical poem, Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), written by a twelfth-century Iranian, Farid al-Din 'Attar. The birds, which symbolize individual souls in search of the simurgh (a mystical bird representing ultimate spiritual unity), are assembled in an idyllic landscape to begin their pilgrimage under the leadership of a hoopoe (perched on a rock at center right). The careful, harmonious composition is consistent with that of the late fifteenth-century Timurid miniatures also in the manuscript, but three factors indicate that this image is later: the presence of the hunter, who has no place in the narrative; his firearm, a weapon that gained currency in Iran after the mid-sixteenth century; and the signature of the late sixteenth- to early seventeenth-century artist Habiballah.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Abbas I, Isfahan, Iran (ca. 1600–1609); Shrine of Shaikh Safi Al-Din, Ardabil, Iran(ca. 1609–sack of Ardebil, 1826); M. Farid Parbanta(until 1963)","dates":"AH ca. 1000 / AD ca. 1600","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: Height: 25.4 cm, width: 11.4cm; Page: Height: 33 cm , width: 20.8 cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1963","bibliography":"\"Sufi Narratives.\" in *Hali* vol. 191.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Language of the Birds: The Seventeenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries: the Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1970.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen, ed., \"The Historical Background and Illustrative Character of the Metropolitan Museum's Mantiq al-Tayr of 1483.\" In *Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nFerrier, R. W., ed., *The Arts of Persia.*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.  \n  \nde Montebello, P., and K. Howard, ed., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, 6th ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \n  \nAlexander, D., M. al-Malik Abd al-Aziz al-Ammah, D. S. Walker, and H. Nickel., *Furusiyya. The Horse in the Art of the Near East.*, vol. 1. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 1996.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., ed. \"Studies in Honour of Basil W. Robinson.\" In *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars.*, Pembroke Persian papers, vol. 3. London and New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.  \n  \nSims, E., B. Marshak, and E.J. Grube. \"Persian Painting and its Sources.\" In *Peerless Images.*, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nBabaie, S., K. Babayan, I. Baghdiantz-McCabe, and M. Farhad. \"New Elites of Safavid Iran.\" In *Slaves of the Shah.*, Library of Middle East history, vol. 3. London; New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nKia, C., \"Is the Bearded Man Drowning? Picturing the Figurative in a Late-Fifteenth-Century Painting from Herat.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 23 (2006).  \n  \nLewisohn, L., and C. Shackle, ed. \"The art of spiritual flight.\" In *Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition.*, London; New York: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2006.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \n  \nKamada, Y.. \"An Illustrated Manuscript of Mantiq al-Tayr in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.\" in *Orient*, vol. XLV (2010).  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nMumtaz, M., *Faces of God : Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500–1800.*, Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section II South Asia, vol. 39. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451725","materials":["and silver on paper","Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"ce5ecdb3-7e4c-5b16-9a02-9a178b2075cb":{"name":"A detailed statistical report showing the general operating transactions of the Hejaz Railway for the year 1912","description":"The report includes income and expenditure tables, the quantities of passengers and goods transported, a comparison of the number of trains arriving and departing and the kilometers covered during the years 1911 and 1912, as well as information on the capital of the Hejaz Railway and other related data","type":"Archival Register","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 1912 / AH 1330/31 h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 34 cm; width: 24.5 cm; Depth: 1 cm","provenance":"Imperial Treasury (Hazine-i Hassa)","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["archival register","Hejaz Railway","ottoman empire","Railway","Transportation"],"materials":["Paper","with textile hardcover"]},"ce6b5f80-a107-594c-bbad-ab4c10e5f9d0":{"name":"Bifolium from the 'Nurse's Qur'an' (*Mushaf al-Hadina*)","short_description":"The *Mushaf al-hadina* was commissioned for donation to the Great Mosque of Qayrawan by the nursemaid of the Zirid ruler Abu-Manad Badis ibn al-Mansur (r. A.D. 996–1016). Written in a form of *kufic* script that was unique to North Africa, it is remarkable not only for its calligraphy but also for two inscriptions providing documentary evidence it was commissioned by a female servant of a royal medieval household. Female patrons associated with the Zirid court, whether princesses or in royal service, were not uncommon. They commissioned Qur’ans to demonstrate their wealth and piety. The manuscript was copied on animal-derived parchment, which remained in use in this region long after a shift to paper took place in Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 410 / AD 1019–20","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 44.5cm, W: 60cm","provenance":"Probably Qayrawan, Tunisia","obtention":"Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Fatima al-Hadina, Tunisia (until about 1019–20)  \nFormer owner: Great Mosque of Qairawan, Tunisia (from about 1019–20)  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Charif Fine Arts, Dubai, sold to Fogg\\]  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, by 2006–7; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Campbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 126, ill. (colour).  \nFraser, Marcus and Kwiatkowski, Will, *Ink and Gold: Masterpieces of Islamic Calligraphy London*, London: Sam Fogg 2006: 58–61, no. 15, ill.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 40–41, 146, no. 4, ill. 41, 146.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (ed), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 60–61, no. 31, ill. 60 (colour).  \nRoxburgh, David J., *Writing the Word of God. Calligraphy and the Qur'an*, Houston: Museum of Fine Arts, 2007.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007","keywords":["Arabic inscription","calligrapher","calligraphy","Dedicatory inscription","female patronage","gold","ink","kufic","opaque watercolor","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qairawan","Qur'an","religious object","Tunisia","writing","Zirid"],"materials":["and gold on parchment","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"cf106c3f-4539-5afa-9774-85924fe852cf":{"name":"Book of patterns","short_description":"Most of the folios are divided into square or rectangular compartments filled with drawings of a wide variety of repeating patterns, often with figural motifs but most with stylised floral elements. There are also rubbings, woodblock prints and a few drawings, mostly of objects and sprays of flowers, some coloured and some occupying a full page. Many patterns were drawn directly on the pages but others were pasted in.  \nThe designs based on human figures – including dancers, acrobats and mounted riders – are among the most creative. But of greater complexity are some with animals; fish, cobras, birds, elephants, squirrels, lions, tigers, camels and deer are represented. Some of the patterns are inspired by traditional Mughal decorative motifs, while others are European in taste.  \nThe pattern book had the potential to be of great use to jewellers and enamellers as well craftsmen working in textiles, manuscript illumination, bidri-ware and other metalwork, ceramic paving and marquetry work.","type":"Manuscript; pattern book; pattern; drawings; rubbings","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Folios: 24.5 x 15.2cm; drawn area: 20.2 x 11.2cm; 108 folios","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"North India, possibly Lucknow","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 30 April 2003, lot 22.","bibliography":"Moura Carvalho, P., *Gems and Jewels of Mughal India*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 18, 2010: cat.169, pp.290–97.","keywords":["bird","camel","dance","Elephant","India","lion","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","Mughal"],"materials":["Black ink and wash and/or pasted with drawings","now removed","or wood-block prints","original brown morocco covers","patterns","rubbings","some coloured"]},"cf2da5c2-0d20-5dbf-a2aa-c9244ad7d708":{"name":"Half of the Holy Qur’an.","description":"A large manuscript containing half of the Qur'an. It includes 325 pages written in *thuluth* script. The first page is decorated with coloured and gilded geometric and stylised vegetal motifs showing very high levels of precision and skill. Surrounding the basic text of the Qur'an are marginal notes recorded in blue, red, and black ink addressing Qur'anic recitation, interpretation, and grammar.  \nThe verses of the Qur'an are underlined by threads of wavy blue and separated by small golden circles that number the holy phrases. The entire text is surrounded by a thick, opulent frame of geometric and astral tessellations outlined in blue and abundantly gilded. Three large gilded circular and triangular medallions branch out beyond the gilded frame towards the edge of the page.  \nAn Arabic text dealing with the dedication of this copy of the Qur'an is found on the third page. It may be translated as follows: “This is a *waqf* to al-Amir al-Kabir al-Sarim Ibrahim bin al-Amir al-Nasari Muhammad bin al-Amir al-Sarimi Ibrahim bin al-Sayfi Manjak, may God grant them shelter in his mercy and contentedness, and settle them in his paradises, Amen, and has made the dwelling of this Qur'an in the mosque of his father, the Aqsab Mosque, outside Damascus the Protected, praise be to God only”.  \nThe text specifies that the person who established this Qur'an as a charitable endowment is the Mamluk Prince Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Sayfi Manjak. He was one of the grandchildren of Prince Manjak, who twice served as the Mamluk governor of Damascus.","short_description":"The abundance and intricacy of gold-leaf decoration found on this illuminated Qur'an is typical of the Mamluks' patronage of religious arts. The use of gold was also popular on Mamluk mosque lamps and was usually symbolic of 'divine light'.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","initial_owner":"Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ibrahim al-Saifi Manjak (d. AH 9th / AD 15th century), grandson of the Mamluk Ibrahim Manjak who was twice governor of Damascus during the second half of the AH 8th / AD 14th century.","dates":"Hegira 8th–9th century / AD 14th–15th century.","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 50 cm, width 35 cm, depth 7 cm.","method_for_datation":"The donor is the grandson of the Mamluk Prince Manjak, who served his first term as ruler of Damascus in 759 / 1357, and his second in 770 / 1368. It is possible that this Qur'an dates generally to this period. However, his grandson Ibrahim may also have endowed the Qur'an to the mosque at a later date, during the 9th / 15th century.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was dedicated to a mosque in Damascus, and was commissioned by the grandson of a Mamluk governor of Damascus. Though it was in all likelihood copied in Damascus, the text does not specifically state this, so it is possible that it was copied elsewhere, for example in Cairo.","provenance":"Damascus, Syria.","obtention":"The piece was confiscated by security forces in the year 1959.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969.  \nCluzan, S. et al (eds), *Syrie: Mémoire et Civilisation*, Paris, 1994, pp.410–12.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Damascus","gilding","Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ibrahim bin Manjak","ink","manuscript","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["gilded.","Ink on paper"]},"d1bf9339-5f6b-5368-a2c4-65e31939f9a9":{"name":"*Kitab al-Tasrif li-man 'ajiza 'an al-ta'lif fi al-tibb* (The arrangement of manifold medical knowledge for one who is not able to compile a book for himself: on surgery and instruments)","alternate_name":"The method of medicine","short_description":"Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi al-Ansari, more commonly referred to as Al-Zahrawi, made a name for himself through the discoveries he made in the fields of surgery. This manuscript is the last volume of Al-Zahrawi's 30-part encyclopaedia on medicine and the human body that he compiled over the course of 50 years. In this volume the Arab-Andalusian surgeon goes into great detail about the techniques of surgery and the suitable instruments to perform various medical interventions, many of which he invented himself.  \nThis particular manuscript contains some 158 illustrations of surgical equipment whose purpose seems to have been demonstrative in nature. Such an interpretation can be made due to the way in which these images were executed, suggesting that the motive for their inclusion had a more practical approach than an artistic one. Even so, despite this apparent lack of attention to technical drawing, this manuscript is of immeasurable value because of the impact its text had on the history of medicine as a whole. Al-Zahrawi was a pioneer in his field and paved the way for modern day surgery.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Late 11th century AH / late 17th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"300 x 210mm (220 x 145mm), 116 folios","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established based on the style of the binding and the script of the manuscript.","provenance":"Most likely Morocco","obtention":"It is noted on fol. II that the manuscript was bought for the Imperial Court Library in Paris, for 15 guilders in 1860.","bibliography":"Al Samman, Tarif, \"Medizin\" in O. Mazal (ed), *Kultur des Islam: Orientalische Handschriften der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, Vienna: Österrichische Nationalbibliothek, 1980: 152-153.  \nDuda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/1. Die Handschriften in arabischer Sprache, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/1, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 139-141.","binding_desc":"Both front and back cover of this brown, Moroccan leather binding are decorated with an intricately cut out oval medallion that is embossed with floral ornaments. Further to this is a flap that also has an embossed medallion with floral ornaments on it, albeit a bit smaller and rounder than the ones on the covers.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14422207","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Al-Zahrawi","Kitab al-Tasrif","medicine"],"materials":["purple and black ink on paper. Calligraphic maghrebi script of 20 lines per page.","red"]},"d4fac3f2-aef5-5d9c-92ce-6e04c206f021":{"name":"Manuscript on geography.","description":"This geographical manuscript *Taqwim al-Buldan* (“The Almanac of Countries”) is a well-known medieval Muslim work on geography written by an Ayyubid prince by the name of Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331). The text is systematically descriptive. It is supported by information in tables based on rational and scientific observation in a manner similar to modern studies. The information used to compile the tables is judged to have come mostly from the Arabic translations and modifications of Ptolemy written by al-Biruni and Ibn Sa'id al-Maghrebi and other scientists. The manuscript was completed in AH 721 / AD 1321, and, upon publication, it superseded all previous geographical texts. This copy was made a generation later, during the Mamluk period, by Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qirsh. The frontispiece was painted by Muhammad al-'Arari.  \nThe frontispiece is highly ornamented, with a gilded frame surrounding the opening text of the book. The title and the name of the ruler who sponsored it are written in white letters on an intricate blue and gold background. Vegetal patterns cover both the frame and the area surrounding the text. There is a line of text in gold above the frame, as well as a delicate, but slightly smudged, note in the bottom margin.  \nAlso pictured is an example of one of the book's tables. It is arranged into simple, plain boxes filled with small, black handwriting and large, red labelling.  \nThe author, Abu'l Fida, was an Ayyubid prince and scholar who was born in Damascus in 1273 and died in Hama in AH 732 / AD 1331. He is also famous for writing *Mukhtasar ta'rikh al-bashar* (“A Summary of Human History”) a complied history of the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods up to AH 729 / AD 1329 that was popular in his time and later with the 18th-century European Orientalists.","short_description":"This important manuscript is a work of encyclopaedic scope and includes a highly ornate frontispiece typical of the Mamluk period. It was composed by the Damascene Ayyubid Prince al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331) and this copy was made a generation later.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","initial_owner":"Written by al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331).","dates":"Hegira 741 / AD 1340.","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 33 cm, width 23 cm, depth 3.6 cm.","method_for_datation":"The manuscript specifies that this copy was completed on Friday 3 Jamada al-Akhar 741 (24 November 1340).","method_for_provenance":"It is possible that the manuscript was produced in Hama, an assertion based on the text at the beginning of the book that reads: “Sultan 'Imad al-Din Isma'il, Sahib Hama Abu al-Fida, who thought up [the idea for] this book. This geographical book relies on compilation of ideas and copying like an almanac of countries. It divides the ancient world into regions.” This does not establish provenance for certain, for it is possible that the copying and frontispiece painting took place in Damascus or Aleppo in the name of the ruler of Hama.","provenance":"Possibly Hama, Syria.","obtention":"Purchased in 1961.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969.  \nCahen, C., “Ayyubids”, *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, Vol. I, Leiden, 1979, p.804.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["“Taqwim al-Buldan”","al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida","geography","hama","manuscript","Muhammad al-'Arari","Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qirsh"],"materials":["gilded frontispiece.","Ink on paper"]},"d668ed4d-2ede-5e5c-8317-ab16ddbceaab":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This fine Qur’an was produced for Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, who served as Grand Vizier for two Ottoman sultans, Süleyman I (the ‘Magnificent’, r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) and his successor Selim II (r. AH 974–82 / AD 1566–74). It was copied in a fine *rayhan* script by the renowned calligrapher Hasan Chelebi, who was the slave, and then adopted son, of the equally renowned calligrapher Ahmad Karahisari. The manuscript is beautifully illuminated and bound in a fine pressure-moulded binding decorated with cloud scrolls and blossoms.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 977 / AD 1570","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"20 x 13.3 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","keywords":["arabesque","Bookbinding","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","Mehmet Sokolovitsch","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"d72b69f9-a4da-50e3-9f8d-3294ff84d9e9":{"name":"The 1861 constitution","description":"Despite the promulgation of the fundamental pact, the new reforms did not, in practice, take effect. The French and English consuls therefore continued to remind the Tunisian sovereign of the importance of judiciary reform in particular and offered to create a senate to assist him in this. Mohamed Bey's successor, Sadok Bey, promised to complete his predecessor's work and create a deliberative assembly. On 1 July 1860, the completion of the new reforms was announced. On 17 September 1860 in Algiers, the bey solemnly handed Napoléon III a copy of the richly bound text. Proclaimed in January 1861, the constitution was put to effect the following 23 April.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1861","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"d7624db0-56ea-5f6c-a4ec-671242a3d4eb":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","description":"This 19th-century Qur'an manuscript opens with an elaborately decorated and gilt double page giving the first chapter 'Al-Fatiha' on the right and the beginning of chapter 2 'Al-Baqara' on the right. The text, disposed in 15 lines on each page and framed by gold margins, is executed in black naskhi script, with red detailing. The chapter headings are executed in white riqa' script against a solid golden cartouche with blue floral detailing. The verse dividers are rendered as small gold discs. major subdivisions in the text are marked by small red inscriptions or elaborate, colourful medallions in the margins. The last double-page has elaborately coloured and gilt cartouches, the right giving the name of the calligrapher Hashim al-Kashafi, one of the students of Abd al Qader al-Rasmi, in the year 1286 H/ 1865 CE.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"d804899b-9769-5c70-a8ff-438b6dcac6e8":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Mahlaj shows his skill to Zumurrud Shah and runs a spear through a tree","short_description":"\"Mahlaj mounted a horse and began to exhibit his skill in spear-throwing. A camel stuffed with sand was brought, and Mahlaj charged it and planted his spear into its side in such a way that it passed straight through. Then he picked up the camel and its load and hurled it over his head. A cheer arose from the people. Next he speared the tree so hard that it split in two. 'My Lord,' said Mahlaj, 'if anyone can pull this spear out of the tree, he will have performed a real feat.' This he said, and he dismounted.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","author":"Johannes Wieninger","keywords":["Hamzanama","Mahlaj","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"d8d5a5cd-689f-5f68-bcf7-940b003039aa":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"The work in all its aspects reflects the full maturity of the style for its time. It was produced as 265 folios of finished (*aharli*) paper with 14 lines per page of *naskhi* script in black ink. The book's introduction features a double-page illumination. The chapter title frames, marginal rosettes and the colophon page are also illuminated. The illumination includes freely brushed cloud compositions placed side by side with traditional motifs like Chinese-inspired floral motifs (e.g. peonies), arabesques, palmettes and spiralling tendrils. The attempt to reach beyond traditional compositional formulas continues in the illumination, placed in between letters and in the flower and leaf compositions springing from the frames or letters.  \n  \nThe leather binding is dark-red on the outside and dark-green on the inside. The symmetrical layout on both the inner (doublures) and outer covers comprises an oval medallion ending in palmette-shaped pendants and half-pendant corner-pieces within a wide border. The medallion, corner-pieces and pendants are outlined in gold and filled with vegetal compositions in the *hatayi* (*chinoiserie*) style. The decoration on the binding is tooled to a depth of 2 mm on the outer covers and to 1 mm on the inner covers. The balance between decorated and undecorated surfaces, and the surface difference in the decoration, makes for incredible depth. In contrast to the other parts of the binding, the flap is inscribed with Qur'anic verses (56: 77–9).  \n  \nSheikh Hamdullah established a school in Ottoman calligraphy that was known by his name. He was also a teacher of Sultan Bayezid II (r. AH 886–918 / AD 1481–1512). This work, transcribed by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah) in Rajab 899 (AD April 1494), is noteworthy for its surpassing of traditional models of illumination and especially for its masterful tooled binding and superb calligraphy. Thus, it is one of the most important works from the reign of Bayezid II, when Ottoman book arts started to assume their own identity.","short_description":"This Qur'an was copied by Sheikh Hamdullah, who established a school of Ottoman calligraphy. Its calligraphy, illumination and exquisite binding make it a masterpiece of Early Ottoman period book arts.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The name of the original owner is not known. However, the work bears the seals of both Sultan Mahmud I (r. AH 1143–68 / AD 1730–54), and the inspector of pious foundations (waqf), Derviş Mustafa, (in office during the first quarter of the AH 12th / AD 18th century). Although these seals do not identify the actual structure to which this Qur’an was dedicated, it is inferred that it was dedicated to a mosque or a tomb.","dates":"Hegira Rajab 899 / AD April 1494.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul","dimensions":"Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The colophon states that it was written in Rajab 899 / April 1494.","method_for_provenance":"The high-quality calligraphy, illumination and binding of the work all suggest that it was produced in the Topkapı Palace workshops in Istanbul. Sultan Bayezid II was quite passionate about the art of calligraphy. When he was a prince governing Amasya, he was tutored in calligraphy by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah). When he ascended the throne, he invited his tutor to teach calligraphy in Topkapı Palace. Thus, it is highly likely that this Qur'an was prepared for Sultan Bayezid II in the workshops of Topkapı Palace.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The book was transferred to the Museum from the Library of the Ayasofya Mosque in Istanbul in 1914.","bibliography":"Çığ, K., *Türk Kitap Kapları* (*Turkish Book Bindings*), Istanbul, 1971, Fig. IV.  \n  \nLevenson, J. A. (ed), *Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration*, Washington D.C., 1991, no. 81.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.250–1.  \n  \nRaby, J. and Tanındı, Z., *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century*, London, 1993, pp.196–9.  \n  \nRoxburgh, D. .J. (ed), *Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600*, London, 2005, p.441.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","gold (gilding)","ink","leather","leather binding","painting","religious manuscript","tooling","vegetal decoration","watercolours"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","leather","tooling on the leather binding.","watercolour"]},"d94abca0-07a0-5504-8f9e-843ed2f954ce":{"name":"Two *Sura*s of the Qur'an","short_description":"What were originally two separate volumes are now bound together to form this small manuscript. The first half of the manuscript consists of *sura* (chapter) VI of the Qur’an, copied in a black *naskhi* script, while the second half consists of sura LXXIII, copied in a large *thuluth* script, alternately in lines of black and gold ink, and signed by the calligrapher Yusuf ibn ‘Abdallah. The fine leather binding of the manuscript is protected by being placed in a red velvet satchel adorned with patterns and inscriptions embroidered in metal threads.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 976 / AD 1568","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"14 x 9.8 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","keywords":["arabesque","Bookbinding","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"da6f318d-80ce-5330-b287-e6ae140c2ff0":{"name":"Frontispiece of a Qur’an.","description":"The first page is decorated with a particularly brilliant illumination. It consists of a rectangular field gilded and stippled with red and black dots and framed by two plaited strips. In the axial plane is a central circle equidistant from two semi-circles. The whole is separated by four half-lozenges. Each one of these contains a stylised, five-lobed, vine-leaf motif inscribed in a circle from which two half-leaves emerge. A palm-leaf motif with abundant floral decoration projects towards the edge of the page.  \nThese different motifs come from the Ifriqiyan decorative repertoire of the classical period: AH 3rd–5th centuries / AD 9th–11th.  \nThe second page contains a Qur'anic text taken from the tenth *sura*, Yunis (Jonas, verses 70-1). The lively gilded *kufic* script is framed in brown. The vowels are indicated by red dot diacritics, with two vertically arranged dots for the *tanwin* and green and blue dots respectively for the *hamza* and the *shadda*, after the method established by Abi al-Aswad. Short diagonal lines are also used for the vowel points.  \nThe divisions between the verses are marked by gilt rosettes inside blue circles. The fifth verse is marked by a gilded roundel with a blue centre and a red circumference. The tenth verse is marked in the margin by a roundel covered with gilded petals. An ornate inner circle contains a gilded inscription on a red background.","short_description":"The first page bears an uncommonly bright illumination. The second page contains a Qur'anic text taken from the *sura* Yunis. The *kufic* script is gold and outlined in brown.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century (second half).","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 21 cm, width 15 cm.","method_for_datation":"Palaeographic study reveals that the lettering is identical to that of Qur'ans belonging to the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan and dated thanks to their deed of gift (*habus*) from the 4th / 10th century. Furthermore, a *fatwa* issued by the great Maliki jurist of Kairouan, Abdullah ibn Abi Zayd (d. 386 / 996) (d. 386 / 996) appears to mention this gilt-inscribed Qur'an, thus narrowing the dating to the second half of the 4th / 10th century.","provenance":"Probably Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, this Qur'an was obtained by the National Library in 1967, and transferred in 1983 to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*30 ans au service du patrimoine* (exhibition catalogue), 1986, p.209.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.219.  \n*Tunisie: du christianisme a l'islam* (exhibition catalogue), Lattes, 2001, p.193.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62 and 182–3.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Illuminated and decorated parchment."]},"db7e26a4-3251-5466-8971-8209285633d5":{"name":"\"Alexander and the Circle of Seven Sages\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"9th century AH / 15th Century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting and Text Block: Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 14.3 cm; Page: Height: 27.8 cm, Width 19.7 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships*. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nCasagrande-Kim, R., ed. \"Islamic Transformations of the Classical Past.\" In *Romance and Reason*. Princeton and Oxford: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, no. 26, (2018).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455025","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"db8efe20-85f0-56b3-9f4f-d965040ce729":{"name":"A treaty of peace and trade between the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regency of Tripoli, written in French, Italian and Arabic","alternate_name":"*Trattato di Pace e Commercio confermativo degli antecedenti tra S.A.I.R. il Granduca di Toscana e Joussef Pascià Caramanlì, Capo e Sovrano della Reggenza di Tripoli*","description":"In order to avoid misunderstandings that could negatively affect the peace and goodwill between the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regence of Tripoli, the two countries signed this treaty, with the French chargé d'affaires acting as mediator.  \nThe treaty confirmed other treaties along the same lines previously signed by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regence of Tripoli. Moreover, the treaty committed the Grand Duke of Tuscany to grant the Regent a lump sum payment (6,000 piastre), providing that the Regent not expect further payments or presents from Tuscan consuls.","type":"International treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"5 March 1829","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"dbb2810b-2201-5ec0-9c74-15bdbff69f28":{"name":"Koran page","short_description":"This leaf is from one of the oldest extant copies of the Koran. It is a palimpsest: the original text was scraped off and a new one was written on the parchment. The original text reemerged and can be read as a shadow under the later one. Both are transcripts of the Koran’s *sura* 2, “The Cow.”  \nBoth texts were written in *Hijazi*, the earliest Arabic script used for Korans.","type":"Parchment leaf from a Qur'an written in *Hijazi*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1st half of the 1th century / AD 2nd half of the 7th century","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Hijaz Province, the Arabian Peninsula, or Syria","keywords":["Parchment","Qur'an","religious manuscript","The Cow"]},"dc5f0937-d5aa-54f6-ab26-c328b079d9bf":{"name":"*Mashaf* (Qur’anic manuscript) of Barsbay.","description":"A copy of the second half of the Holy Qur'an. It was an endowment (*waqf*) to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay. This *mashaf* was given to him by the city of Damascus during his stop-over there part-way on a journey to a final destination in AH 836 / AD 1432. He sent it to al-Aqsa Mosque and made the *sheikh* of the Madrasa Salihiyya its custodian. He appointed Sheikh Shams al-Din Muhammad bin Qatlubga al-Ramli who was a famous orator in Jerusalem, to read this *mashaf*.  \nThe *mashaf* has been rebound and restored. During this process, a number of torn pages have been removed and replaced by others. This process has led to the loss of the front of the *mashaf* and the end, which would typically have borne the name of the calligrapher, the illuminator and the date the *mashaf* was copied. The folios of the *mashaf* had been trimmed on three sides at the time of restoration, since the dimensions of the original were approximately 120 cm x 95 cm. At the bottom of the *mashaf* is a statement that it was restored: “This was repaired by the humble Ibrahim Ahmad al-Salfayni al-‘Abbasi in the latter half of the month of Jumada II in the year 1292 \\[1875\\]”.  \nThe text begins with *Surat “al-Kahf”* (“the Cave”), written in thick, dark-black ink in skilful *thuluth* script. The pauses are indicated by six-leafed and illuminated blossoms. The names of “Allah” and the “Prophet Muhammad” are illuminated everywhere they appear in the text. The beginning of each new chapter, the chapter heading, the verse number, and the area where they are placed, is written in white ink and surrounded by vegetal decoration within a rectangular frame. The scribe distinguishes the elongated letters in some of the words by writing them in red. Furthermore, he elongates the two letters “Nun” and “Ta”, as well as any letters resembling these in form when they reach the end of the line, to the end of the margin.  \nSome of the chapter headings have been intentionally ripped out, and the gap they have left covered over with white paper with the name of the chapter written on it. The substitute white paper is distinctive from the thick paper of the *mashaf*, which perhaps was composed of more than one layer.","short_description":"This is the second half of a Qur’anic manuscript endowed to al-Aqsa Mosque by Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay. It is the biggest Qur’an in Palestine (110 cm x 170 cm when open). It is written in beautiful *thuluth* script in black ink on a thick, strong paper and has many decorations. The name *al-Jalala* (Majesty) and the name of the Prophet are illuminated wherever they appear.","type":"Qur'an, paper, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay (r. AH 825–41 / AD 1422–37).","dates":"Hegira 825–41 / AD 1422–37.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 110 cm, width 85 cm, depth 13 cm.","method_for_datation":"The dates established for the *mashaf* is supported by historical sources, such as a passage in the book of historian, Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali.","method_for_provenance":"It is probable that the *mashaf* was produced in Damascus where it was given to Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay.","provenance":"Probably Damascus, Syria.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was transferred at an unknown date from al-Aqsa Mosque to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), *Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Significant Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\]*, Amman, 1973.  \nSalameh, K., *The Qur'anic Manuscripts in al-Haram al-Sharif Islamic Museum*, Paris, 2001.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["illumination","mashaf","Qur’an","Thuluth"],"materials":["Coloured ink on paper","decorated and illuminated","the binding of leather."]},"dc96172a-d522-545b-a1c3-052bebfe5e6c":{"name":"\"Device for Raising Water\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the AH 7th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"Ah Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.4cm × 27.6cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13824/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=960a2c37-a27f-436d-9ac0-f9aed7bd2418&idx=0","keywords":["folio","Mamluks","Technical Manuscript","water"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"dccc8b0a-bc31-5963-9d01-c749feb6d5e5":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"In this Qur’an, the beginning of each *sura* (chapter) is indicated by a line of gold script giving the title of the chapter and the number of verses it contains. Extending from each of these titles is a highly stylized palmette element, executed in a palette of burgundy, blue, green and gold. These folios are from what was the final volume of a sixty-part Qur’an. Each of the original sixty volumes would have begun with an illuminated double-page frontispiece similar to the (now only single-page) frontispiece included in this volume.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th century / AD 9th–10th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"12.8 x 20.2 cm","provenance":"North Africa or Spain","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1411/13/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on vellum"]},"dd7c1d21-573b-5dd3-8f6f-94141d1320e3":{"name":"Safi ibn Vali’s Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’)","short_description":"Written during the year-long pilgrimage undertaken by the author, Safi ibn Vali, in 1676–77, the Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’) gives advice to prospective pilgrims on every aspect of the journey: which ships to choose, how to stay healthy, the places to visit, the rituals to be observed and the people one is likely to encounter. Safi ibn Vali’s own pilgrimage (he commenced his journey on 12 Rajab 1087/ 20 September 1676) was made possible through the financial help of Zib al-Nisa, a daughter of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, for whom he had written a commentary on the Qur’an.  \n  \nThis manuscript belongs to a long-established tradition of guides to the Holy Places (see MSS 1038), although the illustrations here differ in that they combine the diagrammatic views normally found in such guides with vivid and colourful scenes of the pilgrims and their caravans. The illustrations are simple in their conception yet their attention to detail is acute. They provide a cogent picture of camp life of pilgrims in the late 17th century.  \n  \nThe illustrations:  \n  \nView of the port of Surat and the ships carrying pilgrims (folio 2b). Surat, on the Western coast of India, north of Bombay, was one of the main points of departure to Arabia. The view is oriented to the south.  \nThe pilgrims’ ships crossing the Sea of Oman (folio 3b). The two larger ships carry pilgrims; one, on the right, appears to be casting (or raising) anchor. The smaller vessels may be fishing boats.  \nThe mish‘ar al-haram and the ritual of collecting pebbles (folio 10a). The painting shows the pilgrims in the region of Muzdalifa, in a state of ihram (ritual purity), collecting pebbles.  \nThe pilgrims in the town of Mina, being shaved, making sacrifices and casting pebbles at the Devil (folio 10b). This day corresponds to ‘Id al-Adha on 10 dhu’l-Hijjah, the feast commemorating the Sacrifice of Abraham. By this stage, the pilgrims, who are in a full state of ihram indicated by their white garments, have already completed their initial circumambulation of the Ka‘bah (the welcome tawaf); the ritual of running between the hills of Safa and Marwa (sa‘iyy) recalling Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Isma‘il; the day of prayer at ‘Arafat – a most holy time when every pilgrim stands alone with God; and the gathering of pebbles at Muzdalifa in preparation for the stoning of the Devil at Mina. This recalls yet another chapter in the Abrahamic narrative in which Isma‘il stones the Devil seven times (the ritual is illustrated in the upper right-hand corner of the painting). After this a sacrifice is made. The pilgrims are released from most of the restrictions imposed by the state of ihram; men shave their heads and beards; women have their hair clipped. Pilgrims can now wear their normal clothes and leave for Mecca, where they perform another essential rite, a further circumambulation of the Ka‘bah known as the tawaf al-ifadah, which takes place on the same day.  \nThe birthplaces of the Prophet Muhammad; Fatimah; Abu Bak al-Siddiq; as well as the Madrasah of Sultan Sulayman, and a Bektashi lodge (folio 11b). These are shrines to visit in the vicinity of Mecca, which are not part of the hajj rituals.  \nPlan of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca with the Ka‘bah (folio 12a).  \nThe camp of North African caravan of pilgrims (folio 15a).  \nThe camp of Egyptian caravan of pilgrims (folio 15b).  \nThe camp of the Syrian caravan of pilgrims (folio 16a). Unlike the pilgrims from North Africa and Egypt, the Syrian pilgrims are richly dressed and carry swords and gold daggers. Ahmad Pasha, the Syrian Amir al-Hajj, is identified by a caption (top left).  \nThe camp of the desert Arabs and the people of Najd (folio 16b).  \nThe camp of the caravans of the Indian (top) and Iranian pilgrims (folio 17a).  \nOfficials, scribes and secretaries (folio 17b). This is a small illustration, which is not captioned.  \nSharif Barakat, hakim haramayn sharifayn (‘Governor of the two Holy Sanctuaries’), riding to meet the envoy of Sultan Mehmed \\[IV\\], the Emperor of Rum (folio 18a).  \n‘Abdi Pasha, the Amir al-Hajj of the Egyptian caravan, on his way from Mecca to Medina (folio 18b).  \nThe port of Mucha, in the Yemen (folio 21a). The illustration shows the pilgrims’ ships departing from the port as well as Sayyid Husayn, the Governor of Mucha, riding his horse (bottom right).  \nThe port of Jeddah (folio 22b). This view is very similar to that of Mucha (folio 21a) in that it combines views of the city and the pilgrims’ ships with one of the Governor of the city, Sunjuq.  \nMan attacked by a lion (folio 21b); Man saved from the jaws of a lion (folio 23a); A feast (folio 23b). The three small-scale paintings are illustrations to a parable about a very poor woman taking pity on some beggars passing by and feeding them; her act of generosity was rewarded when a stranger saved her son from being eaten by a lion. The feast is probably in celebration of the son’s safe return to his mother.  \nScript:  \n  \nPersian text copied in nasta‘liq; with 23 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Princess Zeb un-Nisa (AH 1047-1113 / AD 1638–1702)","dates":"*circa* 1677–80 AD","location":"London","dimensions":"23 folios, with 11 full-page and 9 half-page illustrations. 33 x 23.2cm (page); 27.4 x 14.7cm (text panels, and full-page illustrations)","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"The text states the dates of travel and compilation as AH 1087 / AD 1676–7.","provenance":"India, possibly Gujarat","bibliography":"Khan, Q.M., *The Pilgrim’s Companion: The Khalili Anis al-Hujjaj*, London: Kulturalis, 2025.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames and Hudson, 2010: cat. 332–41, pp. 284–7.  \n  \nYork Leach, L., *Paintings from India, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume VIII; London: The Nour Foundation, 1998: cat. 34, pp. 124-9.*","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","India","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Muhammad","Mukha","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Manuscript","Religion","ship","travel"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","modern leather binding"]},"ddff3430-26f0-5eab-9cc1-197b9177efbc":{"name":"Qur’an *Mushaf*","short_description":"This Qur’an has visibly undergone successive stages of rewriting and redecoration, and there are inscriptions which provide dates for some of these. The earliest and the most important inscription in the Qur’an is the one-line colophon, dated Hegira 690/ AD 1291, stating that it was copied by Yaqut al-Musta’simi (d. 1298 AD), one of the most renowned of all Muslim calligraphers. At that time, Yaqut was working for the Mongol Ilkhanid Sultan. Unfortunately, few of the original folios have survived; but, the restoration work, undertaken at the later stage, is beautiful and was executed with great skill. In this *mushaf*, the opening, middle and end double-page openings are illuminated. The use of bold blue and red pigments on the gold ground continued for centuries, even into the late Qajar period (AH early 14th century / AD 20th century). The wide margins are decorated with stencilled flower and foliage scrolls in gold. The beginning of each *juz’* and *hizb* is marked by a decorative device. The rectangular panels of the Sura headings contain small polychrome lobed arches, which extend into the margin.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 690 / AD 1291","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"25.2 x 17cm","provenance":"Iran","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 104 – 107.  \nIslamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 32.","materials":["Paper bound in leather and gold stamping"]},"df000137-0b7e-5018-bea4-3f10c1f9ba95":{"name":"The Canon of Medicine","short_description":"Published almost 1000 years ago, this book depicts the Canon of Medicine originally written in Arabic by Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna. At the age of 57, the physician and Islamic philosopher surpassed Hippocrates and Galen’s theories on medicine, opening a new chapter in the field. This encyclopaedia on the body and soul revolutionizes medicine by introducing the concept of clinical trials. Ibn Sina’s study of the brain, emotions, and interpretation of dreams paved the way for many future studies, such as the effects of saffron in treating melancholy and depression.  \n  \nWith remarkable contributions to public health, pharmacology, and psychology, this book remains the most famous medicine textbook across history, impressing contemporary researchers.","type":"Books; Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"1477-1478","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 47cm, Width: 24cm","place_of_production":"Iran, Tabriz","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written in the book.","method_for_provenance":"Date and origin are written in the book.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Auction","bibliography":"Adler, A., \"The Views of Abu-Ali Ibn-Sina (Avizenna) in the Field of Neuropsychiatry\", *American Journal of Psychotherapy*, 7 : 4 (1953): 829-831.  \nAwaad, R., Mohammad, A., Elzamzamy, K., Fereydooni, S., and Gamar, M., \"Mental Health in the Islamic Golden Era: The Historical Roots of Modern Psychiatry\", in H. Steven Moffic et al. (eds), *Islamophobia and Psychiatry*, Cham: Springer, 2018: 3–17.  \nHosseinzadeh, H., and Nassiri‐Asl, M., \"Avicenna's (Ibn Sina) the Canon of Medicine and Saffron (Crocus Sativus): A Review\", *Phytotherapy Research*, 27 : 4 (2013): 475-483.  \nKhan, M. A., Raza, F., and Khan, I. A., \"Ibn Sina and the Roots of The Seven Doctrines of Preservation of Health\", *AMHA-Acta Medico-Historica Adriatica*, 13 (2015): 87-102.  \nMoffic, H., Peetet, J., Hankir A. and Awaad R. (eds), *Islamophobia and Psychiatry*, Cham: Springer, 2018.  \nSajadi, M. M., and Mansouri, D., \"Ibn Sina and the Clinical Trial\", *Ann Intern Med.*, 150 (2009): 640-643.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Avicenna","Books","Ibn Sina","Manuscripts","medicine"],"materials":["handwritten","Ink","Rice paper"]},"df4c4b4c-9266-5a46-8ca0-f6f3ce0dfda5":{"name":"Opening folio of the 26th volume of the 'Anonymous Baghdad Qur'an'","short_description":"This superbly illuminated page originally formed the right half of a double-page frontispiece to the 26th volume of a Qur’an. Its patron is unknown, but the calligrapher was Ahmad ibn al‑Suhrawardi, a famous student of the master scribe Yaqut al‑Musta‘simi, and the illuminator was Muhammad ibn Aybak, who collaborated with the calligrapher on several outstanding Qur’ans. From the surviving parts of this manuscript, it appears that the illuminator created a different geometric scheme to preface each volume.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 706 / AD 1306–7","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 43.2cm, W: 35.2cm; Mat: H: 55.9cm, W: 40.6cm; Frame: H: 58.4cm, W: 43.2cm","provenance":"Baghdad, Iraq","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1950  \nCalligrapher: Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, d. 1320–21  \nIlluminator: Muhammad ibn Aibak ibn 'Abdallah  \nVendor: J. Acheroff, Paris  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[J. Acheroff, Paris, until 1950; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Ekhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 92-93, no. 54A, ill. 93 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 33/1 (Spring 1975): ill. 27 (b/w).  \nJames, David, *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1988: 78-92, 235, no. 39, ill. 235 (b/w), figs. 49-52 (colour); figs. 57-60 (b/w).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992).","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1950","keywords":["Baghdad","calligrapher","calligraphy","foliated","gold","Ilkhanid","illumination","ink","Iraq","opaque watercolour","Paper","Qur'an","religious object","vegetal motifs","vine scrolls"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"df881eea-95c8-5db6-825d-d04360d53ffd":{"name":"Mamluk *mashaf*","alternate_name":"Qur’anic manuscript, No. 16.","description":"A *mashaf* (Qur'anic manuscript) bound in deep-brown leather, made up of two covers (front and back) and a library marker. The ornamentation on this binding is reminiscent of Mamluk *mashafs* in that the intertwining geometric lines, by intersecting with each other, create fields of different sizes that are filled with embossed details. The margins of both sides of the binding are delineated with different decorative frames. The inside of the binding is also decorated with an embossed medium-sized circle surrounded by semi-circles.  \nFolio 1b–2a is composed of two pages written in *thuluth* script in black ink; the lettering branching out into illumination. There are 10 lines to each page; each line is surrounded by strokes that encircle the text. Folio 2b–3a forms the frontispiece of the *mashaf.* It comprises two pages that contain two identical panels covering most of the spread, and is composed of decoration made up of intersecting geometric lines. The lines encompass between them fields of varying sizes, and each field holds a golden blossom within it. Each blossom varies in size to fit the geometric zone that contains it. The decorative panels finish at the top and bottom with illuminated bands that include text from the Qur'an “al-Waqi'ah” (“The Event, The Inevitable” 56: 76–82). Vegetal decoration surrounds the bands and panels in gold and blue, framing all four sides of the pages.  \nFolio 3b–4a contains the opening pages of the *mashaf*. Both pages are identically decorated and are written in illuminated *thuluth* script composed of five lines. Ornamentation of climbing vegetal motifs, framing broad rectangular areas, is placed above and below the text as well as on the sides. On the remaining pages the text is written in *thuluth* script in black ink. The pause marks assume the shape of flowers in gold, blue and brown. The name “Majesty” (*al-Jalala)* and the *Basmala* (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) are written in gold. The chapter and verse number is white outlined in black; it sits on a wavy gold background on blue, or occasionally red, within a wide gold strip that forms a rectangular frame. The last two pages of the *mashaf*, which contain the last three chapters of the Qur'an, are written in gold.","short_description":"A complete Mamluk Qur’an in two covers of leather with intertwining geometric lines. At the beginning are two identical decorative panels with two blossoms. The text is written in *thuluth* script in black ink. The pause marks assume the shape of flowers in gold, blue and brown. Illumination is used especially in chapter names, a number of verses and where the word ‘Majesty’ appears.","type":"Mashaf, paper, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"*Qadi* (Judge) Taj al-Din Abi Ishaq al-Maliki (d. AH 771 / AD 1369).","dates":"Before hegira 771 / AD 1369; during the lifetime of the original owner.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 47 cm, width 32 cm, depth 11 cm.","method_for_datation":"The dating of this *mashaf* is supported by the knowledge of the life-span of the original owner, *Qadi* (Judge) Taj al-Din Abi Ishaq al-Maliki (d. 771 / 1369).","method_for_provenance":"Egypt was narrowed down as the place where the *mashaf* was copied due to the style of the script, the decoration used, as well as the leather binding. The *mashaf* is fairly typical of Egyptian manuscripts of this sort produced in the same period.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was transferred from al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (the Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron (al-Khalil) where it had been endowed by its owner for recitation, to the Islamic Museum in 1927.","bibliography":"Al-'Asqalani, Ahmad bin 'Ali bin Hajar (d. 852 / 1448), *Al-Durar al-Kamina fi al-A'yan al-Mi'a al-Thamina \\[The Valuable Jewellery of the Personalities of the Eighth Century\\],* Vols. 1 and 6, Hyderabad, 1972.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islamu fi al-Haram al-Sharif \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif\\],* Paris, 2003.  \nAl-Maqrizi, Taqi al-Din, A., (d. 845 / 1442), *Al-Suluk li Marifat Duwal al-Muluk \\[The Right Ways to Know the Lands of the Rulers\\],* Vols. 2 and 3, Cairo, 1970.  \nal-Shaja'i, Shams al-Din, *Al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun Salihi wa Awladahu \\[The Ruler, al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun Salihi and his Sons\\],* Fisbadan, 1978.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["embossed decoration","geometric decoration","illumination","leather binding","mashaf","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured inks on paper with gilding","embossed leather.","the binding"]},"e1a252df-9eac-5352-962a-9d3fc2c41c8c":{"name":"Hulagu Enthroned","short_description":"Hulagu, the Ilkhanid ruler of Iran (r. 1256–1265) and an ancestor of the Mughal rulers of India, is shown seated cross-legged on a gold throne, the back of which encircles his head like a glowing halo. A man is seated in front of the throne and on the carpet before him are two books and an astrolabe, a scientific instrument used for computing various astronomical problems, such as telling time. This individual is thought to be the Persian theologian and astronomer Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274). The painting is probably the surviving half of a double-page frontispiece to a now-lost manuscript made in the imperial Mughal atelier, perhaps an historical or scientific text. The painting is the work of the artist Manohar.","type":"Single-page painting","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"AD 1550-1600","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"34.3cm x 23.3cm","provenance":"India","keywords":["astronomy","court","Il Khanid","Illustration","miniature painting","science"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"e1eb944d-493e-5695-ab8f-d78784aef708":{"name":"\"Elias and Khizr at the Fountain of Life\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"Alexander the Great figures prominently in Persian literature and histories, including in both the Shahnama and the Khamsa of Nizami. This scene, which occurs in both texts, depicts Alexander and the Prophet Khizr’s search for the Fountain of Life. Although they begin the journey together, they are separated and only Khizr is successful. Here, he appears with the Prophet Elias at the Fountain, while Alexander continues his search in the background.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ","dates":"Late 9th century AH / Late 15th century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Overall: Height: 22.9 cm Width: 9 cm; Painting: Height: 15.5 cm Width: 14.9 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Ackerman, P. \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art*. 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, no. 93, (1940).  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nDenny, W.r B. \"Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style.\" in *Muqarnas* vol. 1 (1983).  \n  \nDaniel, Elton L., ed. *Encyclopaedia Iranica*, vol. XVI, (2017).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451407","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e249d142-ee34-5f84-8b9c-0144ff7e19d8":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"The Persian text was composed in verse and prose, divided into four columns, and written in black ink and *taliq* calligraphy on pale paper. The work comprises a total of 202 miniature scenes, which collectively represent the pinnacle of miniature art. The vast majority of these miniatures depict scenes from the *Shahnameh*, making this a work of great importance.  \nThe circular medallion on the *Zahriye* (titular inscription) page of the work is decorated with a profusion of richly coloured floral, leaf and branch motifs, and Chinese clouds. The medallion is inscribed at its centre in black ink script on a gilt background. The inscription states that it was prepared for Sultan Ali Mirza, (ruled 1478–1505) of the Karkiya Dynasty, one of the most important dynasties of the Timurid Period.  \nThe binding is leather affixed to cardboard, typical of this period. The exterior covers are crafted from black leather embellished with a variety of animal figures, including birds, sheep, foxes, gazelles, deer, and floral motifs. The inner covers are burgundy leather featuring intricate floral and animal motifs on a green, blue, and gilt background.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 9th century/AD 15th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"35cm x 24cm","place_of_production":"Gilan/Iran","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from the Hâlet Efendi Library on 28 May 1917.","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper","gilding","Ink","leather binding"]},"e24c667e-3e74-52ad-9357-51224ea2c3d0":{"name":"A letter from the Hashemite court","description":"A letter from the Hashemite court signed by al-Hussein bin 'Ali, the king of Arab countries and Sharif of Mecca. The letter was sent to the princes Faisal and al-Aziz al-Jarba, from Umm al-Qura (Mecca) in Rajab, 18th, AH 1336 / AD 1917 asking them to take care of Jacobean Armenian confession and to help them and to protect them as they protect themselves, their fortune and their sons. It says also to facilitate what they need either in their stay or travel, because they are free non-Muslims enjoying Muslim protection. Those are people who prophet Muhammad makes his will to take care of, and the one who doesn’t do so will be his (Muhammad's) adversary till Judgment Day. King Hussein says: this is one of the most important orders we ask you to do. He ends his letter by praying to God to grant the Emirs to do what he asks them.","type":"Diplomatic correspondance; historical document","holder":"Numismatic Museum (Ahli Bank)","dates":"1917","location":"Amman","provenance":"Mecca","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"e2526f37-9579-5a9c-8408-10b325e053a5":{"name":"Astrological Almanac","short_description":"The material included in this astrological almanac was presumably gathered together from various sources by the calligrapher himself, one Muhammad al-Uskadari. On the first page is an illuminated heading and the text of a *ghurra-nama*, instructions for determining on which day of the week the first day of each month of any year occurs. Some pages (yellow flowers in margin) consist of auguries connected with natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and thunder. On others are tables for determining matters such as the mansions of the moon according to the months and days of the week (pink cyclamen in margin) and the Persian New Year (pink rose in margin). On yet other pages are illustrations of the Angels belonging to the Seven Skies.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1029 / AD 1620","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"20 x 15.9 cm","provenance":"Turkey","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_434/16/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","astrology","astronomy","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","science","script"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"e39d2fbb-2774-52a9-868e-e26f46c215f7":{"name":"*Preparing Medicine from Honey*, folio from a dispersed manuscript of an Arabic translation of the *Materia Medica* of Dioscorides","short_description":"This scene from a translation of *De Materia Medica* by Dioscorides is typical of the Baghdad School of illustration, which employed bold colors and symmetrical compositions to depict urban life. The use of an architectural structure to divide the painting into six sections is typical of the period, as is the fact that the oatmeal-coloured paper remains visible. This folio, which comes from volume 5, chapter 9 of the work, depicts a pharmacist preparing a honey‑based medicine in a cauldron while an assistant upstairs distributes it into jars.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 31.4cm, W: 22.9cm","provenance":"Possibly Baghdad, Iraq or Northern Jazira","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: 'Abdullah ibn al-Fadl  \nFormer owner: F. R. Martin, Stockholm (by 1910–at least 1912)  \nFormer owner: V. Everit Macy, New York (by 1922–at least 1927)  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (until d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art. The Iranian Institute, New York*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: 189, no. case 72F.  \nAnet, Claude, \"Exhibition of Persian Miniatures at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris\", *Burlington Magazine*, 22 (1912): 15–16, ill. pl. I, A (b/w).  \nBuchthal, Hugo, Kurz, Otto and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Supplementary Notes to K. Holter's checklist of Islamic Ill. Mss. before 1350.\" Ars Islamica vol. 7 (1940): 151–52, no. 27.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, V. (1942): 10, 15, 19–39, 20, no. 9, ill. fig. 12, 13, 17. Leaves from MS now in Top Kapu Saray, Istanbul, which has colophon giving name of copyist and date Rajab AH 621. No. 9, fig. 12 illustrates 56.20; no. 10, fig. 13 illustrates 57.51.21; no. 15, fig. 17 illustrates 13.152.6.  \nCanby, Sheila R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \nCanby, Sheila R., Beyazit, Deniz and Rugiadi, Martina, *Court and Cosmos. The Great Age of the Seljuqs*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016: 178–79, no. 107a, ill. 178 (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"A loan of Near Eastern Miniature Paintings\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 22 (1927): 127.  \nDimand, Maurice S. (ed), \"Dated Specimens of Mohammedan Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art\", *MMA Studies 1* 2 (1929): 208.  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 229, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina, and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 87, 94, no. 55, ill. 94 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 100–01, ill. pl. 18 (colour).  \nGluck, Heinrich and Diez, Ernst, *Die Kunst des Islam. Propylaen Kunstgeschichte, Vol. 5*, Berlin: Propylaen-Verlag, 1925: 95, 502, ill. (b/w).  \nKirketerp-Moller, Hertha, *Det Islamiske Bogmaleri*, Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag, 1974: 5, ill. fig. 6.  \nKühnel, Ernst, *Miniaturmalerei im Islamischen Orient*, Berlin: Bruno Cassirer Verlag, 1922: ill. pl. 5.  \nKurz, Otto, \"Folding chairs and Koran stands\", in Richard Ettinghausen (ed), *Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972: 302, ill. fig. 5  \nMartin, F. R., *The Miniature Painting and Painters of Persia, India and Turkey from the 8th to the 18th century. Vol. 1*, London: Bernard Quaritch, 1912: no. volume 2, 7, ill. pl. 5b.  \nRicci, Seymour, *Catalogue d'une Collection de Miniatures Gothiques et Persanes appartenant à Léonce Rosenberg*, Paris: Montassier et Odend'hal, 1913: 36–37, ill. pl. XVIII.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, \"Illustrated Books May be Hazardous to your Health\", *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2005): 30–31, ill. fig. 10 (b/w).  \nSarre, Friedrich and Martin, F. R., *Die Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst in Munchen 1910. Die Stoffe, die Waffen, Holz und Elfenbein*, Munich: F. Bruckmann A.-G., 1912: no. 583, vol. 1, ill. pl. 5b.  \nStchoukine, Ivan, *La Peinture Iranienne sous les derniers 'Abbasides et les Il-Khans*, Bruges: Imprimerie Sainte Catharine, 1936 : no. II.  \nVever, Marteau, *Miniatures Persanes. Volumes 1-2*, Paris: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1913: ill. pl. 1 XXXVIII. Illustrated another leaf from this manuscript, dated here 1222, entitled \"Le chien enrage\", in Mutiaux collection (same leaf illustration in Anet reference), pl. XXXVIII (ill. another leaf, in Sambon collection (same leaf illustrated in Rosenberg collecti.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 34–35, ill. fig. 22 (colour).  \nKunsthaus Zürich (ed), *Kunstschätze aus Iran von der prähistorischen bis zur islamischen Zeit. 27. Mai bis 5. August 1962*, Zürich: Kunsthaus Zürich, 1962: no. 556, ill. pl. 82.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Abbasid","Arab literature","Arabic inscription","Baghdad","gold","ink","Iraq","medical plant","medicine","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","treatise"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e4921c14-8d40-54c3-8c3f-a824cbf0cac3":{"name":"Diwan Muhibbi","short_description":"This precious and richly decorated divan is a manuscript by the poet and Sultan, Süleyman I, whose pen name, Muhibbi, literally translates to “lover\" or God lover.\" The divan contains 213 folios with 614 poems written in *ta’liq* script. Each poem is framed by naturalistic, gilded floral illuminations. The leather binding is also decorated with gilded floral ornaments and bears the following inscription: “This is the Third Diwan from the speech of the sultan of sultans of the rime, from Ghazi Sultan Suleyman Khan may his rule last until Judgement Day”. Other known divans by Süleyman are held at the Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul (Inv. No. T 3873) and in the University of Istanbul.  \nThe calligrapher and illuminator can also be identified through a colophon which reads: “Haci Mehmmed has finished this whilst praying wholeheartedly for lasting conquests and victories at the last ten days of the month Rabi as-sani in the year 961 (March 25-April 4, 1154).” The illuminator, Kara Memi, worked in the court of Süleyman and is well-known for his innovative floral ornaments which replaced the Safavid tradition of book illumination. A unique example of Ottoman book decoration, each of Memi's folios has an individual, unrepeated design. Each realistically-depicted plant can be individually identified through their precise botanical rendering, giving the illuminations a nearly encyclopaedical character.  \nIn 1886, the divan was purchased from the art dealer Franz Bock by the founder and initial director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, Justus Brinckmann.","type":"Book","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 961-962 / AD 1554","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Height: 23.6cm, Length: 15.8cm; Pages: 213","method_for_datation":"Manuscript of Sultan Suleiman I.","method_for_provenance":"Purchased by Franz Bock (1823-1899), clergyman and art historian. He traveled to Syria and Egypt and owned a large textile collection which he started to sell in 1850 to major museums in Europe (Paris, Berlin and the South Kensinton Museum (now V&A, London).","provenance":"Turkey, Court workshop Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased in 1886.","bibliography":"Czygan, C., \"A Device of Communication: The Third Divan of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and its Political Context\", *Islamic Perspective Journal of the Islamic Studies and Humanities*, 15 (2016): 77-90.  \nCzygan, C., “Was Sultan Süleymān Colour-Blind? Sensuality, Power and the Unpublished Poems in the Third Dīvān (1554) of Sultan Süleymān I.” in Stephan Conermann and Christiane Czygan (eds), *An Iridescent Device: Premodern Ottoman Poetry*, Bonn: Bonn University Press 2018: 190 (translation); 183–206.  \nCzygan, C., \"Zur Ghazelkultur in der Zeit Sultan Süleymâns des Prächtigen: Der Herrscher als Liebender,\" in E. Ragagnin and J. Wilkens (eds), *Kutadgu Nom Bitig Festschrift für Jens Peter Laut zum 60 Geburtstag*, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag in Kommission, 2015.  \nHaase, P., \"Der dritte Divan Sultan Süleymans des Prächtigen,\" *Jahrbuch des Museums für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg*, 5 (1986): 27-39. Karolewski, J. and Köse, Y., \"Wunder der erschaffenen Dinge: Osmanische Manuskripte in Hamburger Sammlunge,\" *Manuscript Cultures*, 9 (2016): 175-190.  \nKohlhausen, H., *Islamische Kleinkunst, Führer durch das Hamburgische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe*, vol. 12, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1930.  \nSchimmel, A. et al., *Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \nSchönberger, I. and Kalter, J., *Der lange Weg der Türken*, Stuttgart: Linden Museum, 2003.","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Ottoman manuscripts","Süleyman"],"materials":["Coloured and gold ink on paper","leather binding with triple-layered gold tooling"]},"e499d19d-1cd3-574e-b40c-b7a8dc83a218":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"This Qur’an is written in Mamluk *naskhi* script on sheets of finished (*aharli*) paper with gilding outlined in black. The pages do not have any marginal lines. The leather binding has a flap. The Qur’an opens with an illuminated double-page spread plate, laid out in geometric fashion, in the centre of which is an eight-pointed star containing a Qur’anic verse (*sura* 41, verse 42). All the polygons formed by the geometric decoration are filled with arabesque motifs. The background of the border framing the geometric decoration is painted in black. The border is filled with arabesques and palmettes containing rosebud-like motifs in fading shades of pink, green and blue. This style of painting is known in Mamluk illumination as the 'Sandal style'.  \n  \nThe beginning of each chapter (*sura*) is written in *kufic* calligraphy, while the ends of verses are separated with interlacing rosettes in gold and blue. Every five and ten verses there appear illuminated medallions containing *kufic* script on the margin of the page. This Qur'an was prepared for the Treasury of the Mamluk Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad, who ruled three times AH 692–4, 698–708, 709–42 / AD 1293–4, 1299–1309, 1310–41).  \n  \nThe Qur'an was transcribed by the calligrapher Shadi bin Muhammad bin Shadi bin Dawud bin Isa bin Abu Bakr bin Ayyub, a descendent of Saladin (Salah al-Din), founder of the Ayyubid state, in Ramadan 713 / December 1313. The illumination was done by Aydoğdu bin Abdullah al-Badri and Ali bin Muhammad al-Rassam.  \n  \nThis Qur’an is a work of art of the highest quality, produced for presentation to the sultan at a time when the most exquisite and refined works were being produced in all branches of art, a period which may even be called the Renaissance of Islamic art in Egypt.","short_description":"The names of its calligrapher, its illuminator and the person it was presented to make up three important features that stress the artistic value of a Qur’an. A masterpiece of Mamluk book arts, this Qur’an was written in gold with an illumination establishing a school and it bears the name of the sultan it was presented to.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The Mamluk Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad, (he ascended the throne three times: AH 692–4, 698–708, 709–42 / AD 1293–4, 1299–1309, 1310–41).","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 713 / AD December 1313.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 35 cm, width 26.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The colophon gives the date as Ramadan 713 / December 1313.","method_for_provenance":"The work bears the hallmarks of the Mamluk style and was produced by court masters of the Mamluk palace in Cairo; therefore, it is highly likely that it was produced in Cairo.","provenance":"Cairo, Egypt.","obtention":"The work was transferred to the Museum in 1914 from the tomb of Sultan Selim II (974–82 / 1566–74) in the Ayasofya Mosque, Istanbul.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Der Prachtkoran”, *Die Koranbestände des Museums für Türkische Kunst in Istanbul*, Berlin, 1999, pp.111–23.  \n  \nJames, D., “Some Observation on the Calligrapher and Illuminators of the Koran of Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Jashnagir”, *Muqarnas*, 3, 1984, pp.147–57.  \n  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988, pp.58–63.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.176–9.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","leather (binding) religious objects","religious manuscript."],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","Ink","leather (binding)."]},"e53bb5a4-b7fc-5802-a8fd-9ee4197aa491":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics.The exquisite execution of this manuscript suggests a wealthy patron. The opening double page is set within an elaborate framework of floral and geometric arabesque cartouches, executed in gold, blue and other colours. The design recalls those of early Ottoman manuscripts, which - in turn - took their artistic inspiration from Iranian Qur’an production. The remainder of this Qur’an is executed in black naskhi on 390 gilt-edged folios, with 15 lines to each page. As a rule, Ottoman calligraphers preferred an odd number of lines to each page, be it 11, 13 or 15. The script is enhanced with red detailing, and the verse dividers are gilt. The chapter headings are executed in white riqa' on a golden ground enhanced by delicate floral ornament. Large coloured medallions in the page margins mark important sub-divisions of the text. The signature of the calligrapher – set into an elaborate gold rosette – appears on the last page.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1239 / AD 1823","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"e722241c-4515-59f7-bedf-15c25aea04a3":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Written in *naskhi* script in black ink on delicate finished (*aharlı)* paper, the pages have thick gilded marginal lines and 13 lines of text per page. There are 346 pages in all. The first *sura* (*al-Fatiha*) and the first four verses of the second (*al-Baqara*) are illuminated with gilding between the lines of text. The chapter headings on the two facing pages on which these verses are written, as well as the areas outside the marginal lines, are covered with leaves of gilding and very colourful illumination in the Turkish Baroque-Rococo style. All the chapter headings are written in white *tawqi'* script on top of gilded illumination. Individual verses are separated by individuated gold rosettes, and rose motifs of various forms in the page margins mark the end of every five and 10 verses. The leather binding is brown on the outside and green on the inside. The exterior of the binding has floral designs rendered freely and naturalistically in green and yellow gilding.  \n  \nThe calligrapher of this Qur'an, Mustafa Izzet Efendi (AH 1215–92 / AD 1801–76), was born in Tosya and came to Istanbul for his education. He learned calligraphy from Mustafa Vasıf and Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi. His most famous works are *hilya*s (prose descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad) and sheets with calligraphic exercises called *istif.* The inscriptions on the drum of the dome of Ayasofya, among the Islamic world's most famous, are by him.  \n  \nTwo different artists worked on this Qur'an's decoration. They are Mehmet Salih, who was chief bookbinder at the Ottoman court in the time of Sultan Abdülmecid \\['Abd al-Majid\\], and his apprentice Rashid Effendi.  \n  \nBeginning in the 12th / 18th century, Turkish art experienced change under the influence of European art. This style, known as Turkish Baroque-Rococo, is reflected in the arts of the book. This Qur'an is the most beautiful example of its application to book decoration.","short_description":"Illumination is a natural part of Qur'ans. Illuminators used naturalistic floral motifs influenced by Europe alongside classical elements to illuminate the Qur'ans during the AH 12th–13th / AD 18th–19th centuries.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz (‘Abd al-‘Aziz) I; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","dates":"Hegira Safar 1259 / AD March 1843.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 28 cm, width 19 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the date found on the manuscript it was written in Safar 1259 (AD March 1843).","method_for_provenance":"The manuscript was found at the tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, who donated it to be read at the complex bearing her name in AH 1284 / AD 1868. The work's calligrapher and illuminators were court artists. For this reason it is almost certain to have been made in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum from the tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan in 1926.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş. “Kitap Sanatlarında Türk-Barok-Rokoko üslubu”, *Sanat* 6 (July 1977), pp.126–36.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, pp.62–5.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.326–27.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","Ottoman Baroque","Qur’an","religious manuscript","religious objects","waqf"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper","leather (binding).","written using black ink and illuminated with gilding and various colours"]},"e76ff42a-8d69-50d8-ac1f-2bbd53a08547":{"name":"Bijan takes the reins of Gushtaham’s horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 × 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","human","human-figure","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"e88ac084-acaa-583b-abc2-fa8a32e7027e":{"name":"Qur’anic manuscript of Sultan Bayazid.","description":"A Qur'anic manuscript with an embossed and gilded binding made up of two covers (front and back) and a library marker. In the centre of each cover is a long medallion with palmette shaped extensions. Surrounding the medallion, in all four corners of the cover, are four cornerpieces. The bands create a broad frame that encompasses within it decorative cartouches. The library marker has part of the same decoration of the covers. The decorative motifs on the bands of the cover, as well as the medallion, are composed of gilded vegetal stems and blossoms. The inside cover is framed by an illuminated spiral decoration and, inside the frame, by decorative forms in the shape of cartouches surrounding a medallion.  \nFolio 1b is the *waqf* charter of the Qur'anic manuscript. Folio 3b–4a forms the frontispiece composed of two identically decorated pages that form the axial junction of the volume. The margins of the spread are decorated with depictions of vegetal stems and blossoms as well as geometric lines, all of which are gilded. Following the margins on the inside, are decorative bands that surround each page on three sides, and which are decorated with confronting pyramidal shapes in gold and blue. These bands are separated from the written text by frames in successive colours. Following them on the inside, are bands decorated with ornamentation similar to the previous bands, but these are smaller in size. The text on these two pages is written in illuminated *thuluth* script, with six lines on each page. The lines are separated by motifs of violet-coloured clouds.  \nEach of the remaining folios is divided into five rectangular sections, each with a single line from the Qur'an, written in illuminated *rihani* script figuring in the first, third and fifth rectangular area. Four lines in *naskhi* script are written in the second and the forth rectangular section. Two sides of each of these rectangles are appropriated as two long sections embellished with illuminated spiralling vegetal decoration. The markers for every fifth and tenth part are symbolised by decorative forms in the margin; formed of a circular disk with an illuminated circumference, the centre of which is a circle with a blue background. The name of the chapter, the verse number and the place where they appear are accentuated in gold within an illuminated frame that has a blue background.","short_description":"This Qur’an was donated by Amir Bayazid, son of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, to the Dome of the Rock. It is bound with decorated and embossed leather. The beginning of the manuscript is decorated with vegetal and geometric forms. The pages are divided into five rectangles, three of which are written in illuminated rihani  script and the rest in naskhi script.","type":"Manuscript, leather, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Amir Bayazid, son of Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent.","dates":"Hegira 964 / AD 1556.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 37.5 cm, width 26.5 cm, depth 7 cm.","method_for_datation":"This Qur'an is dated.","method_for_provenance":"It is likely that this Qur'an was copied in Istanbul, where the endower resided, or in Kütahya the hometown of the scribe who endowed the manuscript, and who was also the *Qadi* (Judge) of Kütahya. His name is on the first page of the Qur'an.","provenance":"Istanbul or Kütahya, Turkey.","obtention":"The Qur'an manuscript was transferred from the Dome of the Rock to the Islamic Museum at an unknown date.","bibliography":"Farid, M., *Tarikh al-Daula al-'Aliya al-'Uthmaniya \\[History of the Ottoman Empire\\],* Paris, 1981.  \nKalo, A., *Al-Sultan Sulayman al-Qanuni \\[Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent\\],* Beirut, 1991.  \nNofal, N. A., *Kashaf al-Litham 'an Mahiya al-Hukuma wa al-Ihkam fi iqlimi Misr wa barr al-Sham \\[The Uncovering of the Veil from the Façade of Government and Rule in the Regions of Egypt and Syria\\],* Tripoli, 1990.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islamu fi al-Haram al-Sharif \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif\\],* Paris, 2003.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["geometric decoration","illumination","leather","mashaf","naskhi","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript.","rihani","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured ink on paper","illumination. The binding decorated with embossed and coloured leather."]},"e89fcc11-c4b2-5e7a-bd67-d16f31276971":{"name":"*The Holy Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina*","short_description":"The two detached pages most probably come from a copy of al-Jazuli’s *Dala’il al-khayrat* (full title, *Dala’il al-khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabi al-mukhtar*).  \nOne of the most popular works of prayer in the Islamic world, it was composed by a native of Sus, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli (d. 1645). The work consists of prayers for the Prophet, together with his epithets, and a description of his tomb.  \nDigressing somewhat from the text, Ottoman and Indian copies of the work almost always included depictions of the Meccan sanctuary besides that in Medina. The depictions in Indian copies were often diagrammatic in nature, in contrast to the more realistic, three-dimentional representations in Ottoman copies.","type":"Painting; watercolour painting; depictions of the holy sanctuaries; Mecca; Medina; manuscript; manuscript illustration","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"18th – early 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"15.2 x 10.5cm (each page)","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"India","bibliography":"“al-Djazuli”, in Bosworth, C.E., van Donzel, E.J., Pearson, H. (eds), *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, vol. 2 (C-G), Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1983: 527–8.  \nPorter, V., *The Art of Hajj*, London: British Museum, 2012: 82–3, fig.50.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["al-Jazuli","Dala’il al-khayrat","Hijaz","Holy place","Ka‘ba","manuscript","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion"],"materials":["gold and watercolours on paper","Ink"]},"e99f19c5-2155-5385-857a-049be3d918d9":{"name":"\"Man's Fate or the Man Taking Refuge in a Well Inhabited by a Dragon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453076","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"e9cd5ed9-9868-52d2-b520-c5f830442609":{"name":"The last of the Abbasid Caliphs, Mustaʿsim (r. 1242–58)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM40 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio is one of a group of folios that were originally prepared under Rashid al-Din’s own supervision and later incorporated into the Timurid manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.4 x 30.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"ec461583-c4e4-57ce-b2fb-a6ae5e862e3e":{"name":"Persian manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript is an illustrated copy of the *Haft Awrang* (*Seven Thrones*) of Jami. The book has 16 lines per page in two columns in *nasta\\`liq* script. It contains nine elegant miniatures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 27 cm, width 16 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["Diwan","manuscript","Nasta`liq","Safawid"],"materials":["gold and pigments","Ink","Paper"]},"ed486397-6f2e-5e7e-898e-db4869717ed6":{"name":"Ferdowsi, *Shahnama* ('The Book of Kings')","short_description":"Abu'l-Qasim Mansur, called Ferdowsi (died 411 AH / 1020-1 AD) wrote the renowned, extensive epic poem called *Shahnama* (‘The Book of Kings’) around 1000 AD. This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Ibn Abu'l-Barakat Asadallah in 1025-1026 AH / 1616-17 AD, possibly near Isfahan, Iran. According to the two colophons (fol. 251a, 447a), the scribe completed the second part of the epic before the first. Stamps of three owners reveal that the manuscript was in the collection of a Muhammad b. Muhammad Hashim in 1029 AH / 1619 AD, of a Muhammad Nasir in 1051 AH / 1641 AD, and of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1223 AH / 1808-9 AD. The manuscript then became part of the Austrian National Library in 1842. Its 44 paintings of various sizes, artistic styles, and qualities reveal that it was likely made in a provincial capital that drew inspirations from the artistic centre of Isfahan, Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1025-26 AH / 1616-17 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"370 x 150 mm (277 x 150 mm), ff. II, II*, 447 folios.","method_for_datation":"Two colophons: fol. 251a: 1026 AH / 1617 AD; fol. 447a: 1025 AH / 1616 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 447a, there are two oriental owner's stamps: Muhammad b. Muhammad Hashim (1029 AH / 1619 AD) and Muhammad Nasir (1051 AH / 1641 AD). On fol. 447b, there is an owner's stamp of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (1223 AH / 1808-09 AD).","provenance":"Likely Iran","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1842.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 59-63.","scriber":"Ibn Abu’l-Barakat Asadallah","binding_desc":"The brown European leather binding has a neoclassical gold embossing of the Austrian National Library as well as gilt edges. It was likely made in 19th-century Vienna, Austria.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10FFE545","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Afrasiyab","Bahram","Div","Epic","Faridun","Ferdowsi","Garshasp","Isfandiyar","Iskandar","Rustam","Sam","Shahnama","Simurgh","Zal"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 25 lines per page.","Ink"]},"eda80913-f027-5404-9e2e-9aaf84a86ff7":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment is a single leaf penned in calligraphic angular (*kufic*) script on parchment, and can be stylistically dated back to c. 250–300 AH / c. 850–900 AD within the Near East. It is part of a series of 19 fragments from various manuscripts, referred to as *Codex Mixtus 814*. The horizontal format, the monumental *kufic*, and the overall rich decoration reveal that it belonged to an early Qur’anic manuscript of particularly high quality. The text is written in black-brown ink with coloured dots and strokes for vocalisation and diacritical marks, respectively. These kinds of Qur’an fragments are exceedingly rare due to the poor state of preservation most of such early manuscripts experienced.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 250-300 AH / c. 850-900 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"19 fragments.","place_of_production":"Near East","obtention":"Likely part of the Austrian National Library from 1830 onwards.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 194-195.","binding_desc":"All fragments were originally kept in a wooden box, possibly from the 19th century. Since 1980, some of them are kept between panes of acrylic glass.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10DBC325","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","kufic","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Kufic script."]},"edc14340-a97e-5565-a4cb-1ff1d239124a":{"name":"Two pages from the Blue Qur’an.","description":"Two pages taken from an unique Qur'an, written in gilt *kufic* script and containing the *sura*s Luqman (31: 34) and al-Sajdah ('Prostration' 32: 1–3).  \nPreliminary analyses has established that the indigo used for the dye was imported from Egypt or India, countries with which trade was beginning to develop in the AH 4th / AD 10th century. The gold-leaf was glued to the parchment using egg white.  \nThe writing is compact and lacks any diacritical signs over the vowels. The letters are not stippled with dots.  \nThe title of the *sura* is in a gilded strip made up of several small floral motifs. Attached to this strip and toward the left margin of the page is a gilt palm-leaf motif of floral arabesques. Marking the divisions between the verses are silver-gilt flowerets which have turned black from oxidisation.  \nContrary to the views of certain art historians, the various pages of Qur'ans copied onto blue parchment and kept in a number of different museums and collections throughout the world originate neither from Mashhad in Iran nor from Spain. They all belong to the Blue Qur'an from the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. This is confirmed by similarities in the measurements, the number of lines, the writing and the gilding.","short_description":"Two pages belonging to a single Qur'an: the Blue Qur'an, copied in gold *kufic* script. They contain the *suras* Luqman and al-Sajda. Pages from the Blue Qur'an from the Great Mosque of Kairouan, copied onto blue vellum, can now be found in different places throughout the world.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century (second half).","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 31 cm, width 41 cm; 15 lines.","method_for_datation":"The simple and archaic *kufic* calligraphy is reminiscent of the writing in other Qur'ans of the 4th / 10 century taken from the old library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. This is corroborated by the palaeographic study carried out by the art historian M. Bloom, who showed that the calligraphy is of Maghrebi origin and can be dated from the 4th / 10th century, and even from the second half of that century.","method_for_provenance":"From the same studies by the art historian M. Bloom.","provenance":"Very probably from Kairouan, a great centre for book production at that time.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, the National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967. In 1983 it went back to Kairouan, to the Centre of the Islamic Arts and Civilisation of Raqqada. It has been displayed at the Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art since 1986.","bibliography":"*De Kairouan a Carthage* (exhibition catalogue), Tunis, 1995, p.41.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript"],"materials":["illuminated.","Parchment dyed with indigo"]},"ee1f4b01-6ab5-5630-b130-11699979b383":{"name":"Veterinary treatise *Kitâb fî al-inâya bi al-khayli wa sâiri-d-awâbbi al-rukub*.","description":"This veterinary treatise on horse care consists of three volumes, each one divided into 30 chapters or *bab*, some of which are missing. The texts are written with brown ink in Maghrebi cursive characters and with irregular vocalisation, partial diacritic points and orthoepic marks in the same colour. Each page has 17 lines. Some of the words in the text and the titles are in red. The colophon at the end of the third volume provides the date of the manuscript without mentioning the copyist's name.  \nThe significance of this manuscript lies in the nine miniatures, some of which are captioned, that illustrate the texts. Each depicts a horse, alone or with a carer, grazing, having its teeth checked, covering, being given medicine with a horn, swimming and having its mouth examined for an illness that prevents it from eating normally. Each miniature appears in a square space filling nearly the whole of the width of the page to the same height as the written area and sometimes framed with a triple red line. The people and the horses as well as their surroundings are depicted with great realism and detail. In the interior scenes, the figures stand out against a plain blue or green background and on a brick-red coloured floor. The miniatures with grazing horses have a background with a graduated sky, going from midnight blue with a hint of purple in the upper part to a pinkish white in the horizon.","short_description":"This work is a veterinary treatise on horse care. The nine miniatures that illustrate the text are its most interesting aspect, each showing a horse on its own or held by a groom. All are drawn with noteworthy realism and attention to detail.","type":"Scientific manuscript","holder":"Royal Library.","dates":"Hegira 1126 / AD 1714.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 22 cm, width 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Date mentioned on the last page colophon in volume three of the work, the beginning of Dhu 'l-Hijja 1126 / December 1714.","method_for_provenance":"From the origin of the copyist and the writing style.","provenance":"Morocco.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Al-Razi, J. and Varichon, A, *6000 ans d'art au Maroc* , catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \nArabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Fahâris al-khizana al-Malakiyya*, Rabat 1982, Vol. II.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui,L., *Les bibliothèques au Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","figurative decoration","horsemanship","Maghrebi script","science","scientific manuscript","veterinary"],"materials":["brown and coloured inks.","Paper"]},"eeadc3f4-cf85-5e38-bce5-3c6d8631b78c":{"name":"Maghrebi *rab’a*.","alternate_name":"Maghrebi Qur’an manuscript.","description":"A *rab’a*, a Qur'anic manuscript divided into 30 parts, each of which has an independent binding. The *rab’a* was preserved in a square wooden box covered on the outside with leather and embellished by four embossed decorative bands that incorporate geometric patterns outlined with silver thread. In between the four bands are three silver belts which reach from the back to the front of the box to support it. Each belt is decorated with three star-like shapes made from silver and overlaid with blue enamel. In all, the box bears 10 decorative forms in the same style; on the four corners of the box, for example, there are geometric shapes inlaid with mother-of-pearl and red and blue enamel.  \nThe bindings of all 30 parts are made from embossed red leather, with both the front and back embellished with ornamentation and text, which is identical on all the volumes. On each cover there are four inscription bands that form a square, and which are encircled by silver thread. The text is gilded, and in the middle of each front cover there is a silver-braided circle. Within the circle in gilded text is a Chapter from the Qur'an (14: 52), which tells the story of Ibrahim (Abraham). It reads: “Here is a message for mankind. Let them take warning there from, and let them know that he is (no other than) One God. Let men of understanding take heed”.On the back cover there is another quote from the Qur'an “al-Baqara” (“the Cow”, 2: 181), which reads: “If anyone changes the bequest after hearing it. The guilt shall be on those who make the change. For Allah hears and knows (All things)”.  \nEach part of the *rab'a* begins with two identical illuminated panels that differ in design from one volume to the next. Most of the square-shaped panels are surrounded by broad illuminated frames and contain decoration consisting of lines, circles and squares painted in more than one colour, but predominantly in gold. The *rab'a* is written in Maghrebi-style script with black ink, with five lines to each page. Verses are divided from each other by the word “verse” written in gold and surrounded by three circles. The *waqf* charter of the *rab'a,* written in an illuminated *kufic* script within a square that is also illuminated, is on the last two pages of each volume.","short_description":"A *rab’a*, a Qur’anic manuscript in 30 parts, preserved in a wooden box covered with leather and decorated with silver bands. The texts are in Maghrebi *kufic* script, written with saffron water on gazelle parchment. The *rab’a* is filled with decorative motifs, colours and illumination. This is one of three *rab’a* written for Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem; only the last copy has come down to us.","type":"Maghrebi, rab'a, parchment, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Commander of the Faithful, Abu al-Hasan Ali, the first Marinid (ruled in the Maghreb AH 732–49 / AD 1331–48).","dates":"Hegira 745 / AD 1344.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 22 cm, width 20 cm, depth 5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The *rab’a* is dated by an inscription.","method_for_provenance":"The Maghreb was narrowed down as the place of production for this manuscript based on the *waqf* charter that appears at the end of each volume. For example, the *waqf* in the eighth volume reads: “The eighth volume of this Holy Qur'anic manuscript completes a part of a thirty volume series, all of which have been written in the handwriting of Abd Allah Ali, *amir* of the Muslims, son of the *amir* of the Muslims, Abi Said Uthman, son of the *amir* of the Muslims, Abi Yusuf Ya'qub bin Abd al-Haqq, ruler of the Maghreb, May God bless him, and it has been endowed for recitation in al-Aqsa Mosque.”","provenance":"Maghreb.","obtention":"The piece was transferred at an unknown date from al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-Makri, A., (d. 1041 / 1631), *Nafaha al-Tayab (al-Tayb) min Ghasan Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib \\[A Pleasant Breeze from the Branch of Verdant al-Andalus\\],* Vol. 2, Leiden, 1860.  \nAl-Maqrizi, A., (d. 845 / 1442), *Al-Suluk li Ma'arifat duwal al-Muluk \\[The Right Ways to Know the Lands of the Rulers),* Vol. 2, Cairo, 1971.  \nAl-Qalakshandi, A., (d. 821 / 1418), *Subah al-'Asha fi Sana'at al-Inasha' \\[The Break of Evening in the Making of Literary Creation\\]*, Cairo, 1913.  \nRosen-Ayalon, M., “Some Comments on a Maghrebi Qur'an”, in *Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam,* No. 19, 1995, pp.73–80.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.  \n*Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza,* pp.72–3.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Abu al-Hasan al-Marini","illumination","kufic script","Maghrebi script","mashaf","Parchment","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["binding of illuminated leather.","Black ink on gazelle parchment"]},"ef10164f-a690-53dc-a8c5-b066a2dcb828":{"name":"Folio from the 'Blue Qur'an'","short_description":"This folio comes from the Blue Qur'an, so named for the rich hue of its indigo-dyed surface. The dyeing of parchment for use in luxurious manuscripts originated in Byzantine tradition and continued into the early Islamic period. The gold and silver ink of the *kufic* text and circular verse markers add to the opulence of this folio. While many scholars believe this Qur’an to have originated in Qayrawan, Tunisia, details in its verse markers have led others to argue that it may have actually been produced in Umayyad Córdoba. Nevertheless, a description of a manuscript with the same specifications as this one appeared in an inventory of the Mosque of Qayrawan in AH 693 / AD 1293, indicating that it was part of the mosque’s endowment by this time.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th century / AD second half 9th–mid-10th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 30.4cm, W: 40.2cm","provenance":"Probably Qayrawan, Tunisia","obtention":"Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Probably Great Mosque of Qairawan, Tunisia (from about 900)  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, by 2002–4; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Carboni, Stefano, \"The Arts of the Fatimid Period at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,\" *The Ismaili*, (2008): 4, ill. fig. 1 (colour).  \nCarboni, Stefano, Haidar, Navina and Ekhtiar, Maryam, \"Recent Acquistions: A Selection 2003–2004\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 62/ 2 (Fall 2004): 10, ill.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 54, 58–59, no. 30, ill. 59 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 2, 78-79.  \nEttinghausen, Richard, Grabar, Oleg and Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, *Islamic Art and Architecture, 650–1250*, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2003: 98–99, 312.  \nImbrey, Jai (ed), *Mosques: Splendors of Islam*, New York: Rizzoli, 2017: 40, ill.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004","keywords":["Arabic inscription","calligrapher","calligraphy","Dedicatory inscription","female patronage","gold","ink","kufic","opaque watercolor","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qairawan","Qur'an","religious object","Tunisia","writing","Zirid"],"materials":["Gold and silver on indigo-dyed parchment"]},"ef6f3f6c-f567-5300-9a2c-887d4b9a516c":{"name":"Anonymous, *Ruznamce-i shemsiyye ve qamariyye* ('Small calendar of solar and lunar years')","short_description":"The anonymous Arabic treatise titled *Ruznamce-i shemsiyye ve qamariyye* (‘Small Calendar of Solar and Lunar Years’) was compiled for the years 905 AH / 1499 to 1000 AH / 1592. It was possibly written in the 16th-17th centuries in Ottoman Syria. The Latin marginalia *Deo Trino et Uno honor Lausq infinita* on fol. 8a were probably written by a later Christian owner, while the owner’s stamp on fol. 8b is by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, from whom the manuscript was purchased by the Austrian National Library in 1842. The extant European half-leather binding corresponds to a possibly Viennese production date in the 19th-century. The calendar itself is composed in a format similar to Ottoman prayer calendar scrolls and their tabular arrangement. Particularly fascinating, however, is the fact that small paintings are pasted in the margins of the manuscript, which is atypical for this manuscript format. These paintings include both zodiac images as well as monthly allegories. The zodiac miniatures are stylistically relatable to Timurid Shiraz of the early 15th century when patrons had great interest in astrology and the natural sciences. It can be hypothesised that these paintings were cut out from an older calendar or astrological treatise and reused in a new context. They are visually integrated into the page layout, as the border is drawn around the images. The monthly allegories, in contrast, are pasted over these borders and hence must have been added later. They display themes from a Christian context mixed with Islamic artistic conventions, the scenes reminiscent of Islamic metalwork. As such, it is possible that the calendar was later owned by a Christian who pasted this second group of illustrations onto the pages.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Possibly 16th-17th centuries","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"251x145mm (190x80mm), ff. II, II*, 8 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Syria","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 8a, an owner's stamp by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall dated to 1223 AH / 1808 AD is visible.","obtention":"Acquired  in 1842 from Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 66-70.","binding_desc":"The European half-leather binding has the following written in gold print on the spine: ‘Almanac from 905-1000’. It was likely made in 19th century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387499","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Calendar","lunar","month","solar","Thuluth","year","zodiac"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic thuluth script."]},"efc2172a-d635-578e-af49-9d6126ab9b75":{"name":"Part 8 of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text contains the *sura* *al-An‘am* (V’), verse 111, to *sura* *al-A‘raf* (VI), verse 87. The main text is in *muhaqqaq*, incidentals are in *kufic* and *naskhi* and there are 3 lines to the page. The text is written in a stately form of *muhaqqaq*, a style that from the rise of the rounded scripts was particularly favoured for fine Qur’ans. The vocalisation in gold is outlined in black. A rectangular band terminating in a large marginal hasp on folio 38a has the heading of *sura* *al-A‘raf*, written in a black-outlined white *kufic* against a superbly illuminated background.  \nBoth the script and the illumination of this imposing manuscript are related to a seven-part copy of the Qur’an dedicated to Abu’l-Qasim Harun ibn ‘Ali ibn Zafar, the vizier of Özbeg, the last atabeg of Azerbaijan (r. 1210–1225).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; text in *muhaqqaq*; incidentals in *kufic* and *naskhi*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"c. AD 1175–1225","location":"London","dimensions":"39.2 x 32.4cm; 92 folios","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on comparisons with a copy of the Qur’an made for the vizier of the last atabeg of Azerbaijan (r. 1220 – 1225).","provenance":"Iran, perhaps Azerbaijan","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.5, pp.34–9.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.59, p.71.","keywords":["Atabeg","gold","ink","Iran","kufic","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","muhaqqaq script","naskh","naskh script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","leather binding of a later date"]},"efcc7ec3-36f8-59b0-a853-5e760fd7f0b1":{"name":"An obituary listing eight victims of the Nizari Ismaʿili assassins","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio comes from one of the most heavily illustrated sections of the manuscript, a section that also helps reveal a secret about the work’s origins: Rashid al-Din was probably not its original author.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42 x 32.4cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold pigment on paper","Ink","watercolour"]},"f01728d7-fe74-597e-b37f-12f01e9ac1a3":{"name":"*Rab’a* of Sultan Murad.","description":"A *rab’a* (Qur'an divided into 30 parts) that has been preserved in two identical wooden cube-shaped boxes, each of which is covered with a level of stucco and painted black. A number of inscription bands form part of the decoration and contain gilded texts written in *thuluth* script. The texts include *hadiths* of the Prophet to encourage study of the Qur'an. The corners of each box are decorated with vegetal designs composed of intertwining plant motifs gathered within a frame of zigzag lines.  \nEach volume of the *rab’a* is bound by a two-leaf cover and a library marker. Each leaf of the cover holds a medallion with a helical frame and an illuminated background. The spine is decorated with independent illuminated vegetal motifs. Each medallion is connected at the top and bottom by two suspended ornaments. The two inside covers are decorated with a medallion, divided into illuminated geometric forms on a blue, black, red and green background. The medallion is connected at the top and bottom to a smaller medallion.  \nThe endowment charter of the entire *rab’a* appears at the beginning of the first volume. On the first page of every volume there is a condensed version of the charter surrounded at both the top and bottom by two decorative bands that are different in size and decorative style from one volume to the next.  \nFolio 2b–3a forms the beginning of each volume. The frontispiece consists of two identically decorated pages. Five lines are written on each of the two pages, in alternating gold and black, the text surrounded by a number of bands with extremely beautiful ornamentation in polychrome; specifically red and gold against a background of blue. The text is intercepted with independent vegetal decoration in a variety of different colours.  \nEach page of the 30 volumes of the *rab’a* is divided into five horizontal rectangles. In each of the first, third and fifth rectangles, there is a single line of the Qur'an written in a large and illuminated *rayhani* script. In each of the second and fourth rectangles, four lines are written in black *thuluth* script. The second and fourth rectangles are intersected on both sides by two side-bands ornamented with illuminated motifs consisting of intertwining vegetal decoration against a white background.  \nThe layout of this *rab’a* is reminiscent of the Qur'anic manuscript of Sultan Bayezid.","short_description":"A *rab’a* (Qur’an in 30 parts) in two wooden boxes covered with stucco and painted black with inscriptions and vegetal designs. The *rab’a* was donated by Sultan Murad to al-Aqsa Mosque. Each page is divided into five parts, three in illuminated *rayhani* script and two in *thuluth* script written with black ink. The word ‘Majestic’, chapter names, verse numbers and their area are illuminated.","type":"Manuscript, woodwork, stucco decoration","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira 1001 / AD 1593.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 36 cm, width 24.5 cm, depth 2 cm.","method_for_datation":"The *rab’a* is inscribed with the date and endowment.","method_for_provenance":"Turkey was narrowed down as the place of production for this manuscript supported by the text of the *waqf* charter which appears on the third page of the Qur'an. The name of the copyist, illuminator and the place of production does not appear.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"The *rab’a* was transferred from al-Aqsa Mosque to the Islamic Museum but it is not known when.","bibliography":"Farid, M., *Tarikh al-Daula al-'Ulya al-Othmaniya \\[History of the Ottoman Empire\\],* Beirut, 1981.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[The Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Hadith","illumination","leather","mashaf","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript","rihani","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured ink and gilding on paper","covered with decorative stucco.","the binding embossed and illuminated leather. The box made from wood"]},"f02545d3-2c1e-56ed-999c-fd59a3ff72c3":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"This is a fragmentary copy of the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’), the verse epic that tells the story of the pre-Islamic kings and heroes of Iran. The manuscript was probably produced for the Iranian ruler Shah Abbas the Great, sometime after his accession in 1587, and contains sixteen paintings, two of which were added later, in about 1676. The paintings are amongst the finest examples of Persian painting ever produced, each one finely rendered and filled with abundant detail.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD late 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"40.7 x 26.1 cm","provenance":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_277/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","court","Elephant","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","script","Simurgh","warfare","women","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f29f00e9-279d-593b-8b54-54ee9c2bb477":{"name":"Document on slavery","description":"This document is written in English on two sheets of parchment. Source: United States of America. Length: 30 cm. Width: 40 cm.","type":"Historic manuscript; document","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"1842","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"f2f5d2c9-669c-5eb0-99b1-c90588e93519":{"name":"History of Sultan Süleyman","short_description":"The Ottomans were especially interested in the recording of historical events and at the behest of Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), the court historian Luqman compiled this versified account of the reign of Murad’s grandfather, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66). The text is largely concerned with Süleyman’s defeat of Hungary in the summer of 1566, and the illustrations included here depict his arrival before the city of Szigetvar, the destruction and fall of the city and the sultan’s death and funeral. (He died during the siege of the city.) The simple and direct style of these paintings is typical of Ottoman historical illustration.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 987 / AD 1579","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_413/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["army","burial","calligraphy","Europe","fire","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","tent","warfare"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f38d6e15-e344-5817-ac1d-988aed7ec5c8":{"name":"Qur’an leaf","short_description":"This Qur’an leaf is written in a transitional script that lies between the Hijazi and the *kufic* script styles. This vellum leaf demonstrates a crucial phase in the development of Quranic scripts. Towards the end of the first century Hijra, the Arabic letters started to acquire dots, as shown in this leaf, in the same brown ink used for the writing. Vocalization marks are seen in red and green dots, and the verse dividers are marked by the use of slanting dashes in brown ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 100-200 / AD 700-800","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"38 x 28.5cm","provenance":"Near East or Arabian Peninsula","bibliography":"*Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 14.","materials":["Hijazi script on parchment"]},"f396e33d-9645-55ac-affd-ff0c3b5c089a":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"This Qur'an was written in gilt *kufic* script outlined in brown ink (sepia) on gazelle skin. The verses on the page shown (112: 3– 113: 1) are set in a richly illuminated frame, also gilded and outlined in brown ink. There are no diacritical marks. Vowel marks are shown as red or black dots. The beginning of a new chapter (*sura*) is only indicated by the *basmala* (the formula: 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful'). Three diagonal lines are placed at the end of the verses.  \n  \nThe Qur'an page is framed by a wide border delineated by narrow bands. The rectangles formed by the border bands form joining sections. The large spaces within these rectangles are filled with decoration including spiralling tendrils with leaves and flowers.  \n  \nOnly five leaves remain to us from this Qur'an, which was made in the AH 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries in or . Written in *kufic* script, gilded and richly illuminated, it must have been made for an important mosque or ruler.","short_description":"Calligraphy developed as a result of careful copying of the Holy Qur'an in order to make it accessible to the masses. This page is written in *kufic* script, named after the calligraphic centre in the city of Kufa, and its character is plain and rigid yet striking.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, gazelle skin","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th centuries / AD 9th–10th centuries.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 27 cm, width 39 cm.","method_for_datation":"The style of writing, the lack of diacritic marks, and the designs used in the illumination all suggest a date of the 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"The Abbasid Empire was centred in Baghdad, and one of its most important regions was Syria. For this reason the object is thought to have been produced either in Iraq or in Syria.","provenance":"Iraq or Syria.","obtention":"Ismet Bey, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Islamic Foundations (the old name for the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus while travelling. He had a number of items in the collection at *Qubbat al-Hazine* (Treasury) of the mosque, including this Qur'an, transferred to the Museum where they were registered in the inventory in around 1332 / 1914.","bibliography":"ölçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: Works of Art from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.15.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.44–5.","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","gold (gilding)","leather","Parchment","religious manuscript","religious object"],"materials":["Gazelle skin with gilding","the writing in brown ink (sepia)."]},"f4b42f47-4668-569e-9597-a2a04bb2f959":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This manuscript is *juz’* (section) eleven of a thirty-part Qur’an. Each section was separately bound and each would have begun, as does this one, with an illuminated roundel known as a *shamsa* (‘sun’) containing a Qur’anic inscription. The first lines of text are surrounded by a frontispiece and, as is usual in all fine Qur’ans, the beginning of each chapter is indicated by an illuminated heading. Other sections of this same manuscript are now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Ethnography Museum in Ankara, Turkey.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 738 / AD 1338","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"31.5 x 23 cm","provenance":"Iran, Maragha","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f4d69a3e-9925-5ec2-a00c-7db5ff29d9d2":{"name":"Register listing 'all of the subjects of the Grand Duke of Tuscany [Italy] residing in Tunisia'","alternate_name":"*Stato nominativo di tutti i Sudditi di Sua Altezza Reale il Gran Duca di Toscana residenti in Tunisi*","description":"The names appearing in this list are mostly Jewish, including that of Giacomo Castelnuovo (Livorno, Italy, 1819 – La Goulette, Tunisia, 1886), a medical doctor who had to flee Italy because of his liberal ideas and his support for Italy’s national unification. Initially he went to Egypt, where he founded two Italian newspapers, *Lo Spettatore Egiziano* and *Il Progresso d’Egitto*.  \nThe author of many medical publications, in Tunis Castelnuovo became the Bey’s personal physician. He served as president of the Tunisian branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, and promoted the construction of a synagogue, on a plot of land granted by the Bey.  \nA Freemason, he fought in Italy in the wars for Italy’s unification. He was awarded honours by both the Italian King (who ennobled him) and by the Bey of Tunis.","type":"Register (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Livorno","dates":"1850","location":"Livorno","author":"Massimo Sanacore","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"f4ec5e16-ce89-5fd8-a571-64a756787ac8":{"name":"Nizami Ganjavi, or Jamal ad-Din Abu Muhammad Ilyas b.Yusuf b. Mu’ayyad Nizam ad-Din, *Khamsa* ('Quintet')","short_description":"The *Khamsa* (‘Quintet’) was written by the famous Nizami Ganjavi, whose full name is Jamal ad-Din Abu Muhammad Ilyas b. Yusuf b. Mu'ayyad Nizam ad-Din (died 605 AH / 1209 AD). This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Shams ad-Din b. Giyath ad-Din al-Hafiz al-Kirmani. He finished the manuscript (excluding the *Iqbalnama*) in 905-6 AH / 1500 AD according to two colophons on fol. 41b and fol. 152a, possibly in Shiraz, Iran. The 29 half- to full-page paintings represent the transition from the late Turkmen to the early Safavid style. However, alterations and restorations may have already been carried out in the 16th century. One century later, the manuscript was acquired for the Austrian National Library by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople in 1677.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"905-6 AH /1500 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"225 x 345 mm (170 x 250 mm), ff. I*, 36 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 905 AH / 1500 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there is a destroyed oriental owner's stamp. It was acquired in 1677 by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople.","provenance":"Possibly Shiraz","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library in the second half of the 17th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 33-37.","scriber":"Huseyin","binding_desc":"The red leather binding with flap features a gold-stamped medallion with two pendants in the centre and corner fillings of identical decoration with stylised cloud bands and floral vines. The frame consists of gold-stamped, elongated cartouches with delicate flowery vines. The doublures are made of thin light-brown leather with a similar medallion and frame design as on the cover. The motifs, however, are cut out and filled in with arabesque black filigree work on blue paper ground. On the flap bridge, Persian verses in *nasta’liq* script are inscribed in the cartouches, which are stamped in gold. The spine was likely renewed in Vienna in the 18th century with brown leather and gold-stamped ornaments, featuring the Latin inscription ‘Nizami’. The binding was likely made in 16th-17th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/1127951C","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bahram","Haft Peykar","Iskandar","Khamsa","Khosrow","Layla","Majnun","mi'raj","Nizami","Shirin"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper. Small Turkish naskh in three columns up to 20 lines per page.","Ink"]},"f57c4704-e5f1-5800-820c-7ce3e7443e67":{"name":"Illustration of a mountain goat  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Nuzhatnama-yi ‘ala’i* (‘ala’i’ Book of Pleasure)","short_description":"This book discusses the characteristics and natures of humans, animals, and plants. The folio on display is from the book’s second section, which discusses quadrupeds, wild animals, and beasts. It includes information on and an illustration of a mountain goat. The clouds above the goat and also the lotus flowers are derived from Chinese art. The book is named for its patron, an 11th-century prince of Yazd, who had the title of ‘Ala al-Dawla.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24.7 x 16.1cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["animals","florals","folio","humans","plants","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["gold and ink on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"f85fc07f-ac67-5370-af17-7ba37d0eb7d2":{"name":"*Nihayat al-Su’l wa al-Umniya fi Ta‘allum ‘Amal al-Furusiyya* (‘Compendium of Military Arts’)","short_description":"*Nihayat al-su’l wa al-umniya fi ta‘allum ‘amal al-furusiyya* is a compendium of military arts written by Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Isma‘il al-Hanafi al-Aqsari (d. AD 1348, Damascus), who dedicated it to the Mamluk viceroy of Egypt, Ala al-Din Asanbay al-Abu Bakri. It became the most popular Mamluk book on *furusiyya* (horsemanship) and many illustrated copied were made for Mamluk patrons in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, of which this copy is the earliest known. The text is divided into twelve chapters, or lessons, on horsemanship and warfare. The manuscript’s nineteen illustrations depict the use of various weapons, such as the bow, lance, sword and arrow, and military tactics, including the formation of battle lines.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 768 / AD 1366","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"29 x 20 cm","provenance":"Egypt, Cairo","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Ar_5655/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["armour","arms","horsemanship","manuscript","military","miniature painting","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold"]},"f8d2c9af-d37b-5ab4-9735-d30dac0e4f8a":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment belongs to one of the oldest Qur’ans in the world: it is a very early, likely Iraqi, copy in oblong horizontal format from the first quarter of the 8th century, calligraphed in an early type of script relatable to *Hijazi* script in either Medina or Mecca. Vocalisations appear in the form of red dots throughout the text, while the circular medallions in the margin containing the verse count are written in green and framed in red and green. This is an important textual witness of over 60 early fragments that date to before 800 BC. One of the previous owners can be identified as Kaikobad I. of the Sultanate of Rum (1219-1237), likely only one of a handful of high-ranking manuscript collectors with this early copy of the Qur’an in their possession.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"First quarter of the 8th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"154 x 212mm, 104 folios.","place_of_production":"Medina or Mecca","provenance":"Likely Iraq","obtention":"The previous owners include Kaikobad I. of the Sultanate of Rum (1219-1237), Anton Prokesch von Osten (1795-1876), and Joseph von Karabacek (1845-1918).","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 296.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14498219","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","Hijazi","illumination","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink on parchment (8°). Calligraphic script (possibly Hijazi script) in 15 lines per page."]},"f8d95dbb-56af-5611-a814-9a73ceff888e":{"name":"\"The Beaker Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early thirteenth century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"40cm × 28cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew, Paris;  \n1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13822/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=a1bcc428-52d7-4bef-a282-3e8ca7e7796b&idx=0","keywords":["folio","miniature","Technical manuscript.","water"],"materials":["and ink on paper","Gold","opaque watercolor"]},"fa5a3c62-3016-588e-8295-eb54bcf4919b":{"name":"Complete manuscript of Qur’anic interpretation, entitled *Anwar al-Tanzeel wa Asrar al-Ta’weel*","short_description":"This commentary, with qur’anic quotations in *naskhi* script and margin texts in sloping *nasta‘liq*, was originally authored by Abu Said Abdallah ibn ‘Umar al-Baydhawi (AH 600 / AD 1186 – AH 685 / AD 1203). A historical inscription at the end of this copy states that it was written by Al-Uskudari, a well-known Ottoman calligrapher in AH 973 / AD 1565.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 973 / AD 1565","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Makkah al-Mukarramah","keywords":["calligraphy","naskhi","Nasta`liq","Ottoman religious manuscripts"]},"fc5cf82e-fd47-55f6-908a-6658587f1353":{"name":"*Khamsa*","short_description":"Illustrated folio depicting the *Mi\\`raj*, or transport of the Prophet Muhammed to Jerusalem on the mount Buraq, from the *Makhzan al-Asrar*, the first of the epic poems constituting Nizami's *Khamsa*.","type":"Poetry manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Iranian world","keywords":["Illustration","Iran","mi'raj"]},"fd211c5e-6b0a-584a-8a00-0307908a3402":{"name":"Request for financial help to the Minister of the Interior by Filippo Codispoti, a former Italian migrant to Cairo, who had to flee Egypt with his family in 1882","description":"In this letter Filippo Codispoti explained to the Italian Minister of Interior that he was born in Reggio Calabria (a town in Southern Italy) and was 17 years old before he migrated to Egypt. After years of hard work he had been able to reach a comfortable position and was running a wine and liquor shop, while his son was working as a shoemaker, and his daily pay was five and a half lire.  \nHe further explained that the civil war in Egypt had forced him to flee the country together with his wife and three children, leaving all his belongings in Egypt. He was now penniless and reduced to utter misery, and asked the government for financial help.  \nAccording to governmental statistics, in 1882 there were 18,665 Italians in Egypt. The number of foreigners in Egypt totalled 90,886.","type":"Petition (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Reggio Calabria","dates":"Reggio Calabria, 21 September 1882","location":"Reggio Calabria","author":"Fortunata Chindemi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"fd2a384c-3dc1-5711-b73d-c141912a1a62":{"name":"Manuscript of *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries)","short_description":"Made for Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1264–1313 AH/1848–96), the manuscript *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries) consists of one hundred and nineteen calligraphic pages, each with ten lines of gold-sprinkled *nasta‘liq* in the hand of Shukrallah Nameh-Nigar. The name of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar is mentioned on the page preceding the last one in the manuscript, and his portrait is painted on the central medallions on the front and back exterior covers. The binding reflects the combination of tradition and modernity during the Qajar period. It features the customary composition of scrolling vegetal motif in gold on a dark background wedded to European-style portraits of the shah.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Dated Shawwal-Dhu’l-Qa‘da Hegira 1310 / April–May 1893","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"11.3 x 18.2cm","provenance":"Tehran, Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["calligraphy","figure","manuscript","Portrait","vegetal motif","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","lacquer binding","Opaque watercolour"]},"fd4b59a9-ae59-534d-a8b4-6d56ba4420f8":{"name":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din), *Bustan* (Fruit Garden)","short_description":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din) (died 691 AH/ 1292 AD), wrote the *Bustan* (‘Fruit Garden’), which was his first published work. It contains ethical anecdotes incorporating the accounts of the author’s travels and his manifold experiences, and would later become one of his major works. This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script in Tabriz around 937-47 AH / c. 1530-40 AD. The manuscript contains five nearly full-page paintings. The paintings are reminiscent of the style of the Timurid school of Herat. In 1677, it was acquired in Constantinople for 36 gold ducats.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 937-47 AH / 1530-40 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"250 x 175 mm (c. 150 x 100 mm), 76 folios.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, inscription by Peter Lambeck: *Bostan, seu Hortus Scheichi Saadi, celebris Poetae ac doctoris Persici. Liber moralis. 36 auriis*.","provenance":"Tabriz","obtention":"Acquired for the Austrian National Library for 36 gold ducats in 1677 in Constantinople by Peter Lambeck.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 37-40.","binding_desc":"The luxuriously painted lacquer binding has a leather spine and leather edges. On the front cover, a group of people are depicted within a lush garden of flowering shrubs spread across the black background. A prince is sitting behind a spread-out red cloth with plates of food and a jug in the centre. He is holding a golden wine bowl while a kneeling courtier on the left serves a plate of pomegranates. In a semicircle around and above them, various figures sit or stand with drinking vessels or pomegranates in their hands. Below them, on the right, is a (poorly conserved) seated group; on the left are three musicians with a tambourine, a flute, and a lute. All figures wear the Safavid staff turban and a long two-piece robe covered with gold patterns in bright saffron, orange, and red colour as well as in dark green and blue.  \nOn the back cover, a courtly hunting scene is depicted within dense foliage and clouds at the top, including archers on horseback chasing lions, panthers, gazelles, and hares, as well as one falconer at the top right. It is a dynamic composition with five riders approaching from different sides, the movement of the horses and gestures of the figures are animated and varied. Fine mother-of-pearl dust is mixed into the colours that comprise the clouds, stones, and rocks. Related lacquer bindings can be found in the British Library (Or. 1374) and in the British Museum (no. 1948 12-11027-8).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10E18DB3","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bustan","painting","Safavid","Yusuf","Zulaikha"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 16 lines."]},"fd83d0b9-980c-5d81-b47c-74aa8931e4de":{"name":"Iskandar killing a dragon","short_description":"The miniature, cut from a manuscript, illustrates an episode of Ferdowsi’s epic *Shahnameh*, in which Iskandar kills a dragon through trickery, by making it swallow an ox hide stuffed with naphtha. The scene unfolds in a landscape with a cliff in the background, under the bewildered eyes of three characters dressed in seventeenth-century costumes, featured above a fortress gate.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Height: 12cm, Width: 10.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Probably Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 2008.","bibliography":"Dunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 114, no. 54.","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["dragon","Iskandar","Shahname"],"materials":["Gouache","ink and gold on paper"]},"fdd3753f-818b-54d6-aab7-80f375510649":{"name":"Nebamun tomb paintings","description":"Copies of correspondence between Henry Salt and the British Museum record the date, 1820, that the tomb of Nebamun, now lost, was first discovered.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1820?","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt"},"ff6c9c68-5a72-5102-ad19-99345287b4be":{"name":"Letter from Marshall Forteguerri, commander general of the navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, confirming the purchase of Tunisian slaves in Naples","description":"This letter from Marshall Forteguerri, commander general of the navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, confirms the purchase of Tunisian slaves in Naples and their subsequent emancipation.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1797","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"ffe08b8f-98ad-5e02-a0ff-ceaa5ae4d13f":{"name":"Collection of Persian poetry","short_description":"The collection of Persian poetry is a work of Abd al-Wahhab ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sayyid. The manuscript in *nasta\\`liq* script contains two miniatures attributed to Aqa-malik and representing a princess in a garden.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 28 cm, width 17 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["manuscript","Nasta`liq","Safawid"],"materials":["gold and pigments","Ink","Paper"]},"ffe82953-5509-586c-bf0c-5858cbd0964d":{"name":"Manuscript from the medical treatise *Kitab al-tasrîf liman ajaza an al-talîf fi al-tibb* by Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn ‘Abbas al-Andalusi al-Zahrawi.","description":"This manuscript is the transcription of one of the 30 volumes of the encyclopaedia *al-Tasrif*, written by Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, known in the West as Abulcasis, who lived from AH 320 to 401 (AD 936–1016) during the Caliphate period in Córdoba. Considered the most famous doctor and surgeon of his time, he compiled the results of his medical operations in the encyclopaedia. He described and drew nearly two hundred tools that he used, many of which he invented and made himself. This important work was a basic reference book for students in north African universities. As printing did not yet exist, it was copied, like all scientific works, by professional calligraphers who were in fact the painters of their time. This specimen, whose copyist is unknown, belongs to the Almohad period and it contains 329 pages. Most of the 30 chapters cover the formulation of remedies and how to treat injuries. It is written in Maghrebi cursive script. On the page that deals with cauterisation, some surgical tools are naively depicted, painted in black, red and yellow.","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of one of the 30 volumes of the encyclopaedia written by the greatest surgeon of his time, known in Europe as Abulcasis. It contains illustrations of surgical instruments that he invented. This page deals with cauterisation.","type":"Scientific manuscript, paper","holder":"General Library.","dates":"Hegira 610–9 / AD 1213–23.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 26.5 cm, length 18.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The date of the copy, missing the units digit, appears on the last page (colophon) of this volume.","method_for_provenance":"The style of the writing and the manuscript date, which is very close to the date of the original, suggest Andalusian origin.","provenance":"Spain (al-Andalus).","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Abd al-Rahman, A. J*.*, *Printed Arabic Manuscripts*, al-Baçra, 1981.  \nAl-Arabi al-Khatabi, M., *Faharis al-Khizana al-Malakia*, Rabat, 1982.  \nAl-Razi J. and Varichon, A., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 1999.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui, L., *Les bibliothèques au Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nHaji Khalifa, *Kitab kachf al- zounoum an asâmî al-koutoub wal-founoun*, Istanbul, 1941.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","figurative decoration","medicine","science","scientific manuscript","surgery"],"materials":["brown ink","Paper","yellow and red paint."]}}
+{"0100136c-d21e-52a5-b03f-fb11f9499ed7":{"name":"'A Giant Fish Rescues Abu Ubayda and his Men from Dying of Starvation'","description":"The style of the miniatures from this manuscript is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, and it has in fact been called Shah Rukh’s historical style. Its inspiration was undoubtedly the illustrations made about a century earlier for Rashid al-Din’s famous ‘History of the World.’  \n  \nThe rescue of the close companion of the Prophet, Abu Ubayda, from starvation is one of Islam’s early miracles. His desperate men have eaten the leaves from the trees and although they do not look quite as emaciated as the two dromedaries lying on the ground, the yellow desert underlines the gravity of the situation. When a giant fish appears, the Muslims are saved from dying of starvation.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 829 / AD 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.8 cm× 33.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Christie's, London, 27/4-2004, lot 76.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat.no. 19;  \n  \nSotheby’s, London, 3/5-1977, lot 2.","dynasty":"Timurids","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Herat","manuscript","miniature","Timurids","water"],"materials":["Pigments"]},"010de5fe-73f3-5015-9ce0-8323f9938c1c":{"name":"Qur΄an manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript on paper has 390 folios, each with 13 lines of black *naskhi*. The first, seventh and last lines are in larger gold script. There are gold rosettes between verses and the text is outlined with gold. The opening folio is finely illuminated and the final folio has a colophon signed by Muhammad b. Mirak and dated Ramadan AH 965.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Dated Hegira Ramadan 965 / AD 1558","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 26.8 cm, width 17.5 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan (Herat)","dynasty":"Moghul","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","naskhi","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Paper, ink, gold and pigments"]},"02125310-0cbe-5f6f-833f-c178410397b3":{"name":"Official document regarding the connection of Beirut–Damascus railway line to Beirut Port","short_description":"This document concerns the connection of the Beirut- Damascus railway line to Beirut port. It was signed during a large ceremony inaugurating the connection of railway lines across the country.","type":"Historical document","holder":"Khalil Itani's Archive","dates":"1919","location":"Beirut","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Jeff El-Msanne, Julien El Khoury","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Railway","Beirut - Damascus","Transportation","Commerce"]},"0366a1a1-16f2-5283-9ed8-980d5e154fbc":{"name":"Divan of Belig","short_description":"This *divan* consists of the poems of Mehmed Emin Belig, a relatively unknown Turkish poet who belonged to the *‘ulama* and served as a *qadi* in various Balkan towns. Although he is thought to have been little appreciated in his time, this fine copy of his *divan* was produced just fifty years after his death in AH 1174 / AD 1760. The manuscript opens with a heading illuminated in the European-influenced style popular at the time.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1224 / AD 1809–10","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.8 x 13.2 cm","provenance":"Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"0377755d-a4a5-57ef-8cca-716b1fdb2ad1":{"name":"Document recording the purchase of steamships","description":"A record from the archive of correspondence between the Sultan of Morocco Mulay al-Hasan I and his Minister of Foreign Affairs and representative in Tangier, Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Torres. It details Morocco’s order, from Italy, for the construction of a warship, the payment terms, constraints and currency exchange rates. In 1891, Morocco purchased four warships and a number of steamships.","type":"Document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1891","location":"Tetouan","keywords":["Italians in Morocco","industrialists","Italian industrialists","war","warfare","changes in warfare","arms","warship","steamship","trade","economy","Italian-Moroccan relations","diplomacy","technical innovations"],"materials":["Paper"]},"041d8737-02a0-59bb-bc07-61b8b3099fe9":{"name":"Jewelled Box and Manuscript (*Kitab al-Awrad*)","short_description":"This jeweled box contains a manuscript (*Kitab al Awrad*) comprised of daily Qur’anic chapters from the Noble Qur\\`an for each day of the week.  \nTranscriber: Nasir bin Khamis bin Sulaiman bin Said al-Harthi al-Abrawi as-Samdi  \nTranscribed for Umair bin Swailem bin Abdullah al-Abrawi  \n*Collections of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur.*","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"1240 AH / 1825 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Manuscript: Length: 22.07cm, Width: 16.03cm, Thickness: 4.06cm, Weight: 0.975g;  \nJeweled Box: Length: 26.5cm, Width: 19.3cm, Thickness: 6.7cm, Weight: 1.170g","dynasty":"Al-Busaid","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","materials":["Manuscript: Paper, ink and leather Box: Silver, velvet, stained glass and watercolour"]},"04887849-7897-54e0-ad84-61da2050f8cb":{"name":"*Nujum al-'ulum* (‘Stars of the Sciences’)","short_description":"*Nujum al-‘ulum* (‘Stars of the Sciences’) is a compendium of Muslim and Hindu beliefs mainly dealing with astrology and magic. Depending on how they are counted, the manuscript contains between four and almost eight hundred illustrations. The folios included here illustrate the northern constellations Andromeda (portrayed as a woman) and the Horse; the Sun in a chariot; the zodiac sign Leo (a lion) with accompanying *naksatras* (mansions of the moon) and degrees; Jupiter depicted as an elderly king in procession; and the Universal Ruler upon his seven-storied throne. The only other copy of this text known was also produced in Bijapur, about a hundred years later, and is also in the Chester Beatty Library.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 978 / AD 1570–71","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25.8 x 16 cm","provenance":"India, Bijapur","dynasty":"Deccani Sultanate","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/In_02/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["astrology","astronomy","Bijapur","Deccan","figural decoration","Illustration","magic","manuscript","miniature painting","science","star"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"04c37681-3626-531f-b0b8-f3b3b408eab3":{"name":"Talismanic manuscript","short_description":"Talismans are supposed to ward off evil through the power of words, signs, or images. The most efficient are believed to be the prayers quoting from the Qur’an, including the name of God or that of important religious figures. This small talismanic manuscript is rather unusual: its circular binding, provided with a cover, encloses nine leaves: one leaf is glued to the support and another to the cover, while the other seven are bound together with woven strips. On opening the manuscript one can see nine pages with blue corners and, upon turning them, seven pages with red corners. A gold medallion with religious texts in Arabic is painted on each of the nine pages with blue corners. The texts include almost all ninety-nine names of Allah (the *Asma al-Husna*), of which the most important is, in this case, *al Khafiz* (the Guarding One). The root *khfz* can be found in many words which make up the text of the manuscript. The ‘seven sleepers of Ephesus’ (*Ashab al-Kahf*) and their dog Qitmir, whose story is recounted in the Qur’an (Sura XVIII – *Al Kahf* / *The Cave*), are mentioned on the final leaf. According to the legend the seven Christian men escaped the persecution of the Roman emperor Decius by taking refuge in a cave where they slept for some three hundred years; the legend has it that those who read their story will be protected from evil as were those who found shelter in the cave. On the leaves with red corners divine names fill the compartments of a square inscribed in a circle which is made up of three registers with religious inscriptions and a larger register with occult signs; the letters were not joined together in order to enhance their magic power.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Diameter: 10.7cm (binding); Height: 7cm; Width: 7cm (cover)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Style of decoration and calligraphy","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 2007.","bibliography":"Dunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 112, no. 53.","dynasty":"Ottoman","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["Talisman, magic"],"materials":["cardboard, leather and silk binding","Gouache, black and red ink, colloidal gold on polished paper"]},"051a1449-1c86-578a-b00f-63151a22996d":{"name":"Shapur besieges a fortress of the Ghassanid king Ta’ir","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Shapur II (r. 304–79). In fact, for the historical section of the “Second” Small *Shahnameh*, this particular painting seems to be the first recorded picture, of a series of only eight.\\[1\\]  \nThe “actors” in this episode are the Ghassanid Arab king, Ta’ir; his daughter Malika (born of his liaison with a Sasanian princess, Naubahar); and the Sasanian Shapur II (r. 309–79). Ta’ir, “that ravening lion,” had captured Naubahar, daughter of Shah Narsi, in a campaign extending as far as the Sasanian capital city of Ctesiphon and taken her by force into his household. Their daughter was so nobly beautiful that her father named her Malika, meaning “Queen,” and her mother did not leave her ignorant of her lineage and circumstances. In due course, Sasanian Persian forces under the leadership of Shapur Shah, grandson of Narsi (and thus cousin to Malika), embarked on a retaliatory campaign into Ta’ir’s lands and the populace fled, some as far as the Yemen. Among those who found refuge in an abandoned fortress was Ta’ir’s daughter, Malika; but Shapur and his troops pursued them. The Sasanian army’s arrival is shown in this painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"26.3 x 19.3cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] See Simpson, Marianna Shreve, *The Illustration of an Epic. The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts*, New York / London: Garland, 1979: 380–82.  \nThe “First Small” Shahnameh has nearly eight times as many—including another version of this painting; but its illustrative program is also two and one-half times larger: Simpson 1979, 373–8; Sims, Table I, 14th-Century Illustrated Shahnameh MSS (Eleanor Sims, The Tale and the Image \\[a catalogue of historical and Shāhnāmah manuscripts and paintings in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art\\] (Volume XXV, forthcoming in 2019).","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["folio","Second-small","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, colours, gold, and silver on paper"]},"056dead0-e9f9-5694-939a-2d3d5752e145":{"name":"\"Jonah and the Whale\"","alternate_name":"Folio Probably from a Jami al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)","description":"The story of Jonah and the Whale, mentioned in the Qur'an (37:139), was popular in the Muslim world and frequently illustrated in manuscripts of world history. This large-scale painting, however, never formed part of a manuscript. Rather, it may have been used during oral recitation or storytelling. Scholars have also suggested that with its strong palette, monumental figures, and spare composition, this work may reflect a now-lost wall painting tradition. Here, we see Jonah after his release from the belly of the fish. Above him, a gourd vine grows—sent by God to protect him from the elements—and, gliding across the top of the painting, a spirited angel with colorful spreading wings offers Jonah a garment.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Armenag Bey Sakisian, Paris, until 1933]","dates":"AH 800s / AD 1400s","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 33.7 cm, width: 49.5 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1933","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S., *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 29 (1934)  \n  \n\"The Exhibition of Islamic Painting and Book Illumination in the MMA.\", in *Apollo* vol. 10 (1934).  \n  \nSakisian, A.B., \"L'Exposition de miniature et d'enliminure Musulmanes du M..\"in *Syria* vol. XV (1934).  \n  \nHolter, K., \"Die Islamischen Miniaturhandschriften vor 1350.\" in *Zentralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen*, (1937).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., H. Buchthal, O. Kurz, M. C. Ross, B. Gray, G. C. Miles, N. A. Faris, and C. J. Lamm., \"Six Thousand Years of Persian Art; The Exhibition of Iranian Art, New York, 1940\" in *Ars Islamica*, part 2, vol. VII (1940).  \n  \nDimand, M.S., *Persian Miniatures. A Picture Book.*, Metropolitan Museum of Art Picture Books. New York, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.  \n  \n*Art Treasures of the Metropolitan.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1952.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Persian Miniature Paintings.*, Gallery of Art, (1956).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Mohammadan Art.*, Iran Library. Tehran: Bongah Tarjomeh va Nashr Ketab, 1957.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 3rd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1958.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, Publications, 36., Lahore: The Panjabi Adabi Academy, 1964.  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*","dynasty":"Timurids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453683","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper"]},"06769bc4-c4a5-5e61-8cb8-302504492c0b":{"name":"Folio from the 'Tashkent Qur'an'","short_description":"This folio, monumental in size, comes from one of the oldest surviving Qur’an manuscripts in existence. Its *kufic* script displays some similarities with the earlier *ma’il* (leaning) script, including the form of the vowel *ya’* in the terminal position whose tail wraps around to underline the preceding letters. Based on the form of the script and the illuminations that survive on other pages from this Qur’an, the manuscript has been attributed to Cairo, Egypt; Damascus, Syria; or San‘a’, Yemen. About one third of the original manuscript is housed in the Hast-Imam Library in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 2nd–early 3rd century / AD late 8th–early 9th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Page: H: 55cm, W: 70cm","provenance":"Syria, Yemen, or North Africa","obtention":"Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Private collection, Norway  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, until 2004; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"*Coran coufique de Samarcand, écrit d’après la tradition de la propre main du troisième calife Osman (644–656) qui se trouve dans la Bibliothèque Impériale Publique de St. Petersbourg*, St. Petersberg, 1905.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 25–26, no. 1, ill. 25 (colour).  \nFendall, Ramsey, *Islamic Calligraphy*, London: Fogg, 2003: 12.  \nGeorge, Alain, *The Rise of Islamic Calligraphy*, London: Saqi, 2010: 87–88.  \nPiotrovsky, Mikhail, *Earthly Beauty, Heavenly Art: Art of Islam*, Amsterdam: Lund Humphries Publishers, 2001: 101–4.  \nRaby, Julian (ed), *The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art. The Abbasid Tradition: Qur'ans of the Eighth to the Tenth Centuries A.D.*, London: Nour Foundation, 1992: 27–33.","dynasty":"Abbasid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004","keywords":["Abbasid","Arabic inscription","calligraphy","Egypt","ink","kufic","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qur'an","religious object","Syria","trade","writing","Yemen"],"materials":["Ink on parchment"]},"069fe14a-0c18-5f5b-a028-0bc56e4c4758":{"name":"*Passports that French ships were obliged to carry in order to be allowed to practice privateering*","short_description":"This document is written in both Arabic and French. Bearing the sovereign's seal and signature, it guaranteed its bearer full safety for their persons and goods.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives nationales","dates":"1799","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Err :520"]},"06e39036-25f9-536a-9b12-08f6aedd1b8a":{"name":"Splendour Qur'an","short_description":"This richly illuminated Qur’an, formerly owned by Ottoman Sultan Ahmad III (1703-13), was produced in 16th-century Iran. The text is elegantly written in *muhaqqaq* script with alternating lines in gold and black, a characteristic of Qur’ans from the period. Several folios are elaborately decorated in gold, blue, and red ink, such as the first illuminated verses which are copied in gold *thuluth* script. The book is bound in embossed leather with gold plates decorated in floral patterns and inscriptions.  \nThe overall decoration and colour scheme of this book is characteristic of manuscripts from 16th-century Iran. Compared to earlier examples of the Safavid period, this Qur’an is demonstrative of later, bolder manuscripts in which the motifs and colour schemes became more pronounced. Though blue and gold were still the predominant colours, other hues, including red, black and, white, were also incorporated, resulting in a rich, more varied palette.  \nThe manuscript's calligrapher and place of production can be identified in a colophon: “Executed by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi al-Khalil at Tabriz, north-western Iran, as 22nd piece finished in the month of Sha’ban 972 H. (i.e., March 1565).” Although Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi is not mentioned in any historical source, several manuscripts were signed by him between 1554 and 1581. Additional manuscripts attributed to this calligrapher are held in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul (TIEM 180, 211, 248, 422, 423). In addition to Tabriz, cities like Shiraz, Qazvin, Mashhad, and Herat were the most prolific centres for the production of Qur’an copies.","type":"Book","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 971 / AD 1564","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Height: 49.5cm, Length: 36.5cm","method_for_datation":"'Colophon: “conducted by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Tabrizi al-Khalil in Tabriz, Northwest-Iran, as 22. piece finished in month Scha’ban 972 H.“(March 1565).","method_for_provenance":"1717 dated owner's mark: Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III. (1703-1730); G. Neidlinger bought it from D. Kélékian, Paris.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1893.","bibliography":"Deroche, F. and von Gladiss, A., *Buchkunst zur Ehre Allahs: Der Prachtkoran*, Berlin: Museum für Islamische Kunst, 1999.  \nFarhad, M. and Rettig, S., *The Art of the Qur'an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Washington, D.C.: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2016: 260.  \nKarolewski, J. and Köse, Y., \"Wunder der erschaffenen Dinge: Osmanische Manuskripte in Hamburger Sammlungen,\" *Manuscript Cultures*, 9 (2016): 175-190.  \nRebhan, H., *Prachtkorane aus tausend Jahren: Handschriften aus dem Bestand der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München*, Munich: Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek, 1998.  \nSchimmel, A. et al., *Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.","dynasty":"Safavid","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Ahmed III","Al-Khalili","Coran","Ottoman","Qur'an","Safavid","Tabrizi"],"materials":["ink and gold leaf on paper.","interior: filigree ornamentation in leather on coloured paper","Leather binding with gold tooling and inscriptions from the Qur'an"]},"0733c67d-ccf5-56da-96ce-bd2ec24a4c83":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Written on delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper with black ink in *naskhi* script. The opening pages of the Qur'an feature a double-page illumination with chapter headings in decorated frames, and rose motifs in the margins to mark the verses. The floral compositions in the illumination are noteworthy for how they recall AH 9th / AD 15th century Turcoman and Timurid designs.  \n  \nThe outside of the leather binding is black, while its interior is brown and has cut-out decoration pasted on it. The symmetrical designs on the exterior and interior covers consist of oval medallions with palmette pendants and corner-pieces with half-pendants. The surface of the medallion is decorated with floral compositions of flowers, leaves and spiralling tendrils in a Chinese-inspired style. The tooled leather binding shows the influence of Mamluk art.  \n  \nThe period of Sultan Mehmed II ('The Conqueror', r. AH 848–50 and 855–86 / AD 1444–6 and 1451–81) was one of expansive conquest for the Ottoman Empire. At the same time, 'The Conqueror' had many manuscripts written and illustrated for his Treasury in the atelier he founded at the Topkapı Palace. The sultan, who was a great patron of the arts, gathered together many artists at the palace atelier in Istanbul that he had brought back from the lands he conquered. This is why the binding of this Qur'an shows the influence of Mamluk art, the illumination reflects Turcoman and Timurid art, and the calligraphy was written by a scribe from Kirman (). Although the manuscript has no colophon, its striking quality implies that it was made for Sultan Mehmed II's Treasury.","short_description":"Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror established a palace atelier for the *naqqash* (painters) in the Topkapı Palace and pioneered the development of book arts. This Qur'an of the late AH 9th / AD 15th century is an important work displaying the book arts of the Conqueror's period.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner of this Qur’an is unknown, although it may have been made for the Treasury of Sultan Mehmed II (‘the Conqueror’). The work bears the donation (waqf) seals of Sultan Mahmud I and his Inspector of Pious Foundations, Derviş Mustafa. Although we cannot tell from these seals to which building this Qur’an belonged, it is inferred that it was donated to be read at a mosque or a tomb.","dates":"Hegira 9th / 15th century (c. AH 874 / AD 1470).","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 41 cm, width 29 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although there is no colophon, the style of the script, binding and illumination all reflect the style of the 9th / 15th century and suggest a date in that period.","method_for_provenance":"The quality of the calligraphy, binding and illumination suggest that the work may have been produced in the palace atelier in Istanbul. Sultan Mehmed II ('the Conqueror') was an important patron of the arts, he employed artists in the palace atelier from all over the various lands he conquered, and they produced many manuscripts for the library there.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum from the Library of Sultan Mahmud I at Ayasofya, Istanbul, in 1914.","bibliography":"Artan, T., Denny, W. B., and çağman, F., *Palace of Gold and Light: Treasures from the Topkapı, Istanbul,* Washington D.C., 2000, cat. no. A39.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, plates 16A–C; 45–7.  \n  \nRaby, J. and Tanındı, Z., *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century*, London, 1993, pp.50–51.  \n  \nRoxburgh, D. J. (ed), *Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600,* London, 2005, pp.290–91; p.439, cat. no. 247.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","religious manuscript","tooling","watercolour"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper, written using ink, watercolour, gilding","tooled leather (binding)."]},"07b4eba1-8a24-5d6c-a1d8-4b6bac14fb25":{"name":"Qur’an in 30 volumes","short_description":"It is a tradition for Qur’an *mushaf*s in China to be bound in 30 separate *juz’* (volumes). Each volume of this particular Qur’an is bound in dark varnished leather decorated in gold with lotus blossoms and cloud scroll foliage. The traditional Chinese decorative motifs frame a calligraphic roundel, inscribed with a verse from the Qur'an: \"None shall touch but those who are clean\" (56:79) It is written in *Sini* script in black ink with polychrome and gold verse markers. Each folio displays five lines of text. The border decoration identifies with both Islamic and Chinese concepts. Arabic script was incorporated within designs such as half moons and flags, inspired by the Chinese culture and heritage. The border decorations extend into the margins from the ornamental frame, in a manner popular to Chinese Qur’ans produced during the Qing dynasty. The high quality of this set suggests that it was probably owned by a nobleman or a wealthy individual.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1100 /c. AD 1700","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"27 x 19.5 x 3cm","provenance":"China","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Mightier than the Sword*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 138, 140, 141.  \n*Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia*, Volume I, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2002: 162, 164, 165. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art Of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2006 & 2014.","dynasty":"Qing","materials":["Paper bound in dark varnished leather in 30-separated juz’"]},"0ac44e34-b32f-5f52-adb3-4aa4679ead7b":{"name":"Firman","short_description":"Firman send from Constantinople by the *qadi* of Smyrna kaza, regarding the translators and employees of the European merchants in the city It refers to a berat given to the inhabitant of Smyrna, merchant, George son of Gianni Kontoglani. The *tugra* belongs to the Sultan Mahmout B’. Date: End of August 1819 (Evail-i Zilkade 1234)","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Hegira 1234 / AD 1819","location":"Athens","dimensions":"151,1 x 72,5 cm","author":"Maria Dimitriadou","keywords":["firman","Smyrna"],"materials":["Paper and ink"]},"0b8f462c-77c9-5ba7-906b-85d5bbde3e9c":{"name":"Double leaf from “The Nurse’s Koran”","short_description":"Exceptionally, we know that this Koran was commissioned by Fatima, nurse to the Zirid prince al-Muizz ibn Badis.  \nThe Koran was finished in January 1020 and according to the colophon was written, given diacritical marks denoting the vowels, and bound by one and the same person, Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq, and donated by Fatima to the Great Mosque in Kairouan.","type":"Double parchment leaf from a Koran written in eastern *Kufi*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 410 / AD January 1020","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Tunisia, Kairouan","dynasty":"Zirid","keywords":["Koran","kufic","Parchement leaf","Qur'an","religious manuscript","Zirid"]},"0ba3cb5d-c156-521a-bf55-a6d0e2384ede":{"name":"Qur’anic manuscript No. 7.","description":"A *mashaf* bound with an embossed decorative cover that dates to the Ottoman period. Both sides of the binding are decorated with medallions that are connected at the top and bottom by a hanging ornament. The front of the *mashaf* is composed of scroll 3b–4a. These two pages contain identical illuminated panels, some parts of which have been lost as a result of age and usage over a long period of time. Restoration of the *mashaf* took place in AH 1117 / AD 1705, directed by the Ottoman governor in Jerusalem, Qura Mustafa Pasha, who ruled for just one year. Scroll 4b–5a consists of a two-page spread embellished with the Opening Chapter (Surat al-Fatiha) and the beginning of “Surat al-Baqara” (“Chapter of the Cow”,). The decorative bands specific to these two pages are lost and all that remains of their ornamentation is half a border, which lies above “Surat al-Baqara”. The chapter number, the verse number and the surrounding area are all placed within a rectangular frame with a blue background. Similar information with regard to the other chapters appears in the same form but unframed.  \nThe beautiful Mamluk *thuluth* script is written in black ink. A Farsi (Persian) translation of the Arabic text is written underneath each verse. The vowel marks of the *mashaf* are written in blue and the diacritical marks in red. The pause markers assume the shape of golden flowers. The symbols for the division of every five parts in the text assume the form of a pyramid-shaped blossom, whose place is indicated in the margin by a suspended ornament, and in the middle of which is a blue circle. Written in the centre of it is the word “one fifth” in illuminated *kufic* script against a red background. The markers of every one-tenth of the text take the form of a blue flower with four leaves. Its place is indicated in the margin by a circular-shaped ornament with the word “one tenth” written in it, in illuminated *kufic* script.","short_description":"This is a Qur’anic manuscript written in Mamluk *thuluth* script and translated into Farsi. The Farsi text appears below each line. Its opens with beautiful decorative panels that reflect the elements of Mamluk decorative art. Chapter names are illuminated against a dark blue background and the letters are written in blue. Diacritical markers are in red.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, leather, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The original owner of the *mashaf* is not known, but it was present at al-Aqsa Mosque and was likely to have been part of an endowment (*waqf*) which is now lost.","dates":"Hegira 7th century / AD 13th century; restored AH 1117 / AD 1705.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 41 cm, width 33 cm, depth 10 cm.","method_for_datation":"The Qur'an was dated by analysis of the Mamluk *thuluth* script employed in its production. Accurate dating was also achieved by analysis of the Mamluk decorative form used, which was widespread in the period to which the *mashaf* belongs.","method_for_provenance":"Egypt was narrowed down as the place of production because the type of *thuluth* script in which the manuscript is written was widespread in Egypt. It is possible to compare it with other similar works that were produced in Egypt.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was an endowment (*waqf*) to al-Aqsa Mosque; it is not known when it was transferred from there to the Museum.","bibliography":"Salameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","dynasty":"Mamluk; restored in the Ottoman period","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["embossed leather","leather","mashaf","Paper","Qur'an","religious manuscript","Thuluth"],"materials":["Ink on paper","leather binding with embossed decoration."]},"0c2f4f8c-cf84-50d9-892b-48063cfcdeb6":{"name":"Single parchment page from a Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This horizontal parchment Qur’an page shows a bold, majestic black *kufic* script with red vowel markers, arranged over seven lines. It originally formed part of a manuscript executed possibly in Iraq or Syria during the AH 4th century / AD 10th century. The fragment gives verse 14 from chapter 49 *Al-Hujurat* (\"The Dwellings\") of the Holy Qur’an.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Middle East, perhaps Iraq or Syria","dynasty":"Abbasid / Fatimid?","keywords":["Al-Hujurat","calligraphy","kufic","manuscript","Qur'an","religious manuscript"]},"0cca20b4-e865-56ac-9dd5-677c73920f62":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This ornate Qur’an manuscript is unusual in that it was written in *thuluth* rather than *naskhi* script. The final two pages, echoing the lavish beauty of the opening double pages, show a richly decorated cartouche with the calligrapher’s name, Hashim al-Kashafi, one of the students of Abd al-Qadir al-Rasimi, and a European-style vase motif.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["floral decoration","Ottoman religious manuscript","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vase"]},"0cf1a62f-ad34-5894-aee0-ed8e36e2513a":{"name":"Triptych with '*hilya-i-sherif*' (noble description).","description":"This triptych is a typical product of Ottoman religious art of the AH 12th / AD late 18th century. It is made of wood covered with a thin layer of paper painted with various motifs and consists of three parts. The central panel, the most important part, contains a *hilya-i-sherif*, a noble description of the physical and moral qualities of Muhammad. The two side panels contain the *hilyas* of the first four caliphs and the sons of Ali, Hasan and Husayn. This piece is of particular interest as, in the lower part of the central panel, there is a mention of the illuminator, who signed Halil Kamili, disciple of Mehmed Qalyunt, and the calligrapher, Mahmud son of Mustafa, pupil of Baqqal-zade Ahmed Efendi, who died in the month of Rejeb 1200. In terms of the decoration of the triptych, its three leaves are embellished with inscriptions in various different characters, such as *thuluth*, *naskhi* and *ta'liq*, while the actual decorative motifs used include classical shoots with stylised floral motifs in the *hatayi* style, and *rumi* motifs, arabesques dominated by palmettes. The pointed pediment of the triptych shows in its centre panoramas of Islam’s two pre-eminent sacred sites: Mecca, with the Ka'ba in the foreground, and Medina, with its mosque. Particularly notable is the small, central vase from which flowers shoot, symbolising the distribution of the charismatic virtues of the prophet. The description of the physical and moral qualities of Muhammad are part of a long literary tradition that started with Ibn Ishaq’s *sira* (biography of the Prophet). Triptychs such as this one were the object of real worship and veneration, relating to the magical powers that, according to the calligrapher, could be attributed to the triptych and to belief in the magical powers of the writing.","short_description":"Triptychs were a common and important part of Ottoman religious art. This example includes the ‘noble description’ of Muhammad’s physical and moral qualities, as well as representations of Islam’s two pre-eminent holy sites: Mecca and Medina.","type":"Triptych, pachment paper, woodwork","holder":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century.","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Height 95.5 cm, width (doors open) 65 cm, width (doors closed) 36 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the identification of the calligrapher.","method_for_provenance":"Similar pieces are common in Turkish religious art in the 12th / late 18th century.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Arseven, Esad C., *Les Arts Décoratifs Turc*, Istanbul, 1952.  \nAtil, E., *Turkish Art of the Ottoman Period* , Washington, 1973.  \nGallotta, A., “Un Trittico Ottomano con *hilye -i serif* nel Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale di Roma”, *Arte Orientale in Italia: Miscellaneous Writings of the Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale di Roma*, Rome, 1973, pp.25–79.","dynasty":"Ottoman period","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Paola Torre","copy_editor":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["floral decoration","illuminated parchment","worship"],"materials":["Wood, gilded and illuminated parchment paper."]},"0d0046d9-7674-55cd-8c61-86fb8bdda733":{"name":"Frankish Letter.","description":"A letter written on Arabic paper (more acidic than European paper) and which is small in size. Although yellowing, its condition is excellent. The letter consists of six lines written in Latin, and was sent from the city of Sur by the Knights Templar *(Templar/ Fursan al-Haykal*) Brotherhood to the Templar Brotherhood in Jerusalem. The subject of the letter revolves around the Temple personnel in Jerusalem who received the pilgrim, Robier du Sur du Fal. The decision was taken in the city of Fula in Palestine to strip him of his apparel in Sur and to imprison him in Acre until he could be taken to Europe on the first available ship sailing from the port. The letter does not explain the reason for this decision, or the nature of the crime that Robir du Sur du Fal allegedly committed, but it seems that the matter must have been of some importance to require the attendance of more than 100 knights from the Templar at a meeting.  \nThe letter translates as follows:  \n“To Brother, 'Udun De Wandum, the representative for the Jerusalem Brotherhood, Brother Jarar De Ridfor, commander of the soldiers of the Templar Brotherhood to Brother U'dun Di Wandum, the representative of the Brotherhood in Jerusalem:  \nGreetings! You should know that Du Sur du Fal has landed on the shores of the city of Sur. And our agent received him in that region. After that, we held a gathering in al-Fula and a hundred Knights or more assembled at the site. We requested their opinions about what to do on this matter. They agreed on the general advice and were completely unanimous on sending five of their brother knights to the city of Sur in order to divest him of his clothing and take him to Acre. There, they would sojourn with him in a designated room until the first ship of the season.”  \nThe document reveals the traditions and customs of the Latin brotherhoods as they appear in the Knights Templar in the Crusader state of Jerusalem. The strong bonds that held together the various branches of the brotherhood in Palestine and Lebanon are also apparent.","short_description":"This letter was written on small-sized paper and contains six lines of Latin script. Its subject deals with the imprisoning of one of the members of the Templar Brotherhood and his forcible divestment of official apparel. He was then to be taken on the first available ship to Europe. The letter reveals the traditions and ways of this brotherhood.","type":"Letter, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","dates":"Hegira 575–79 / AD 1180–8.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 4 cm, width 17 cm.","method_for_datation":"The letter is dated.","method_for_provenance":"Sur is likely to be the place where this letter was composed; this is supported by the text.","provenance":"Sur, Lebanon.","obtention":"The letter was found amongst a collection of papers and documents in a room close to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.","dynasty":"Crusader","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Crusader","Frankish","Knight’s Templar Brotherhood","letter"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"0f212b46-5c94-5a3d-875d-f50778a5c111":{"name":"Request to the Bey of Tunis by Tunisian merchants in Istanbul","short_description":"This petition from the Jerbian merchants in Istanbul to the Bey of Tunis protests the behaviour of a Tunisian Jewish merchant.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"19th century","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Err :520"]},"1024af4a-05a4-55d4-9f91-818959c2b7ed":{"name":"Rustam Slaying Alkus","alternate_name":"Page from the *Shahnama* for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. 1576-78)","short_description":"The illustration depicts the battle between the Iranian hero Rustam, recognisable by his helmet with a leopard crest and tiger-skin jerkin, and his Turanian adversary Alkus. In this paarticular scene, Rustam has struck the decisive blow, indicating an imminent victory for the Iranians. Nevertheless, the artist Siyavush depicts the battle so dynamically that its course is not yet foreseeable. The two princes, who are observing the carnage from behind the rocks and bite the back of their hands or their fingers in astonishment, are still feverishly following their respective troops, seemingly unsure of victory.  \n  \nThe leaf comes from a dispersed *Shahnama*, a Book of Kings made for Shah Ismaʿil II (r. Hegira 985-986/ AD 1576-1577). The orginal manuscript has been preserved only in a fragmentory state, with just 52 illustrations having been identified to date. Thirteen illustrations alone are the work of the highly esteemed court painter Siyavush, whose signature can be seen on one of the rocks.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Amra (Camruddin) Latifi (1879-1959); ca. 1912: Demotte, Paris","dates":"Hegira 984 / AD 1576-77","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Height: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"Established dating for illustrated pages from this manuscript","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by the gallery who sold the object in 1999.","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Acquisition made with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Robinson, B.W., “Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama”, *Iran*, 14 (1976): 1-8.  \nRobinson, B.W., \"Shah Ismaʿil IIʼs Copy of the Shahnama: Additional Material”, *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299.  \nWelch, Anthony, *Artists fort he Shah: Late Sixteenth-Century Painting at the Court of Iran*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976: 17-40.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink and gold on paper"]},"12361bbb-ac34-5bb3-bf6d-138428eac40a":{"name":"Maulana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (Maulawi), Diwan","short_description":"This manuscript is a 15th-century copy of the Diwan, a collection of poems by the famous author Maulana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), also referred to as Maulawi. The colophon reveals the date as well as the scribe’s name Shahih Islam b. Husain b. Zain ad-Din. He likely copied this major work of Rumi in calligraphic *nasta’liq* script during the period of the Ottoman Empire in the city of either Konya or Bursa. It must have been part of an Ottoman sultan’s collection, as two of the manuscript’s pages display the stamped tughra of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II b. Muhammad (1481-1512). The manuscript’s first and last pages are speckled with gold, providing the text with an elaborate decorative frame. The ornate title medallion and the initial ornamental panel (*'unwan/sarlauh*) in particular are delicately painted, while the headings are written in red, blue, brown, and green but not further decorated. Throughout the text, blue and golden bands frame the two columns of text, dividing the poetry which usually consists of couplets, quatrains, and ghazals.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 845 / 1441 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"215 x 133mm (156 x 77mm). ff. II*, 775 folios.","place_of_production":"Turkey, most likely Konya or Bursa","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 845 / AD 1441","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 3a and on fol. 775b can the stamped tughra of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid II b. Muhammad (1481-1512) be found.","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Part of the collection of the Austrian National Library since 1820/30.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 106-107.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Les principaux manuscrits à peintures de la Bibliothèque National de Vienne, Section des manuscrits orientaux”, *Bulletin de la Société Francaise de Reproduction de manuscrits à peintures XX* (1937): 85-150, Fn. 8.","dynasty":"Most likely Ottoman","scriber":"Shaih Islam b. Husain b. Zain ad-Din","binding_desc":"This dark brown leather flap binding has gold stamped floral borders and marbled paper doublures. It was probably made in early 19th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14409925","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Diwan","illumination","nasta’liq","Rumi"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nastaʿliq in two columns, 25 lines per page"]},"12c86eff-6117-5981-a2db-6fc7d1b3ebdb":{"name":"Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri, *Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim* (Book of Images of the Lands)","short_description":"The cartographic treatise called “*Tarjamat al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik*” was written in Arabic by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri (c. 340 AH / 951–2 AD), one of the most famous geographers. This 16th-century Persian copy, referred to as “*Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim*” (Book of Images of the Lands), may have been made in Constantinople or in another centre of Turkish power in the first half of the 16th-century. The colophon offers no contextualising information except for an erroneous attribution of the work to Nasir ad-Din Tusi, who was an astronomer and theologist in the 13th-century. On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable. This shows that the manuscript must have been part of Ottoman collections before it came to the Austrian National Library in 1820/30. The text opens with a typical ornamental panel (*‘unwan/sarlauh*) and includes 21 full-page map illustrations. These brightly coloured miniatures represent stylised maps, occasionally showing decorative motifs, figures, and scenic elements. The quality of the depictions may suggest that they were made by a Persian painter who had emigrated to Turkey. The painter may have also used older models, particularly comparable to a 15th-century manuscript, possibly from Shiraz, in the Topkapı Sarayı (B. 334).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"First half of the 16th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"310x215mm (220x140mm), ff. I, I*, 157 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Turkey","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable.","obtention":"Likely part of the Austrian National Library from 1820/30 onwards.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 176-180. Rapoport, Yossef, *Islamic Maps*, Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2020.","dynasty":"Ottoman","binding_desc":"The reddish-brown leather binding includes a flap, and possesses a central medallion and corner spandrels, cut out and executed with gold relief stamping in a floral pattern. The doublures are made of light brown leather with a medallion, two extending pendants and corner spandrels depicted. These motifs are filled with a dense arabesque work in delicate brown leather filigree on a white background. The binding was likely created in 16th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14005879","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Cartography","Caspian Sea","geography","island","Map","Mediterranean","ta'liq"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on Venetian paper. Calligraphic large ta'liq script of 15 lines per page."]},"1345e51b-218b-5280-b8d1-3e818d20e173":{"name":"Prince Baysunghur's *Gulistan*","short_description":"Composed in the thirteenth century by the poet Sa‘di, the *Gulistan* (‘Rose Garden’) is a series of anecdotes that focus on social and ethical issues. The manuscript was produced for the Timurid prince Baysunghur, and the calligraphy is the work of the calligrapher Ja‘far, who was the head of Baysunghur’s atelier. In about AD 1430, Ja‘far wrote a report recounting the activities of the artists and craftsmen employed in the prince’s workshop. This copy of the *Gulistan*, which is thought to be one of the manuscripts mentioned in the report, is an exquisite example of the beautifully illustrated and illuminated manuscripts produced under the careful guidance of Baysunghur, who was himself a fine calligrapher.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 830 / AD 1427","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"24.8 x 15.4 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan, Herat","dynasty":"Timurid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_119/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"138b5c39-1fa4-581e-afd1-d3420ec7367f":{"name":"Single folio from a four-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text on this folio consists of *sura* *al-Najm* (LIII), verse 59, to *sura* *al-Qamar* (LIV), verse 5. The folio has a horizontal format with 4 lines to the page. The script and the illumination are of very fine quality. At the end of *sura* *al-Najm* the *sajda* is marked by an illuminated lozenge. The title and the verse count of the following *sura* are written in gold in an illuminated band which terminates in a similarly-shaped marginal hasp. Gold rosettes separate individual verses, while the passage of 10 verses is marked in the margin by a large roundel. Diacritical strokes and red dots indicate the vocalization. The black dots are later additions.  \nThe use of paper in a horizontal format, normally associated with Qur’ans on vellum, is unusual.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an page; ink on paper; *kufic* script (New Style)","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 383 / AD October-November 993","location":"London","dimensions":"23.9 x 33.8cm (max)","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon in the copy form which this and other folios come (Istanbul, Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum, ENV 453–6).","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 14 December 1987, lot 197 and 26 April 1990, lot 139.","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992: cat.83, pp.154–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.9, p.35.","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["Abbasid","illumination","Iran","Isfahan","kufic script (New Style)","manuscript","Qur’an page","Rosette"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"140738ee-bca0-54e2-80dc-fdbd56b1dd67":{"name":"A blood-measuring device  \n*Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices)","short_description":"This painting comes from a popular treatise on mechanical devices and automata written in 1206 and copied continuously in the following centuries. Al-Jazari, the author of *Kitab al-Hiyal al-naficah* (The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices), included descriptions of more than a hundred devices in his treatise, one of which can be seen here. This fascinating device builds on two scientific ideas: bloodletting as a medical treatment and the use of simple machines to create complex automata. The treatment of various ailments through bloodletting was common until the nineteenth century, and it clearly did not need such a complex device. Here, the patient puts a cut finger into a hole in the basin and blood falls through channels into a lower chamber, displacing a float. The float is attached to one end of a rod that, on its other end, attaches to the pen in the hand of the scribe on the upper left. As the level of the blood in the basin rises, it pushes the float up, moving the scribe’s pen and indicating marks on his writing board.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1354","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"27.3 x 39.1cm","provenance":"Cairo, Egypt","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Mamluk","artist_deathdate":"1206","keywords":["learning","painting","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and silver on paper"]},"15bccd45-62bd-5223-aede-d19f579db48c":{"name":"*Academia Poetica qve Dedica ala Catholica Magestad de la Reyna Madre Nvestra Senora Dona Maria Ana De Austria La Academia literaria de Valencia con Los assumptos del sitio y torna de Buda Celebrada …*","alternate_name":"*Academia Poetica …*","description":"The *Academia Poetica* *…* is a compilation of literary pieces that were read to the assembly of Academia Literaria de Valencia on 13 October 1686 in Valencia to commemorate the recapture of Buda from the Turks.  \nA poetry competition was announced by the Academia Literaria de Valencia in 1686, and *Academia Poetica* *…* contains all the works from the competition. The enthusiasm that spread all over Christian Europe, the importance of the event and the crusade-like feature of the recapture of Buda from the Turks in 1686, were perhaps why such a great number of poetic and epic pieces of literature glorified the event. Most of the works compiled here were read to the festive assemblies of contemporary literary academies, and some of them were published in printed form. The poems glorify Pope Innocent XI, the Emperor Leopold I Habsburg, members of the Sacra Lega, the chief commanders, Charles Duke V of Lorraine and Maximilian II Emanuel the Bavarian Elector, the soldiers, the glorious siege and the decisive day of recapture on 2 September 1686 and the new cardinals nominated on the same day. This beautifully decorated piece is a rare example of illuminated, hand-written literature.","short_description":"The *Academia Poetica* … is a compilation of literary pieces that were read to the Assembly of Academia Literaria de Valencia on the on 13 October 1686 in Valencia commemorating the recapture of Buda. A rare example of an illuminated literary document that commemorates the recapture of Buda and a festive event.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Budapest History Museum","dates":"1686","location":"Budapest, Közép-Magyarország / Central Hungary","dimensions":"H: 26.6 cm; w: 39 cm","place_of_production":"Valencia, Spain","method_for_datation":"On the basis of the inscription and text","provenance":"Collection of Bishop Zsigmond Bubics","obtention":"From Bishop Zsigmond Bubics’ Collection","bibliography":"*Budapest* *az Újkorban* (*Budapest* *in Modern Times*), (ed. G. Szvoboda Dománszky), Budapest, 1995, pp. 16–17.  \nBardi, T., Prezentáció és reprezentáció – Buda 1686-os visszafoglalásának európai fogadtatása: ünnep és közvélemény (*Presentation and Representation – the European Reception of the Liberation of Buda in 1686: Feast and Public Opinion*), PhD thesis, 2002, pp. 329–330.","author":"Terézia Bardi, Beatrix Basics","copy_editor":"Terézia Bardi","translator":"Beatrix Basics","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bookbinding","Charles Duke V of Lorraine","Emperor Leopold I Habsburg","festival","Holy League","illumination","manuscript","Maximilian II Emanuel the Bavarian Elector","Ottoman","poetry","Pope Innocent XI","silk","Turkish wars","Turks","warfare"],"materials":["Manuscript, paper, watercolour, pen and ink, colour applications and silk bookbinding"]},"15d5bb62-3545-5377-b7b5-4a45f3ceb8d6":{"name":"'Funeral Procession'","alternate_name":"Folio 35r from a *Mantiq al-Tayr*","description":"This illustration is associated with a story related by the hoopoe as a response to a bird who complains about his fear of death. In the story, a son grieves the death of his father in front of his coffin and a sufi soothes him, explaining that his father had experienced much pain and that no one can avoid death. Here, the painter depicts the incident as occurring in front of a cemetery gate. The scene behind the gate is replete with motifs that are irrelevant to the story itself. The viewer at the court may have enjoyed deciphering them.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 892 / AD 1486","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 24.8cm, width: 14cm; Page: height: 33cm, width: 21.6cm","place_of_production":"Present-day Afghanistan, Herat","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/451730","keywords":["Conference of the Birds","folio","Manuscript.","water"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, silver, and gold on paper"]},"16779f12-bb0c-53b2-8168-9ebb33d19221":{"name":"Bahram entertained by Arezu, daughter of Mahyar the jeweller  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Second Small” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) illustrates an episode concerning the historical Sasanian king, Bahram (or Vaharam) V (r. 420–38). It shows the visit paid by Bahram Gur to the home of one of his subjects.  \nBahram Gur, “that great hunter,” had performed another of many feats with his great bow, this time killing a pair of savage lions who would have preyed on the great flock of Mahyar’s sheep; and the head shepherd, not recognizing Bahram, addresses him, wishing to thank the brave archer and also praising the justice of the Shah’s rule. Bahram—still incognito—decides to visit the jeweller’s house where, says the shepherd, he will hear toasts and the sound of a harp. Indeed, Mahyar has “just one daughter, who plays the harp” and she does so, seated before both her white-bearded father and the Shah.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 19.2cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["animal","battle","folio","hunting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, colours, gold, and silver on paper"]},"16e5b5f3-a781-590a-895f-05f98ffb5a26":{"name":"The *Shahnama* of Firdausi manuscript","short_description":"This copy of the famous *Shahnameh* of Firdausi, probably from Shiraz, contains 73 illustrations of the glorious history of the kings of Persia. This copy can be dated from the second half of the 15th century although it contains a preface refering to the Timurid prince Baysunghur (d. AH 837 / AD 1433 CE). The date of AH 790 / AD 1387 was given probably to age the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 890 / AD 1485-1586","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 35cm, Width: 26cm, Depth: 10cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Tsar Nicholas I (1825-55), circa 1830, from the Persian Ambassador to Moscow, Muhammad Ali Afshar  \nKevorkian collection until 1977  \nOliver Hoare Ltd, London until 2003; sold to Qatar Museums","dynasty":"Timurid","author":"Tara Desjardins","keywords":["Figurative representation","miniature","Persian literature","poetry","Timurid art"],"materials":["Illustration, Illumination, Bookbinding","Ink, Pigment, Gold, Paper, Leather"]},"16e62e70-a7b1-5c81-b4f3-e37bfa439cad":{"name":"Letter by Kenny Leveck to Odeh Goussous","description":"A unique document signed by Kenny Leveck. The document is dispatched to the attorney general Mr. Odeh-Goussous informing him that the president of the high council of Kerak's national government appointed him attorney general on 21 September, 1920, asking him to take up his position seriously and actively. At the end of the letter is the signature “chief of high council, British resident, Major Kenny Leveck,” then a stamp of Kenny Leveck in Arabic. To the right is the translation of the signature in English, \"F.M Kenny leveck, A political officer and president of council, Kerak.\" (The letter A means Acting.) Kenny Leveck was in Kerak for a couple of weeks, where he headed the new administration formed from the Elders of the Kerak Tribes known as “the National Government of Moab”. It is not true what Sir Alec Seath Kirkbirde mentioned in his book *A Crackle of Thorns*, page 21-22, that he was elected by the council of Kerak and became head of the High Council of Kerak, or as he says on page 22, he “became head of a more less independent republic”.","type":"Diplomatic correspondance; historical document","holder":"Numismatic Museum (Ahli Bank)","dates":"1920","location":"Amman","dimensions":"","provenance":"Jordan","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Attorney general","Odeh-Goussous","High council","Kerak national government"],"materials":["Paper"]},"17926a9d-a6e5-5215-b39f-488c46d6e51c":{"name":"*Firman*","short_description":"The official permit, or *firman*, confirming the appointment of Henry Salt to the post of British Consul in Egypt, dated 23 December 1815. The imperial cipher at the top is flanked by floral motifs. This is a fine manuscript with exquisite Arabic calligraphy and watercolour and gold floral decorations. When Salt arrived in Egypt in 1816 he obtained permission from the Pasha, Mohammed Ali, to collect antiquities for the British Museum.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1815","location":"London","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["archaeology","exploration","Egyptomania","collection","collector","travel","traveller","museums","historical document","imperial symbols","Ottoman monograms"]},"1911d22b-68b3-5d5e-a23a-6f0b09d5b12c":{"name":"Dalail Al Khayrat (Dalail Al Khayrat wa Shawariq Al-Anwar fi Dhikr al-Salat ala al-Nabi al-Mukhtar)","short_description":"Written in *maghrebi* calligraphy in the 18th century, the *Dalail al-Khayrat* (“The Guide to Goodness”) represents a famous collection of prayers for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) compiled by Sufi leader Imam Muhammad Sulaiman al-Jazuli in Souss, Morocco. Bound in brown cardboard with golden geometric and floral decorations, the copy embodies a book that swept across the Muslim world.  \n  \nOften attributed to sainthood, the Berber al-Jazuli created this literary device in the 14th century for recitation, prayer and oral remembrance of the beloved Prophet Muhammad. Intended for word recitings to enhance one’s access to the divine, the book could be read aloud or silently, alone or as a collective.  \n  \nThe prayers are split into seven sections representing each day of the week for daily worship. Simultaneously, the book served as a *hajj* (pilgrimage) guide due to its vivid descriptions of Mecca and Medina. While the book appeals to people across socio-economic backgrounds and geographic context, the collection reflects al-Jazuli’s inclusive nature and encouragement of women to transfer Islamic knowledge and educate the future generations.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 12cm, Width: 11cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"Morocco","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Abid, H., \"The Birth of a Successful Prayer Book,\" *Journal of Islamic Manuscripts*, 12 : 3-4 (2021): 265–294.  \nCornell, V. J., \"Muḥammad ibn Sulaymān al-Jazūlī and the Place of Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt in Jazūlite Sufism\", *Journal of Islamic Manuscripts*, 12 : 3-4 (2021): 235–264.  \nJohnson, K., \"An Amuletic Manuscript: Baraka and Nyama in a Sub-Saharan African Prayer Manual. 2010\", *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections*, (2010): 250–272.  \nNgom, Fallou, Castro, Eleni, and Diakité, Ablaye, \"African Ajami Library: EAP 1042\", in: *Digital Preservation of Mandinka Ajami Materials of Casamance, Senegal*, Boston: Boston University Libraries, 2018.  \nRausch, M., \"Ishelhin women transmitters of Islamic knowledge and culture in Southwestern Morocco\", *The Journal of North African Studies*, 11 : 2 (2006): 173–192.","dynasty":"Alawid","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Maghreb","Manuscripts","Morocco","North Africa","Prayers"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper, cardboard"]},"19ad5eaf-ad73-572b-acc2-7ca905ab73d2":{"name":"*Gulistan* of Sa‘di","short_description":"The *Gulistan* (‘Rose Garden’) is a didactic work consisting of moralizing stories, parables and anecdotes written in the mid thirteenth century by the Persian poet Sa‘di. Numerous manuscript copies of this and other texts by Sa‘di were produced throughout the Persian-speaking world, including Mughal India, and this particular copy of the *Gulistan* was made for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1627–58). However, the paintings deviate from the mainstream of Mughal painting in that they are in a horizontal format and the figures have overly large heads and rather stunted bodies. In 1638 the manuscript was sent as a gift to Charles I of England. It was later rebound (in red velvet) by King George IV who then, in 1826, sent it to Fath ‘Ali Shah of Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1038 / AD 1628–1629","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"35.3 x 26.9 cm","provenance":"India, Agra","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["boat","Bookbinding","calligraphy","embroidery","figural decoration","Illustration","miniature painting","Persian","textile"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"19dba65f-a9fe-593e-8561-b4a20b42b083":{"name":"*A British Ship Coral Fishing Near Algiers*","short_description":"Coral fishing was an important economic activity in the Mediterranean. Algeria was the main fishing area for corals, especially after the depletion of Sardinian coral, and ships from different countries competed for this valuable resource. Torre del Greco, near Naples, was the most important port town for coral fishing in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, while Livorno was the most important port town for coral fishing in the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1864, Torre del Greco had 300 coral-fishing boats while Livorno had 60.","type":"Drawing (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Naples","dates":"26 October 1826","location":"Naples","dimensions":"21,5 x 31 cm","author":"Rossana Spadaccini, Cristina Francioli","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell","materials":["Pencil, pen and watercolour drawing"]},"1b1e3ef8-5e29-5178-ac83-8c4cb0d8ce8c":{"name":"Invitation from Egyptian Sultan Fuad I to Joaquín Sorolla","description":"Sultan Fuad I’s letter was sent to Sorolla by Garcia Herreros. It is an invitation to spend one year with his family in the palaces of Cairo, where the painter could reside and work freely. All this is part of the artistic policy that was intended to attract well-known Western artists to the Egyptian sultan's court. Unfortunately, Sorolla was never able to take this trip, but from a letter to his wife we know the excitement that was caused by the idea of spending time in Egypt.","type":"Letter; document","holder":"Sorolla Museum","dates":"05 November 1918","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 17,7 cm, Length: 26,8 cm","provenance":"Granada","author":"Covadonga Pitarch","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell","keywords":["Egypt","Arts","Painting"],"materials":["Paper; ink"]},"1c9d0874-5aa5-597e-8b39-09ab8469cc2f":{"name":"Illumination of a Qur’an.","description":"Taken from a Qur'an copied on parchment, the right-hand page is written in thick, black *kufic* characters. The vowels are marked with red dots, in the style of Abi al-Aswad. Other diacritical dots are used as orthographic signs. The division between the verses is indicated by a large gold and brown rosette consisting of six petals surrounding a circle, linked by six brown quarter-circles.  \nThe left-hand page has an illumination framed by a rectangular ribbon enclosing snake-like ornamental foliage. Several interlinked circles on the gold and brown outer edges form three rows of interwoven geometric decoration whose main motif is a four-lobed fleuron.  \nThe surrounding area is coloured green. A crown motif projecting towards the left-hand margin is made up of a circle surrounded with green and gold dots and containing stylised gilded leaves.  \nThe white background is covered with green and black dots.","short_description":"Taken from a Qur'an copied on vellum, the right-hand page is written in black *kufic* script. The division of verses is marked by a large gold and brown rosette. The left-hand page contains an illumination framed by a rectangular band containing serpentine foliage.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"Imran ibn Ahmad ibn Imran al-Balawi.","dates":"Hegira 413 / AD 1022.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 21.5 cm, width 15 cm; 2 folios, 6 lines.","method_for_datation":"This Qur'an was given as a legacy to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by Umran ibn Ahmad ibn Umran al-Balawi in 413 / 1022. This act was authenticated by the judge of Kairouan Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Hashim.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an belonged to the old library of the Great Mosque. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production, it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Very likely from Kairouan, a great centre for book production at that time.","obtention":"The National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967 after the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia. In 1983 it went back to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), Paris, 1982, p.258.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.220.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","dynasty":"Fatimid-Zirid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"1cb28b3d-969a-57af-a358-58c996f87905":{"name":"'The Funeral of Isfandiyar'","description":"From a dispersed copy of the Ilkhanid manuscript referred to as the Great Mongol Shahnama, this folio depicts the funeral procession of the Persian hero Isfandiyar. The bier is accompanied by a group of mourners, some wailing and pulling at their hair, which is worn loose as a sign of mourning. The painting technique, with its strong linear quality and thin washes of color, recalls contemporary Chinese brush painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 730 / AD c. 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 58cm; width: 40cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/448938","keywords":["Funeral.","Shahnama","water"]},"1cb711bb-c897-5d3d-b8b5-139b9f385607":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The magnificent script — with its wonderful deep curves — used to copy this page of the Qur’an is known as *maghribi*, from the Arabic word *maghrib*, meaning ‘west’. Maghrib (Maghreb) is the name traditionally used to refer to the western regions of the Islamic world, which once consisted not only of North Africa but also Islamic Spain. The script is copied in gold ink, outlined in black, on vellum.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 7th–8th century / AD 13th–14th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"27 x 22 cm","provenance":"Spain","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on vellum"]},"1f396696-bf4f-5691-a0df-636337450790":{"name":"*Khamsa* of Amir Khusraw","short_description":"The thirteen illustrations in this fine copy of the *Khamsa* (‘Five Poems’) of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi are often attributed to the greatest of Persian artists, Bihzad. However, although they are very ‘Bihzadian’ in style, none are signed. The manuscript is also extensively illuminated and is bound in an exquisite gilt, pressure-moulded and filigree binding. The text was copied by Muhammad, son of Azhar, one of the greatest calligraphers of the Timurid court.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 890 / AD 1485","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25 x 16.5 cm","provenance":"Afghanistan, Herat","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["calligraphy","court","Illustration","Majnun","miniature painting","script","Sufism","women"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"20805a03-c475-58be-a406-af46357e36ab":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"Ottoman manuscripts decorated in a European-influenced style began to appear in the first half of the 18th century and continued to be produced into the early years of the 20th century. It was specifically the Baroque and Rococo styles of European art of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that influenced the illumination style of Ottoman Qur’ans such as this. The illuminator—named ‘Ata—has proudly (and rightly so) included his signature amongst the decoration of the final folio. Also very visible on this final folio is the pricking of the gold, executed with a fine, blunt-tipped needle and intended to add depth, definition and even a sense of movement to the surface of the gold and thus to enhance the illumination as a whole.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1221 / AD 1806","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"28.6 x 18.5 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2115f66f-c7e2-5673-8fa4-ed34a81c3cbc":{"name":"Bifolio from a large vertical-format Qur’an","short_description":"The bifolio comes from one of the grandest Qur’ans to survive from the Muslim Middle Ages. The text, *sura* *Saba’* (XXXIV), mid verse 22–mid 28, is copied in a majestic *kufic* with 5 lines to the page. The script is similar to that of a famous Qur’an known as the *Mushaf al-hadina*, commissioned by the former nurse of the ruler of Tunisia, Mu‘izz ibn Badis in AH 410 (1019–20 AD) and written, probably at Kairouan, in the workshop of the calligrapher ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq. The ascenders here are tall and without serifs, and some of the letter terminations are exaggeratedly angular, producing a satisfying balance of forms, both vertically and horizontally. Like ‘Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq, the scribe of the present bifolio may well have received his training in Baghdad, for the letter forms seem to originate in Qur’ans of similar date from Mesopotamia and Iran.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD early 11th century","location":"London","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon in the so-called Hadinah Qur'an form which this folio comes.","provenance":"North Africa","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.55, pp.66–7.","dynasty":"Fatimid","keywords":["calligraphy","Fatimid","Hadinah Qur’an","kufic","kufic script","mushaf al-hadinah","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on vellum"]},"21cdd6e7-dbf8-5521-9947-d73cb267d35d":{"name":"Part Two of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text consists of *sura* *al-Baqara* (II), verses 142–252. The opening (folios 1b–2a) and closing spreads (folios 97b–98a) are fully illuminated. The different designs are possibly inspired by Late Antique mosaics, still fashionable in 8th-century Umayyad Syria and even longer in Byzantium.  \nThe text block observes the proportions of the Golden Section, ½(1+√5), which was discovered by the Pythagoreans and follows the principle of the equiangular spiral and other basic geometrical figures. Islamic mathematicians and craftsmen were well acquainted with the principle, although there are few cases to demonstrate that it was regarded as an ideal of beauty in Islamic art. It has been used in other early Qur’ans, notably a fine manuscript (now in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris) commissioned by Amajur, the governor of Damascus, for the Great Mosque of Tyre, Lebanon, in AH 262 (AD 875–6).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD late 9th century","location":"London","dimensions":"99 folios; 20.6 x 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the style of the calligraphy and the illumination.","provenance":"North Africa or Egypt","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992, cat.24, pp.72–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.10, p.36.","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["Abbasid","Egypt","Golden section","illumination","kufic script","Late Antiquity","manuscript","mosaic","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on vellum"]},"225b6fbb-7bbb-5a13-8f53-db01aafc65a5":{"name":"Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, *Tuhfat al-Ghara'ib* (The Gift of Oddities)","short_description":"The famous *“'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat”* (The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation) was written in Arabic by Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (600-682 AH / 1203-1283 AD). This 17th-century Persian copy referred to as *“Tuhfat al-Ghara'ib”* (The Gift of Oddities) was possibly created in Qazwin, Iran, by the scribe 'Ali al-Hafiz during the Safavid dynasty in the month of ‘Sawwal’ in 984 AH as indicated by the colophon. This period corresponds to December-January 1576–77. Two Arabic ownership stamps as well as ownership inscriptions of Wenzeslav Rzewuski (1765–1831) reveal that it was part of previous collections before it was acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1831. The manuscript has a likely contemporaneous Safavid lacquer binding. The text, penned in *nasta’liq* script, is preceded by a richly decorated double-frontispiece and followed by various 488 half-page or smaller miniatures. These paintings can be attributed to several painters and reflect a mix of an imperial and provincial style. The manuscript is unfinished, yet particular elements including the varying colour palette and quality of the illustrations reveal that it was possibly restored and appended to in Ottoman Turkey. Stylistically, however, it can be related to Qazwin, the then Safavid capital, and perhaps dated to the period when the ruler Shah Tahmasp had lost interest in the artistic qualities of the book, which resulted in a shift of patronage to the nobility. As such, it is likely that this manuscript was commissioned by a dignitary. Elements of the Shirazi painting style are also noticeable, comparable to a 1569 manuscript of Sa’di (British Library Add. 24944, fol.2v–3r).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"984 AH /1576-77 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"345 x 230mm (213 x 140mm), ff. I, II*, 297 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Qazwin","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 984 AH /1576-77 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there are two possibly Arabic ownership stamps, as well as a crossed-out owner’s inscription of Wenzeslav Rzewuski (1765-1831): This manuscript was no. 156 in his collection.","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1831.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 160-170.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Ali al-Hafiz","binding_desc":"The lacquer binding with a flap has a renewed reddish-brown leather spine, which is decorated with florals and stamped golden medallions. It was possibly created in the second half of the 16th-century in Qazwin. The lacquer painting on both covers is enclosed by a golden frame of S-shaped, stylised Chinese cloud bands. The medallion arrangement within shows pendants and corners spandrels, indicated by delicate gold lines and palmette flower tendrils. Around this medallion, a rich garland of large flowers in the Safavid style is depicted in various colours such as yellow, vermillion, light blue and white. The doublures on the inside are also made of reddish-brown leather framed by gold lines. The central pointed medallion and the corner spandrels feature a delicate gold filigree painting of leafy vines and arabesques over dark blue, vermilion and turquoise-green paper.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14413883","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bilqis","Creation","King Solomon","nasta'liq","Qazwin","Queen of Sheba","wonders"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq of 17 lines per page."]},"230849e2-b93a-5bf8-b552-158b9f55d04c":{"name":"Single folio from a Qur’an","short_description":"The text on this folio consists of *sura* *Hud* (XI), mid-verse 14–24. There are 23–25 lines to the page. Vocalization is not used but occasional diacritical strokes identify the letters. Six oval dots punctuate the verses and a red *alif* surrounded by dots marks every 5th verse. The red circles marking the passage of 10 verses may be a later addition.  \nThe attribution of the folio to the Hijaz was made following what the 10th-century Baghdadi bibliographer al-Nadim stated in the *Fihrist*, his account on the earliest forms of Arabic scripts. He affirmed that letters with long ascenders and a slant originated in Mecca and Medina. Some elements, like inconsistencies of spelling, marked variations in letter-forms and even in the number of lines from page to page, support the theory that Arabic calligraphy at this early stage was far from standardized.  \nOther fragments from the same Qur’an are in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (ms Arabe 328a) and Biblioteca Vaticana, Rome (ms.arabe 1605/1).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an page; ink on vellum; *Hijazi* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD early 8th century","location":"London","dimensions":"32.5 x 20.5cm (max)","method_for_datation":"Attribution and dating were established by François Déroche based on the style of the calligraphy.","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic comparisons and historical records","provenance":"Probably the Hijaz","bibliography":"Déroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 1, 1992: cat.1, pp.30, 32.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.1, pp.30–31.","dynasty":"Umayyad","keywords":["calligraphy","Hijaz","Hijazi script","Qur’an","Umayyad"],"materials":["Brown ink on vellum","Hijazi script","the recto is the hair side"]},"2380f8f7-c82d-5b63-945d-edf979f223ee":{"name":"Appraisal by the assessor of the Tribunal of Booty (Tribunale delle prede) of Palermo, of 25 'Turks of the Barbary Coast' captured by Italian corsairs from the Kingdom of Sicily and detained in Palermo","short_description":"In this document the assessor of the Booty Tribunal of Palermo explains that the magistrate has declared the booty captured by the captain corsair Domenico Pantò e Trifone Citarrella to be legitimate; they had plundered a Turkish boat and captured 25 Turks from the Barbary Coast. Upon request of the ship-owner, the assessor has been charged to appraise the value of the captives, so that they could be sold at auction. The captives included an entire family of “Barbary Turks”, composed of Salem, “husband” (60 years old, valued at 60 piastres), Cadduccia, “mother” (48 years old, 80 piastres), Agmet, “brother” (24 years old, 80 piastes), Lima, a 21 year old widow with her 2 year old son Ali, together valued at 100 piastres, and a 14 year old black servant called Fatuma, valued at only 20 piastres. Seven of the other captives were sailors, aged from 23 to 60 years old and valued a price ranging from 25 to 50 piastres, and two were passengers, whose commercial value was estimated at between 30 and 40 piastres.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Palermo","dates":"5 August 1811","location":"Palermo","author":"Renata De Simone","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"239f6932-95a0-5d3e-a789-d65b78fad77b":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This Qur’an manuscript has opening and closing double-pages ornately decorated with lavishly gilt and polychrome elements. The text is written in black *naskhi*, 15 lines to the page, further enhanced by chapter headings in white *riq\\`a* on gold, gilt borders and margin medallions. According to the colophone, its calligrapher was Sayyid Muhammad Nouri.  \n  \nClick [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40WISVbhCP0&t=15s) to **watch a video presentation** of this artefact.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["naskhi","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"23d6b4ee-6380-5185-a38f-672a711e7d14":{"name":"Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat  \nFrom the manuscript of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), the Hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334)","short_description":"“Shaykh Safi al-Din asking his disciples to accept honey from the villagers but not meat” is one of fourteen paintings in the only known illustrated copy of *Safvat al-Safa* (The Quintessence of Purity), a tazkira and hagiography of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili (1252/3–1334). *Safvat al-Safa* gives detailed information about the life, sayings, virtues, and miracles of Shaykh Safi, the spiritual founder of the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736). *Safvat al-Safa* is a biography book with hagiographical accounts which falls under both genres. In Islamic literature, the term \"tazkira\" is used for biographical texts and \"hagiography\" is used for books on the lives of the mystics. *Safvat al-Safa* includes actual information on the life of Shaykh Safi al-Din Ishaq Ardabili as well as mystical and supernatural stories. It appears to have been the main source of the Safavid chroniclers for the early period of the dynasty, as there are numerous copies and translations. Safvat al-Safa has an introduction (*muqaddima*), twelve chapters (*bab*), and an epilogue (*khatima*). Each chapter has numerous sections (*fasl*) which include multiple short episodes (*hikayat*).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Heigra Sha'ban 990 / September 1582 AD","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.2 x 22cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["folio","manuscript","painting","Safvat-al-Safa","The-Quintessence-of-Purity","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"23e8db58-0148-5dc3-98b4-98cb5313ba16":{"name":"Pilgrimage proxy scroll.","description":"This pilgrimage proxy scroll includes handwriting, painting, and drawing on an expensive yellow glazed paper known as *abadi*. It is in fragmentary condition and its title, as well as the section containing the *basmala* (the formula 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful'), are missing. The first of the two fragments includes a pair of standards bearing the name of the contemporary Abbasid caliph, al-Nasir (r. AH 575–622 / AD 1180–1225); the standard on the right is partially preserved. Below this emblem is a colour depiction of Mount Arafat flanked by candlesticks. Below this are depictions of the Maqam-i Ibrahim, a stone associated with the Prophet Abraham, and the water wells. Further below this is a depiction of al-Muzdalifa, where pilgrims spend the night as part of their pilgrimage duties, and al-Mina, which is the third most important site for pilgrims. The empty spaces in between the drawings are filled with inscriptions describing the requirements for the pilgrimage.  \n  \nThe depiction of the Ka'ba unfortunately has not survived in this scroll. The second fragment features depictions of al-Safa and al-Marwa (two locations that pilgrims visit in Mecca), the city of Medina (where pilgrims visit the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad), the city of Jerusalem, which pilgrims customarily visit after the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This proxy certificate was prepared for a person identified as Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib. The person performing the pilgrimage on her behalf is Ahmad ibn Fadl al-Andalusi. The document was prepared in AH 602 / AD 1206.  \n  \nIn the Middle Ages it was difficult for people, especially women, to go on pilgrimage. Therefore, people who went on pilgrimage themselves, and those who sent a proxy on their own behalves, wanted to own a certificate proving that they had visited the holy sites and fulfilled all the requirements for the pilgrimage (perhaps in order to leave them to the future generations). Such pilgrimage and proxy certificates are invaluable documents for they describe the pilgrimage ritual, depict the holy sites, and provide information regarding the social life of the period.","short_description":"Pilgrimage certificates document pilgrimages to the Holy Lands, culminating in circumambulation of the Ka'ba. The certificates or proxy certificates (for those unable to make the hazardous journey themselves) give the names of the pilgrim and the proxy, the places visited and worship performed, accompanied by pictures.","type":"Scroll, paper","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib.","dates":"Hegira 602 / AD 1206.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"4737: Height 55 cm, width 26.5 cm.; 4746: Height 51 cm, width 26.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document's inscription specifies the date 602 / 1206. Both the style of writing and the name of the contemporary caliph support this dating.","obtention":"Ismet Bey, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Islamic Foundations (the old name for the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus while travelling. He had a number of items in the Qubbat al-Hazine (Treasury) of the mosque, including Qur'ans and this pilgrimage document, transferred to the Museum where they were registered in the inventory in around 1332 / 1914.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., and Milstein, R., “A Collection of Thirteenth-Century Illustrated Hajj Certificates”, *M. Uğur Derman 65th Birthday Festschrift*, Istanbul, 2000, pp.73–134.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.80–81.","dynasty":"Ayyubid","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["hajj","Ka'ba","pilgrimage"],"materials":["Handwritten and hand-painted on glazed (abadi) paper using ink and watercolour."]},"258f2f68-14bd-506a-8f5b-4a108d87a0da":{"name":"Divan of Hidayat","short_description":"As indicated by the inscription included in its double-page frontispiece (only the left half of which is shown here), this splendid little manuscript was produced for the library of the Aq Qoyunlu Turcoman ruler, Sultan Khalil, who reigned briefly in 1478, from Tabriz in Western Iran. Considering its fine calligraphy and miniatures, extensive illumination and magnificent binding, this small but highly precious book of poems must surely rank amongst the finest Islamic manuscripts ever produced. Nothing is known of the poet, though he may be the Amir Hidayat who was in the employ of the sultan. The text is in Chagatay Turkish.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 883 / AD 1478","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"17.3 x 12.3 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Turcoman","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","court","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"26d299b2-71e2-5764-bf65-c685eb8e9170":{"name":"Hajji Khalifa/Katib Celebi, *Cihannüma* (Cosmorama or Atlas)","short_description":"The *Cihannüma* is a cosmorama or atlas written by a famous Ottoman intellectual named either Hajji Khalifa or Katib Celebi (died AH 1067 / AD 1657). The colophon of this copy identifies the scribe as Ibrahim el-Qirmi, potentially hailing from the Crimea, as well as the place of production as the *madrasa* (school) of Ankara. On fol. 1a and 10a, ownership notes of a certain Mir Khalil Tevqi’i ‘Alipashazade are also present. Interestingly, “*Tevqi’i*” was the job title of an official within the court chancellery responsible with affixing the grand, noble signature to official letters. Fol. 1a–4b include the beginning of Sipahizade Mehmet bin Ali’s geography book *Audah al-masalik ila ma'rifat al-mamalik*, followed by blank pages on fol. 5a–10b. The following second part of the manuscript is more extensive than the first, containing a text copied from the first version of the *Cihannüma*. It was later rewritten to include a synthesis of Islamic and Western sources, yet this manuscript is an interesting reference book to geography with keywords, headings, geographical names and punctuation emphasised in red. Numerous sketches of maps in coloured pen and ink drawing are also spread over 86 pages, including two full-page and one half-page sketches; the remaining hundred drawings are affixed to the margins of the page. These drawings are mostly directly related to the adjacent text. Although there is no date, the text copied by the scribe, as well as the small-scale cursory drawings and the binding suggest it was made in the 18th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"18th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"222x164mm (155x73mm), ff. I, V*, 118 folios.","place_of_production":"Ankara","method_for_datation":"One colophon: Written in *madrasa* (school) of Ankara.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and fol. 10a, ownership notes of a Mir Khalil Tevqi'i ‘Alipashazade are visible.","obtention":"Purchased from Hammer-Purgstall in 1832.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 230-232.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"Ibrahim el-Qirmi","binding_desc":"The brown leather flap binding has a recessed, oblong, lobed central medallion with inlaid gold leather foil. It is decorated in relief with naturalistic flowers. The back cover is identical but attached upside down. The raised parts of the relief are red, which is probably due to the abrasion of the gold. In the centre of the flap, there is a smaller, more rounded gold medallion with floral tendrils and s-shaped cloud ribbons. Around the medallions and on the lids’ edges, golden lines delineate the respective borders, with a narrow gold-stamped cord band as a larger frame. The doublures are of bright yellow paper and the binding is probably original and made in 18th–century Ankara, Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14243371","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Ankara","atlas","Cihannüma","geography","madrasa","Map","naskh","Nile","Tevqui'i"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 21 lines per page."]},"278b5403-b655-504e-adcb-106a2c42eaad":{"name":"Ratification document of the Congress of Vienna (29 September 1814 – 9 June 1815)","short_description":"At the Congress of Vienna (29 September 1814 to 9 June 1815), Austria fully restored its position as one of the great powers in Europe. It renounced the former Austrian territories in the Netherlands and South Germany and regained a number of North Italian possessions. The Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, together with smaller North Italian territories like Tuscany, Modena, Piacenza, Parma and Guastalla – which came under control of Habsburg Archdukes – confirmed Austrian predominance in Northern and Central Italy.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"1815","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"40 x 52,5 cm","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"281a9738-8bd7-5011-a3f4-2866ccff808e":{"name":"Official document regarding the inauguration of the Beirut–Damascus railway","short_description":"This document records the inauguration of the Ottoman Beirut-Damascus-Hawran railway company, headed by Hasan Effendi Bayham.","type":"Historical document","holder":"Khalil Itani's Archive","dates":"1913","location":"Beirut","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Jeff El-Msanne, Julien El Khoury","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Railway","Foundation","Economy"]},"283b8928-b907-5a33-bdda-c2d5334b0891":{"name":"Manuscript of the Holy Qur’an","short_description":"This leather-bound Qur’an manuscript with its richly ornamented front pages was written by the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz Osman. Each page shows thirteen lines of delicate black *naskhi* script, gilt chapter headings, verse markers and gilt frames. Hafiz Osman completed 25 Qur’an manuscripts, making the Sharjah manuscript one of a rare group.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1074 / AD 1664","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Istanbul, Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["Hafiz Osman","naskhi script","Ottoman Calligraphy","religious manuscript"]},"2a065963-1f3a-55a6-a2d4-006e151c3d3f":{"name":"Section from a Qur'an.","description":"A section from a dark-brown leather-bound Qur'anic manuscript. In the middle of the cover there is a geometric ornamental motif in the form of a six-pointed star. The star is surrounded by a circle, the outer frame of which is decorated with semi-circles distributed to the four corners of the leather binding. The cover has a lock, ornamented with geometric decoration; the designs on both the cover and the lock appear to have been made using a stamp-block.  \nThe pages of this manuscript bear illuminated Qur'anic text written in *muhaqqaq* script, the lettering delineated in black ink. The text includes verses from Chapter *Hud* (11: beginning with verse 4), followed by part of the Chapter of Joseph (12: ending with verse 52). An ornamental embellishment, in the form of a six-petalled flower with a blue point in its centre and red points between each petal, separates the verses from each other. Mamluk Qur'anic manuscripts are distinguished by two elements in the main: the ornamental decoration which acted as a separator between the verses mentioned above and, further, by the presence of ornamentation along the margins of the pages that indicate the parts and sections of the Qur'an. In this particular manuscript section, these ornaments take a variety of forms: some are circular, while others are oval. They are gilded and in the middle of each of them is an inscription in blue *rik'a* script, indicating the section and part. The Qur'anic text ends on the last page with an inscription that contains the name of the calligrapher (a woman) and the date it was copied, the text reads: 'The humble servant of God, Zaynab bint Ahmad al-Maqdisiyya in the month of Sha'ban in the year 731 \\[1330\\] wrote this.' It is clear from the text that the calligrapher was from the City of *al-Quds* (Jerusalem). In reality, coming upon a work such as this by a named calligrapher, who is also a woman, is very rare indeed and it gives this manuscript great artistic and historical value. It is also important as evidence to indicate that women did practice the art of calligraphy.","short_description":"This section from a Qur'an proves that the role of women in Islamic society was not confined to household tasks. They were writers, poets and even calligraphers of the Qur'an, most prestigious work. This manuscript, copied by a woman from Jerusalem called Zaynab al-Maqdisiyya, is a rare example of a work such as this having a named female calligrapher.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 731 / AD 1330.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 32 cm, height 22 cm.","method_for_datation":"The piece was dated based on the date that is recorded on it: hegira Sha'ban 731 (1330).","obtention":"This manuscript was donated to the Museum in 2002 by an Egyptian citizen, Sami Muhammad Sa'd.","bibliography":"Atil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks.* Washington D.C., 1981.  \nNafaa, C., *Catalogue of Qur'ans of the National Library of Paris: Beauty and Splendour,* Paris, 1987.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517*), London, New York. 1997.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Bookbinding","epigraphic decoration","gilding","illumination","Qur’anic manuscript","religious manuscript","script","women calligraphers"],"materials":["On paper with black ink and decorated with colours and illumination","the binding leather with stamp-block decoration."]},"2a5b3d2e-ed51-53e5-93b1-7b282919a214":{"name":"*Dala'il al-Khayrat* (‘The Guide to Happiness’)","short_description":"*Dala’il al-khayrat* (‘The Guide to Happiness’) is primarily a compilation of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad, but also includes a description of the Prophet’s tomb and a list of names ascribed to him (such as ‘Seal of the Prophets’ and ‘Rightly Guided’). The text was compiled by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli, a native of Morocco, in the fifteenth century and was especially popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in both Turkey and North Africa, and remains popular to this day. This particular copy of the text is extensively illuminated and is square in format, as are many Moroccan manuscripts.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"11 x 10.5 cm","provenance":"Probably Morocco","dynasty":"Alawid","keywords":["al-Jazuli","calligraphy","devotion","floral decoration","geometric decoration","illumination","manuscript","Muhammad","North Africa","prayer","prophet","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2bb20c6b-1cd4-5c87-a1f5-c0764436f8b3":{"name":"*Taḏkerat al-Awliāʾ by Farid-al-Din ʿAṭṭār Neishabouri* (Social Gathering for Entertainment in Meadow)","description":"The *Taḏkerat al-Awliāʾ*, in which Farīd al-Dīn Attār (Hegira 618 / AD 1221) narrates stories of the saints, begins with the chapter devoted to Ja'far al-Sādiq and ends with Hallāj al-Mansūr. The work contains information about the lives of 72 individuals, including Imām al-ʿĀzam, Imam Shāfi'ī, Ahmad b. Ḥanbal, Weysel Karānī and Rābia al-Adawiyya, and their stories and sayings. Each person is allocated a chapter, and the word *zikr* (remembrance) is placed at the beginning of each chapter. The work is written in Persian in *taliq* calligraphy on paper. On pages 1b-2a an entertainment scene is depicted that covers the entire page, while on pages 2b-3a the first section is written in two facing medallions. The work contains 27 miniature scenes depicting various parables. The outer edges of the medallions are embellished with a profusion of *simurgh* birds (benevolent mythical creatures) and a variety of floral motifs crafted in the *ringar* technique. The chapter headings are illuminated in a style characteristic of the period.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 11th century/ AD 17th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"35cm x 24cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Brought to the Museum on 13 April 1914  from the Sadreddin Konevi Tomb in Konya.","dynasty":"Safavids (AH 907–1150 / AD 1501–1737)","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, leather binding"]},"2c92d4ed-2be6-5131-8bdb-330af53fbc0b":{"name":"The Traveller Gives Water to the Dog","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di (d. 1292)","description":"Marked as page 81 in the manuscript, this is the third painting to appear in the Bustan. It illustrates the second chapter on charitable acts. It shows a man offering a thirsty dog some water.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book* , Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/the-traveller-gives-water-to-the-dog-akm284.5","keywords":["Bustan","dog","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","Sa‘di","Sadi","Traveller","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"2caee3c8-9802-5b3a-800d-6020c0764a7f":{"name":"A volume from the *Diwan* of Ibn al-‘Arabi","short_description":"Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-‘Arabi, one of the greatest of Muslim mystics, was born at Murcia in Spain in 1165 AD and after many wanderings ended his life at Damascus in 1240. He was a highly prolific author and his disciples propagated his teachings as far as Iran and India, though his influence was most pronounced in Anatolia. His mausoleum at Damascus was restored by the Ottoman Sultan, Selim I, whose seal appears on folio 1a of the manuscript.  \nThis volume, possibly the fourth of a six-volume set, was copied by author himself. At the end of the manuscript is a note stating that the manuscript was read aloud to the author at his house in Damascus, in several sessions, the last of which was on Sunday 13 *Dhu’l-Hijja* 634 (7 August 1237). Another barely legible note in the author’s hand mentions that he had personally sanctioned the text of his *Diwan* as given here.","type":"*Diwan*; poetry; mystical poetry; Ibn al-‘Arabi","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Before 13 *Dhu’l-Hijja* 634 / AD 7 August 1237","location":"London","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on information in the notes – some in the hand of Ibn al-‘Arabi himself – written at the end of the manuscript.","provenance":"Damascus, Syria; autograph copy","bibliography":"Hirtenstein, S., ‘Some Preliminary Notes on al-Dîwân al-kabîr’, *Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi Society*, 39 (2006).  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.71, p.81.","dynasty":"Ayyubid","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Ayyubid","Damascus","Diwan","Ibn al-‘Arabi","ink","Maghribi script","manuscript","naskh","naskhi script","Paper","poetry","Sufism","Syria"],"materials":["copied in a script that combines elements of maghribi and naskhi","Ink on paper"]},"2cbb9708-8c79-5e32-a47f-f353faa9126d":{"name":"Tétouan Agreement/Treaty of Tétouan","description":"At the end of the Battle of Tétouan (The Hispano-Moroccan War), the governments of Morocco and Spain ratified the 16 items of the Tétouan Agreement.","type":"Treaty; historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"6 February 1860","location":"Tetouan","keywords":["Spanish in Morocco","North Africa","war","Spain","Morocco","treaty","Ceuta","Melilla","occupation of Tétouan","loan","debt","diplomacy"],"materials":["Paper"]},"2d3a9974-408a-5de5-bdff-8cfdae9e0b29":{"name":"*Akbarnama*","short_description":"The Mughal emperors ruled India for more than three centuries. Akbar (r. 1556–1605), the third emperor, was the longest ruling and is considered the greatest of them all. His biography is known as the *Akbarnama* (‘Book of Akbar’) and is an official, imperial biography written by the emperor’s close friend and associate, Abu ’l-Fazl. Begun in 1598, it took almost ten years to complete the text. Two illustrated copies of the text were produced during Akbar’s lifetime, this being the later of the two. In the numerous illustrations that accompany the text, Akbar is portrayed as a powerful, dynamic and highly heroic figure, much as he seems to have been perceived by his contemporaries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1008–12 / AD 1600–03","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"43.5 x 26.8 cm","provenance":"India","dynasty":"Mughal","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/In_03/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["battle","ceremony, royal","court","Elephant","figural decoration","Illustration","Jesuit","manuscript","miniature painting","Religion","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"2d7d148e-c180-5cf1-813a-f3b4c6cdb469":{"name":"Prayer book.","description":"This small book is a compilation of various religious texts illustrating popular beliefs and customs. Its content is based mainly on the Qur'an to which the first part of the manuscript is dedicated. The text starts with the *fatiha*, the first sura, and ends with the last sura CXIV, but it is not the complete Qur'an. The text was written in a *muhaqqaq* style and in *naskhi* script possibly by two different calligraphers. One of them was Ibrahim Babirbarzadeh, whose signature appears in a later part of the manuscript. On each page the text is framed by a broad gold stripe and lines of black and bright bluish-red ink. The sura headings are illuminated and the verses are marked by golden rosettes. The first part of the manuscript is followed by a selection of suras and Qur'anic verses. According to popular belief, the words of the Qur'an possess supernatural powers because of their divine origin, which help in cases of misfortune. The margins of these pages are also covered with texts. These margin notes might provide explanation of the specific use of the quotations, for example, against disease or poverty. The 99 beautiful names of Allah and the names of the Prophet, which are written on the next pages of the manuscript, are also considered to afford special protection. A common element of books of this kind is prayers of blessing whose recitation was a deserving act of believers. The most impressive part of the manuscript is a series of painted pages showing the names of Allah and Muhammad in golden script against a blue background, the footprint and the sandal of the Prophet, views of Mecca and Medina and powerful quotations, letters and names of God arranged in circles and squares as protection against the evil eye.  \nThe binding of the book is of dark brownish-red leather ornamented with a central golden rectangle and filled with a rhomb pattern. The inside of the binding is covered with a polished yellow paper showing a design of large leaves.","short_description":"Small book with a compilation of various religious texts popularly used for protection. In addition to the mostly Qur’anic quotations it contains prayers of blessing. Most impressive are its painted pages showing the footprint and the sandal of the Prophet or the views of Mecca and Medina.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, leather, paper, ink, gold","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 14.7 cm, width 9.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From stylistic aspects of the illuminations. Their floral elements, for example, are close to those of Ottoman Qur'ans of the 12th / 18th century.","method_for_provenance":"From stylistic aspects of the illuminations. Their floral elements, for example, are close to those of Ottoman Qur'ans of the 12th / 18th century.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"Purchased in auction at François de Ricqlès, Paris, 22 March 1996, lot no 33.","bibliography":"*Islamische Kunst aus Privaten Sammlungen in Deutschland*, Exhibition catalogue, Munich, 2000, pp.14–5.  \n*Turkish Miniature Painting and Manuscripts from the Collection of Edwin Binney 3rd*, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, cat. no. 40.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["prayer","Qur’an","Religion","religious manuscript"],"materials":["calligraphy, illuminated, illustrated.","Leather, paper, ink, gold"]},"2d816e3d-dd49-518b-8af2-f3ada0d2875b":{"name":"\"The Story of the Princess of the Blue Pavillion: The Youth of Rum Is Entertained in a Garden by a Fairy and her Maidens\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1550–1605) copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It depicts a story told by a princess to the king Bahram Gur, about a youth and the fairy queen he imagines meeting nightly in a lush garden.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8cm, width: 15.9cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nAshton, L., Sir, ed. \"A Commemorative Catalogue of the Exhibiton Held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London 1947-48.\" In *The Art of India and Pakistan.*, no.652, New York: Coward-McCann, (1949).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., \"Islamic Art.\" in *MMA Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 1975).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2011).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nStronge, S., *The Great Mughals Art, Architecture and Opulance.*, London: V&A Publications, 2024.","dynasty":"Mughals","artist_birthplace":"India","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446567","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper"]},"2ed5f331-f245-5701-b5ea-1a6aa1a79c09":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"This large-scale Qur’an manuscript from India stretches more than one meter in length. Handmade in India, these grand holy books were likely a result of domestic writings of the Qur’an and calligraphy as a form of devotion and worship.  \n  \nThe *ayah* (verses) are composed in black ink in *naskh* script within a black frame refining the border on the delicate paper. Individual *ayah* and decorative elements also appear in liquidized gold for embellishment and emphasis. A selection of pages illustrates segments of *surah* (chapters) in bright colours from pigment in diamond and medallion shapes with floral motifs.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 115cm, Width: 67cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, pigmented colour, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, pigmented colour, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Behrens-Abouseif, D., \"Chapter 8 The Chain of Mamluk Calligraphers\", in D. Behrens-Abouseif *The Book in Mamluk Egypt and Syria (1250–1517)*, Leiden: Brill, 2018.  \nGruber, C.and Brend, B. (eds), *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections,* Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010: xviii, 281.  \nEhrlich, J., \"Plunder and Prestige: Tipu Sultan’s Library and the Making of British India\", *South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies*, 43 : 3 (2020): 478–492.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","India","Quran"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper, cardboard"]},"2f557797-348d-59f9-b428-ae884d14fb91":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript has an ornate double page, the remaining folios executed in black *naskhi* with red detailing and golden verse markers, 15 lines to each page. Chapter headings in white on a golden, ornamented ground and ornate margin medallions further enhance the text. The signature of the calligrapher Husayn al-Hilmi appears on the last page.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1239 / AD 1823","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","naskhi","Ottoman Calligraphy","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"2fa02ca6-7ad8-55e1-8e26-60c11f068f26":{"name":"Letter from the Dey of Algiers, Muhammad Pasha, to Ferdinando IV of Bourbon, King of Naples, granting a two-month truce from corsairs’ attacks (in Arabic with Italian translation)","short_description":"The Dey of Algiers wrote that he graciously granted to the King of Naples a two-month truce (for April and May of 1787). If his corsairs met ships belonging to the Kingdom of Naples, they would not attack them. The two nations would treat each other “with mutual friendship”.","type":"Letter; archival document","holder":"State Archives of Naples","dates":"Algiers, 12 March 1787","location":"Naples","author":"Rossana Spadaccini","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"333072e2-7b70-5d9f-885f-267dbbb500a9":{"name":"Pair of lacquer book covers","short_description":"This binding has been detached from the unknown manuscript it once covered. The front cover depicts Fath ʻAli Shah Qajar (second ruler of the Qajar dynasty, r. 1798–1834), reportedly a passionate and skilled falconer, astride a horse holding a falcon as he looks out at the viewer. The back cover depicts a conversation between a youth, possibly a prince, and a young wandering dervish (*qalandar*), an image associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. The absence of the original manuscript makes it is difficult to confirm the intended meaning of the images on these covers or the connection between them.","type":"Book covers","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1800–40","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21 x 16.4cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Qajar","keywords":["animal","binding","Book-cover","covers","figure","human-figure","manuscript"],"materials":["Papier-mâché, oil paint and lacquer"]},"336652f6-ed72-5895-9254-6d9fb253362d":{"name":"Illustrated manuscript of Jami's *Yusuf and Zulaykha*","short_description":"This illustrated manuscript was copied by the renowned calligrapher Mir 'Ali al-Katib al-Sultani (c. 1476–1556). He was one of several artists working in the city of Herat (in present-day Afghanistan) when it was captured in 1529. Mir 'Ali and his colleagues were taken to Bukhara where they produced illustrated manuscripts for the Uzbek rulers. Written histories relate that Mir 'Ali was unhappy in his new environment, yet the quality of his work never declined. Purchased at auction, 1962.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; manuscript","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 944 / AD 1537–1538","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 31.1 x 21 cm","provenance":"Uzbekistan, Bukhara","dynasty":"Early Safavid","keywords":["Bukhara","calligraphy","Illustration","manuscript","Mir 'Ali al-Katib al-Sultani","Uzbekistan","Yusuf and Zulaykha"],"materials":["gilded leather binding","Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"33daf898-afb6-58bd-95bf-60b7472151c4":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics.Ssingle-volume Qur’ans like this one became increasingly popular and were completed in large numbers. This example – which appears to have remained unfinished judging by the empty title cartouches above the chapters, begins – as is customary – with a lavishly decorated double page, showing – on the right - the first chapter ‘Al-Fatiha’ and – on the left - the beginning of the second chapter ‘Al-Baqara’. Both texts are contained within broad geometric borders and framed with colourful illuminations with vegetal detailing. The remainder of the all in all 114 chapters of the Holy Qur’an are written in black naskhi and red detailing, with 15 lines to each page. As was customary, the verse markers are rendered as golden circles and each page is confined within delicate gilt borders. Colourful medallions in some of the margins mark important subdivisions of the text.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1867","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"227 mm x 160 mm (closed)","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["naskhi"],"materials":["European paper, black ink, pigments, gilding, pasteboard, leather"]},"3438c1f8-75f5-5936-9cfe-6b8fe4241a2f":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This small manuscript is of note for its extensive documentation and equally for its extensive illumination. Its colophon states that it was copied by al-Hasan ibn Juban ibn ‘Abdallah al-Quwani (‘from Konya’) in the *madrasa* (theological school) of Sa‘ad al-Din Kubak in the city of Konya, in eastern Turkey, in AH 678 / AD 1278. Somewhat unusually, the illuminator is also named, one Mukhlis ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hindi (‘from India’). The manuscript now includes seven double-pages and one single page of illumination, all in a palette of mainly blue and gold. (The single-page frontispiece with which the manuscript now opens was probably originally a double-page composition.) Throughout the text, the name of Allah (God) is written in gold ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 677 / AD 1278","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"10.5 x 8 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Konya","dynasty":"Seljuq","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1466/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"34fa4908-e715-5899-b8b5-002b54cad2c5":{"name":"Two dragons entwined on a spray of stylised foliage","short_description":"Probably executed in the Ottoman court atelier (*naqqashkhana*) in Istanbul, the remarkable intricacy of line and detail of this drawing belies its minute size. It belongs to a distinct style of painting that developed separate from the highly conceptual tradition of manuscript illustration in the second half of the 10th/16th century. Known as the \"saz style\" after the reed pen employed in its creation, this style highlighted fantastic and dazzling imagery that incorporates chinoiserie motifs and feathery leaves. Here, concealed among the dense, bristly foliage, are two silently slithering dragons, barely visible at first glance. Rather than emphasising pure line, the anonymous artist was caught up with the textural qualities of the dragons' scaly, speckled bodies and the sinuous veins of the serrated leaves. Drawings such as this were evidently reproduced through the aid of pounces or stencils; the LACMA depiction seems to have been made with the identical pounced drawing as a sketch in the Louvre, which was likewise mounted as an album page.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 982–983 / AD c. 1575","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"18.1 x 9.4cm","method_for_datation":"While there are no dated works in the “saz style” an album presented to Murad III (Heigra 982-1003 / AD 1574-95) in Hegira 980 / AD 1572-72, now in Vienna, Austrian National Library (Codex Mixtus 313) includes works that closely parallel the drawing in terms of subject and style.","method_for_provenance":"The calligraphic structure of the drawing and the serrated edges of the leaves and bristly texture of the dragons’ hide are all typical of the Ottoman “saz style”.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Kevorkian Foundation (Hagop Kevorkian - 1872-1962), until 1969 (sale, Sotheby’s, London, December 1, 1969, lot 15, sold to); Edwin Binney, 3rd (1866-1934), Collection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1985 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.","bibliography":"Binney, Edwin, 3rd, and Denny, Walter B., *Turkish Treasures from the Collection of Edward Binney, 3rd*, Portland, OR: Portland Art Museum, 1979: 18-21.  \nDenny, Walter B., “Turkish Ceramics and Textiles in the Binney Collection,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 (1987): 98.  \nPal, Pratapaditya, Lentz, Thomas W., Canby, Sheila R., Binney, Edwin, 3rd, Denny, Walter B. and Markel, Stephen “Arts from Islamic Cultures: Los Angeles County Museum of Art,” *Arts of Asia*, 17 : 6 (1987): 98.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Rev. ed., Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 2005: 49, fig. 46.","dynasty":"Ottoman","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Chinese influence","Chinese motifs","chinoiserie","court life","floral decoration","imaginary animal","manuscript","miniature","saz","vegetal decoration","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Ink, colour washes, and gold on paper"]},"35453f02-5851-5ed4-841e-211439b842c4":{"name":"Qur’an with box","short_description":"The small Qur’an belongs to a group of diminutive holy books intended as a talismanic object. Written in India in the *Turabi* calligraphy style with a single horse hair, the Qur’an represents a devotional book hard to read with the naked eye.  \n  \nEncased in a silver box, sometimes in textile pouches, the script becomes a pendant for a necklace. While the amulet would guard and empower the wearer, its manufacture was often reserved for sultans and their soldiers for their protection. Furthermore, the silver embellishes the protective power as a lucky metal in Islam. Carried around the neck or attached to ceremonial objects and weapons, good luck charms endure and appear throughout time and place.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"19th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 2cm, Width: 1cm, Height: 2cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Behrens-Abouseif, D., \"Chapter 8 The Chain of Mamluk Calligraphers\" in D. Behrens-Abouseif, *The Book in Mamluk Egypt and Syria (1250–1517),* Leiden: Brill, 2018.  \nGruber, Christiane (ed) and Brend, B., *The Islamic Manuscript Tradition: Ten Centuries of Book Arts in Indiana University Collections,* Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 2010: xviii, 281.  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy,* New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \nEkhtiar, M., and Parikh, R., \"Chapter 10 Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield\", in M. Ekhtiar and R. Parikh (eds), *Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice,* Leiden: Brill, 2020.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","India","miniature","Quran","Talisman"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper, silver"]},"359c5242-9309-5cb3-a026-926ac7a00def":{"name":"Album of Ahmed Karahisari.","description":"The Album of Ahmed Karahisari is in two sections and contains the sixth *sura* of the Qur'an (al-An'am), a series of *hadith*s, and a section of the *Qasidat al-Burdah* ('Poem of the Mantle') by the AH 7th- / AD 13th-century poet al-Busiri. The album that contains samples of Ahmed Karahisari's writing including *kufic*, *naskhi*, *thuluth*, and *muhaqqaq* scripts and which expands the boundaries of the art of calligraphy, is carefully pasted together in 15 leaves. The leather binding is not original. This shows that these samples, which were originally written in scroll format, may have been cut down later and brought together in this album.  \n  \nThe album opens with a page featuring the words 'Praise be to God' in square *kufic* script at the top, the *basmala* in the centre, and *sura* 92 in square-*kufic* script at the bottom, all written in black ink and gold. On the other pages, the page layout shows different characteristics according to the style and dimensions of the writing.  \n  \nIn the colophon on the last page Ahmed Karahisari describes himself as a student of his teacher Asadullah Kirmani with whom he studied, rather than with the school of Sheikh Hamdullah, in order to learn to write in the style of the great calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (AH 7th / AD 13th century). Karahisari breathed new life into 16th-century Ottoman calligraphy and left his mark on it. The school he founded was continued by his student Hasan çelebi (d. AH 1002 / AD 1594) but was abandoned at the end of the 10th / 16th century.  \n  \nThese writings are models of Ottoman calligraphy, and in addition to showing the peak that was achieved in the art of writing their beauty inspires a great many artists even today.","short_description":"Calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari left his mark on Ottoman calligraphy of the AH 10th / AD 16th century through the school he founded. This album contains samples of his works which expand the boundaries of calligraphy in the 'layering' of letters.","type":"Paper, ink, leather binding, manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner is unknown. The work bears a seal of Sultan Mahmud I (AH 1143–68 / AD 1730–54), as it was given by him as a pious endowment (*waqf*) to the library he founded in his own name.","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul","dimensions":"Height 50 cm, width 34 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although the colophon does not include a date, the dates of the calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari (AH 875–963 / AD 1470–1556) are known with certainty, and so the work can be dated to the period of his life.","method_for_provenance":"The calligrapher Ahmed Karahisari is known to have lived in Istanbul and thus the work is thought to have been made there.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The album was transferred to the Museum in 1914 from the Library of Sultan Mahmud I at Ayasofya Museum.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesinden Bir Osmanlı Hat Sanatı Klasiği: Karahisari Albümü”, *P, Sanat, Kültür, Antika Dergisi*, 21 (Spring 2001), pp.66–75.  \n  \nAlparslan, A., *Osmanlı Hat Sanatı Tarihi*, Istanbul, 1999, p.56.  \n  \nÖlçer, N., *et al, In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, plate 18A-B, pp.50-1.  \n  \nÖlçer, N., *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.264–5.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","gilding","Hadith","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","tooling","watercolour"],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper, ink, gilding, leather (binding)."]},"35dafca1-8ab1-5d22-8ffd-d39248a402df":{"name":"*A Ferry Crossing the Gagos River*","short_description":"This is one of the both unnecessary and revolutionary illustrations in Abdallah ibn al-Fadl’s copy of Dioscorides’s medical treatise.  \nThe text states that on the shores of the Gagos River, jet can be found effective against pain in the uterus, but the artist took the opportunity to depict a ferry with a helmsman, two rowers, and eight passengers looking out of a porthole.","type":"Miniature from a copy of *Kitab al-hashaish*, a translation of Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad?","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["Abbasid","De Materia Medica","Illustration","medical plant","medicine","science","scientific manuscript"]},"3603d007-07c7-5d43-ad14-c40d81e1d215":{"name":"A Sinner’s Plea to God","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"Marked as page 177 in the manuscript, this is the 12th and final painting to appear in the Bustan. It depicts group of sages in the wilderness: two debating over books, one praying alone, and one washing in a stream. Below the painting is an inscription in red naming the painter Hiranand, who was assigned by the workshop master to complete this illustration.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/a-sinners-plea-to-god-akm284.14","keywords":["Ablution","Bustan","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","painting","Persian","pray","river","Sa‘di","Sadi","sin","sinner","stream","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"36b43269-5ffd-5b5e-bb6b-ea170ad7ed06":{"name":"Facing Pages from a Manuscript of the Qur'an","short_description":"In the second half of the sixteenth century especially, Shiraz was an important hub for the creation of large-format luxury manuscripts of the Qur’an, some of which were intended for export to the Ottoman Empire. This pair of facing pages from the closing section of a dispersed manuscript includes the *du‘a al-khatm*, or prayer said at the conclusion of a reading of the Qur’an; it is preceded by the closing verses of the Qur’an, and followed by a *falnama*, (a Persian versified form of divination). The beautiful decoration framing the gold calligraphy of the khatm prayer epitomizes the Shiraz style of illumination in its colorful exuberance. The recto of the right-hand page is comprised of Suras 113-114 indicating that the full text must have similarly composed of large lines of blue *muhaqqaq* and gold *thuluth* alternating with blocks of smaller *naskh* in black on gold-sprinkled paper, framed by panels of scrolling floral illumination, the sura headings in white on gold and polychrome illuminated panels, marginal roundels marking various points in the text. Numerous similarly decorated manuscripts of the Qur’an are preserved in Istanbul collections, demonstrating a distinct Turkish affinity for the Shiraz style.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. third quarter 10th century / AD c. third quarter 16th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"Each page: 48.9 x 30.8cm","method_for_datation":"The pages relate to the standard program of illumination and calligraphy associated with Shiraz qur’ans from the mid –second half of the 16th century, the most famous of which is the so-called Ruzbihan Qur’an (Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Is 1558), after its calligrapher Ruzbihan Muhammad al-Tab‘i al-Shirazi.","method_for_provenance":"The pages relate to the standard program of illumination and calligraphy associated with Shiraz Qur’ans of the Safavid period.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"M.2010.54.1  \nCollection of Edwin Binney, 3rd, Portland, ME, until 1986. In 1991, became possession of LACMA, until 2010 (gifted to); LACMA, The Edwin Binney, 3rd, Collection of Turkish Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  \nAC1999.158.1  \nCollection of Roland Yazhari, Portland, Oregon, until 1999 (sold to); LACMA, Shinji Shumeikai Discretionary Fund.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Gifts of the Sultan: The Art of Giving at the Islamic Courts*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2011: 145, 263, fig. 129, cat. no. 152.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 216-217, cat. no. 111.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","divination","floral motifs","gold","ink","Iran","manuscript","prayer","Qur'an","Safavid","Thuluth"],"materials":["Ink, colors, and gold on paper"]},"37ddf905-ac01-5a2a-b943-6617e2945431":{"name":"*Rustam at the Fort near Mount Sepand* (folio from a *Shahnama* manuscript)","short_description":"A folio from the manuscript of the *Shahnama* (Book of Kings) epic poem by Ferdowsi tells the story of Rustam's military campaign to Mount Sepand to destroy the impregnable fortress city. The painting illustrates an episode when Rustam and his army approached the walls of a fortress. The warriors resorted to treachery, pretending to be salt merchants. The fortress guards believed the “merchants” and opened the gates to them. According to the content of the episode, Rustam is portrayed as a merchant, without his traditional attributes of a hero: tiger skin, helmet and weapons. Shabby figures of people, types of their headdresses and Chinese-style clouds may suggest the painter’s affiliation with a Shiraz school of miniature.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"Second half of the AD 15th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 23.8cm, Width: 14.2cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date specified, school suggested).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Grube, E., \"The Miniatures of Shiraz\", *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 21 (1963): 285-95.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","workshop":"Shiraz school (?)","dynasty":"Timurid, Turkmen","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Shahnama","Timurid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold and ink on paper"]},"37f27206-1cef-5263-96db-efb6c241eb7f":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This single-volume Qur’an appears to be unfinished judging by the empty title cartouches above the chapters. The ornate opening double page is followed by folios covered with 15 lines of black *naskhi*, enhanced by red detailing, golden verse markers, gilt borders and lavish margin medallions. The calligrapher is \\`Ali Shukri, known as Nadherzadeh.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1867","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["naskhi","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"3820f22f-64c5-54c7-80da-20ed18f8af7b":{"name":"The constellations Andromeda and Pisces  \nFolio from a dispersed *Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib* (Images of the Fixed Stars)","short_description":"The lady in this saffron-coloured robe and crown-like helmet is a personification of the constellation Andromeda, which was identified by the second-century CE astronomer Ptolemy and continues to be considered a major constellation. With the translation of Ptolemy’s *Almagest* in the court of the ninth-century Caliph al-Ma’mun in Baghdad, astronomers working under the patronage of the Muslim rulers in modern-day Iraq and Iran adopted the Greco-Roman astronomical knowledge and expanded on it from the indigenous Arab (*Anwa’*) and Indian astronomical traditions, in this illustration combining Andromeda with Pisces. The most prominent example of this tradition is 'Images of the Fixed Stars' written by the Iranian astronomer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (died 986), which contained two representations of each constellation, one looking up at the constellation from Earth and the other looking down on it from above. Al-Sufi’s work continued to be in broad circulation, and various copies exist in major museum collections.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21.3 x 14.7cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["astronomical","astronomy","constellations","female-figure","figure","folio","science","space","stars","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, gold, and silver on paper"]},"38745087-0b6a-5699-94f5-57d4e4dbd0f8":{"name":"*Idolaters Before an Idol*","short_description":"A *Fal-nama* is a kind of book of divination that can be consulted at random. Opposite each painting in an explanatory text. The text for the museum’s stylistically very unusual painting is found in the Los Angeles County Museum and explains that the scene is enacted in the “Azure monastery.” The omens associated with the miniature are highly inauspicious.","type":"Miniature from a copy of Jafar al-Sadiq’s *Fal-nama*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira c. 960 / AD c. 1550","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz or Qasvin","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["divination","esotericism","Imam","manuscript","painting","Shi`a"]},"389ca57a-de31-5831-9a59-bb851adbe95e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Umar escapes from bondage and shaves the beard from Kamran's face","short_description":"Umar is one of the spies (*Ayyar*), who support the continuous fights of Hamza.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Johannes Wieninger, Mio Wakita-Elis","keywords":["Hamzanama","painting","Umar"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"38e4904d-c574-52b6-a1e1-5202c0c6e8ba":{"name":"Pilgrimage certificate","short_description":"This certificate was made for a pilgrim named Sayyid Yusuf bin Sayyid Shihab al-Din Mawara al-Nahri for his ‘umra, illustrating significant locations in Mecca, Medina, and other religious locations. Beside these illustrations are inscriptions from the Quran and texts written in Arabic and Persian related to pilgrimage, with the name of the pilgrim and his six witnesses featured at the end. Pilgrimage certificates are considered legal documents acquired by the pilgrim at the end of the journey.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 21 Muharram 837 / AD 6 September 1433","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 665 cm, width: 34.7 cm","provenance":"Central Asia or Iraq","obtention":"Christie's London, Classical, Western Asiatic, Byzantine and Islamic Antiquities, 23 October 1972, Lot 109  \nKuzmeli Collection until 1998; sold to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Chekhab-Abudaya, Mounia, “Travelling manuscripts”, in Siu Perdue and Tagliacozzo (eds), *Asia Inside Out*, vol. 3, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2019: 146-178.  \n  \nChekhab-Abudaya, Mounia, Roxburgh, David, and Couvrat-Desvergnes, Amélie, “Sayyid Yusuf's 1433 Pilgrimage Scroll”, in Gülru Necipoğlu and Karen Learl (eds), *Muqarnas 33*, Leiden: Brill, 2016: 345-408.  \n  \nGonnella, Julia, et al., *Museum of Islamic Art: The Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2022.","dynasty":"Timurid or Qara Qoyunlu","author":"Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya","keywords":["Central Asia","Certificate","Iraq","pilgrimage","Qara Qoyunlu","Timurid"],"materials":["Opaque Watercolour, Gilt Paint, Paper, Ink"]},"39b4a764-56c1-5020-87f2-1df398a84d8a":{"name":"Antonis Benaki's list of acquisitions","short_description":"An album which once belonged to Antonis Benakis with photographs and handwritten notes on his acquisitions made the first decades of the 20th century.","type":"Dossier","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"c. 1920","location":"Athens","dimensions":"36 cm","provenance":"Alexandria","author":"Mina Moraitou","keywords":["Collecting","book","Greeks","Iznik"],"materials":["Paper, ink, photograhy"]},"3b9a8d6f-7ca1-5e34-9c8f-c212c393a3de":{"name":"Endowment Charter (*Waqfiyya*) of Haseki Hürrem Sultan.","description":"This deed of trust for a pious foundation (*waqf*) belonging to the wife of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' Haseki Hürrem Sultan, is written in Arabic on 49 pages of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper and is dated AH 964 / AD 1557. The official monogram or *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) is found on page 1a. The text, which begins with a single-page heading, is written nine lines to the page in black ink within gold-ruled margins. The heading on page 1b and the spaces between the lines on page 2a are illuminated with gilding whose edges are traced in black.  \n  \nThe work's brown leather binding reflects the stylistic characteristics of 10th / 16th century bookbinding with its sunken oval medallion with pendants and corner-pieces. It was executed with a mould and painted with gilding. The inner covers are decorated with oval medallions cut out and pasted on. The medallions are decorated with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired (*hatayi-*style) floral motifs.  \n  \nOn pages 9b–10a of the deed are mentioned the buildings Sultan Süleyman ordered built in Jerusalem near the Dome of the Rock for his wife Hürrem Sultan, known from historical sources as the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Mosque, *Madrasa* and *Imaret* (soup-kitchen). Pages 12a–14b contain a detailed explanation as to how expenditures will be made to take care of the endowment's operations, such as the care and cleaning of the buildings, the salaries of the people who worked in them, and so forth. On pages 15b and 27a the number of commercial estates, mills, etc. donated from among Hürrem Sultan's landholdings to ensure revenue to the endowment is mentioned. But no information is given as to where these estates were located. The signatures of witnesses and Hürrem Sultan's seal are found on page 49a.  \n  \nThe deed, which also includes the signatures of witnesses, is an outstanding example of the arts of the book in the Classical Ottoman period, as well a valuable source of historical information about the Ottoman system of pious foundations and how it worked.","short_description":"The *waqfiyya* or endowment charter of the charities in Jerusalem of Hürrem Sultan, wife of Süleyman the Magnificent, known for her political involvement, elegance and charitable works, is not only a historical document but also a beautiful example of book arts of the AH 10th / AD 16th century.","type":"Paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Haseki Hürrem Sultan (also known as Khassaki Sultan, or as Roxelana, d. AH 965 / AD 1558).","dates":"AH 964 / AD 1556–7.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Length 28 cm, width 19 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the document's colophon it was written in 964 (1557).","method_for_provenance":"The deed was written in 964 / 1557. In addition, the calligraphy, the *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' the binding and the quality of the illumination show that the work was probably prepared in the 10th / 16th century in the palace atelier in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Brought from the Directorate of Pious Foundations in 1919.","bibliography":"*Soliman le magnifique,* Paris, 1990, pp.38–9, cat. no. 17.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","leather (binding)","painting","Paper","tooling","waqf system","watercolour","women"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper, written using ink, watercolour, gilding","tooled leather (binding)."]},"3c7902f3-8b05-5d9c-98a2-183352180f18":{"name":"Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This Qur’an manuscript, written by Muhammad Shukri, has a richly ornamented and gilt, opening double page. The remaining text is in black *naskhi* script, with red detailing and golden verse markers, 15 lines to each page. Chapter headings are written in white on a gilt and decorated ground. They are enclosed in golden frames with geometric decoration.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1232 / AD 1816","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["Muhammed Shukri","naskhi","Ottoman Calligraphy","Ottoman religious manuscripts","religious manuscript"]},"3ccbbb1a-eca6-5ee7-becd-0a2da22c8309":{"name":"Gushtasp slays the dragon of mount Saqila  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Completed in 1010, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. It inspired countless works of art, including the masterful *Shahnameh* produced for Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76), the second shah of the Safavid dynasty. This folio AKM163 (folio 402 recto) from the Shah Tahmasp *Shahnameh* highlights the exceptional bravery and strength of Gushtasp, son of Shah Luhrasp.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1530–1535","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["folio","Shah-Tahmasp","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"3d995cca-af40-5f9f-8f23-5a077ea46883":{"name":"Royal Decree to establish the post of *Makhzen*","description":"The Royal Decree (dated 22 November 1892) of Mulay al-Hasan I asserted his *Makhzen* (royal authority) in order to take official control of the national post and transport services. In most localities, employees of this office were *‘Umana*, government officials, assisted by distributors.","type":"Royal Decree; historical document","holder":"Al-Hassania Library","dates":"22 November 1892","location":"Rabat","provenance":"Fez","keywords":["Postal service","post offices","Moroccan postal service","communication","routes","port","rakkas","delivery","local postal service","foreign companies","private firms","postal network"],"materials":["Paper"]},"3db5f07f-85de-5f83-b35f-8ab272489650":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"According to the colophon, this *mushaf* was completed in 1112/1700 by Ahmad al-Nayrizi, one of the most prolific calligraphers of the late Safavid period. Al-Nayrizi ranks among the greatest Iranian masters of *naskhi* script. The illumination, a later addition, was completed in 1237/1821, and is dedicated to Fath Ali Shah, the second ruler of the Qajar dynasty; this is mentioned in the colophon and further evidenced by the presence throughout the manuscript of his seal-like cartouches.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1237 / AD 1821","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"41.9 x 27.4 x 6.5cm","provenance":"Persia","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 254–259.","dynasty":"Qajar","materials":["bound in leather with blind stamping","Paper written in black ink within cloud bands against gold ground"]},"3e1aef10-1e63-5ce9-8823-475ed9609e87":{"name":"Qur’an *Mushaf*","short_description":"This Ottoman Qur’an is attributed to the master calligrapher, Hafiz Uthman (Hafiz Osman, d. 1698), writing in the style of his mentor, Shaykh Hamd Allah (Šeyh Hamdullah). The opening pages are lavishly illuminated, with white Thuluth Sura headings on gold rectangular grounds; polychrome floral composition creating zigzag border frame; and text enclosed in a cloud band, surrounded by a variety of floral units. A further embellishment is the flap-fitted case decorated in rococo style with silk and metal thread. At its centre stands the *tuğra* or imperial monogram of Sultan ʽAbd al-Majid I (1823–1861).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1111 / AD 1700","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"25.5 x 17.2 x 5.1cm","provenance":"Turkey","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 190-195.","dynasty":"Ottoman","materials":["Paper bound in leather with gold-stamping"]},"3e779188-7463-53b1-8360-81f5e5086837":{"name":"*Kitab al-Masalik wa’l-Mamalik of al-Istakhri*","description":"The AH 4th / AD 10th-century Persian geographer al-Istakhri was one of the most important figures in the evolution of Arab cartography. He travelled widely, but his account of Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf) is curiously sketchy, particularly given the importance of the Pilgrimage. This is partly because, as the title of this treatise, *Kitab al-masalik wa’l-mamalik* (‘the book of postal routes and kingdoms’), suggests, it is based on lists of stations on the postal routes of the Abbasid heartlands and in Iran, which were not available for Arabia and Egypt.  \n  \nIn its present state the manuscript is incomplete. It opens with a splendid page of illumination in gold and silver, and on the penultimate page (folio 120a) is a colophon with the date AH 706 / AD 1307, possibly a later addition. It contains the following maps: Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf); Egypt; the Mediterranean (Bahr-i Rum); Iraq (central and upper Mesopotamia); Khuzistan; Fars; Kirman; Sind; lower Mesopotamia and western Iran (‘Iraq-i ‘Ajam); Tabaristan; the Caspian; the central Iranian desert between Fars and Khurasan; Khurasan; Central Asia, from Transcaspia to beyond Bukhara; Ceylon (Sarandib), with Adam’s Peak and the west coast of India. The map of Sind is a later replacement, and a number of maps announced in the text are now missing. They were obviously lost when the original manuscript was unbound, perhaps for repairs, and the remaining folios rebound in the wrong order.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 706 / AD 1306–07","location":"London","dimensions":"25cm x 15cm","place_of_production":"Iran, perhaps Isfahan","method_for_datation":"dated AH 706 (AD 1306–7).","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.198, pp. 166-167.","dynasty":"Ilkhanids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","materials":["contemporary leather binding","Ink, gold, silver and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"3ed0bda5-ca9d-536f-b3ed-1c1519674199":{"name":"The rocky lotus: Sumulutun  \nFolio from the manuscript of *Khawass al-Ashjar* (The Characteristics of Trees)","short_description":"Born around 40 AD in Anazarbus in Cilicia (today’s Turkey), Dioscorides exerted a great influence on scholarship and practice from the Middle Ages until the 16th century. His treatise *De Materia Medica* was first translated into Syriac, a language generally familiar to physicians in the Abbasid empire (750–1258).\\[1\\] The earliest Arabic translation directly translated from a Greek copy\\[2\\] was made by two scholars, Istafan ibn Basil and Hunayn ibn Ishaq, in the mid 9th century in Baghdad under the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–61).1 Ibn Ishaq was a physician, Arab scientist, and Nestorian Christian. Known as the “master of translators,” he was active in the Bayt al-Hikm (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad.  \nAccording to sources, in 948, Byzantine Emperor Romanus I offered a Greek copy of *De Materia Medica* as a gift to the Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, ‘Abd al-Rahman III (912-961). There is no evidence to suggest a full Arabic translation of this copy was ever made in Cordoba.\\[3\\] In the intervening years, both the Greek text and accompanying illustrations continued to undergo revision as new copies were made.  \nA famous Arabic copy made in the first quarter of the 13th century was widely recopied and distributed and is now dispersed throughout many private and public collections, including the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Known as the Khawass al-Ashjar, it describes the fabrication of medicines from some 500-600 plants; animals, like fish and shellfish; and minerals that serve as the basis for pharmacology in Near Eastern countries and beyond.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"13th Century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"29.6 x 20cm","provenance":"Iraq","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Notes:  \n\\[1\\] See Saliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 8.  \n\\[2\\] Ibid.  \n\\[3\\] Ibid., 9.  \n  \nBloom, Jonathan, “The introduction of Paper to the Islamic Lands and the development of the illustrated Manuscripts,” *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 17–23. ISBN: 9789004116696.  \nD’Andiran, Gerald, *Early Medicine, from the body to the Stars*, Basel: Schwabe, 2011. ISBN: 9783796527098.  \nGraves, Margaret S. et al. (eds), *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book & Calligraphy*, Istanbul: Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi, 2010: 200–05. ISBN: 9786054348084.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 6–65.","dynasty":"Abbasid","artist_birthdate":"ca. 40","artist_deathdate":"ca. 90","keywords":["folio","plants","science","science-and-learning","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and silver on paper"]},"3f4c6fa9-1eb4-5cf8-b351-d019a0e81489":{"name":"Robert Hamilton Lang","short_description":"Lang was manager of the Imperial Ottoman Bank in Larnaka, 1863–1872, that ran the finances of the Ottoman administration. He conducted excavations at Dali (ancient Idlaion) in the centre of the island in the late 1860s. His report is the first systematic account of an excavation produced on the island. Lang went on to a series of posts with the IOB in Alexandria, Romania and Constantinople, becoming Director General of the bank. He was honoured by Queen Victoria, the king of Rumania, the Khedive and the Sultan.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1860s","location":"London","provenance":"?","keywords":["archaeology"]},"4250fc43-a459-535b-8747-40e09f5f1a2a":{"name":"Zavara comes to the hunting-ground of Siyavush  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting the hero Rustam’s brother Zavara was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 x 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Aq Qoyunlu","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper"]},"42aad0c1-ac08-52ed-b98e-35a070c4bdeb":{"name":"Manuscript on surgery.","description":"This manuscript is a copy of a book on medicine and surgery with the transliterated Arabic title of *Al-Tasrif li-man 'ajiza 'an al-ta'lif* (“The arrangement \\[of medical knowledge\\] for one who is unable to compile \\[a manual for himself\\]”) by the Andalusian physician Abu al-Qasim Khalif ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi (d. after AH 400 / AD 1009).  \nThe book is divided into 30 sections according to treatments and illnesses. Every section gives the recommendations of a physician with an established reputation for the successful treatment of a particular illness. It describes the treatments and the instruments the physician would need to carry out the procedures, and also illustrates various medical instruments, explaining how they are to be used. Such instruments include hypodermic needles, cupping glasses, cauterisation tools, bone saws, scissors, scalpels and pincers for extracting teeth.  \nThe largest sections are sections one, two and 30 which discuss, respectively, essential medical concepts, symptoms and remedies for 325 ailments, and how to perform operations. They comprise over half of the book, while the other 27 sections discuss various aspects of prescribing and concocting different drugs. Some of the ideas in the book are completely original, and it is thought that this tome is the first to contain illustrations of medical instruments.  \nThe book had a huge impact in the Arabic- and Turkish-speaking worlds, as well as in Europe. It was translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona (d. AD 1187) and influenced scholars like Guy the Chauliac (d. AD 1370) and his successors.  \nAn example of one section of the book is shown here. It records the advice of Paulus of Aegina with respect to cauterising gout and joint pain. The title of each section is recorded in red, and precedes the description that follows it. It illustrates the cauterising instrument to be used. In addition the author, al-Zahrawi, delineates the areas of the feet that may be cauterised, and finally shows how post-treatment feet should be dressed and looked after.","short_description":"This medical manuscript gives instructions for conducting surgery and dentistry and includes illustrations of the instruments required. It is an early copy of a book written by the Andalusian physician Abu al-Qasim Khalif ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 20 cm, width 15 cm, depth 3 cm.","obtention":"Presented as a gift by Khurshid al-Jarkasi in 1924.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969, p.216.  \nSavage-Smith, E., “al-Zahrawi, Abu'l Kasim Khalaf b. al-'Abbas,” *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, Vol. XI, Leiden, 1979, pp.398–9.","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi","Andalus","Gerard of Cremona","ink","medicine","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","Spain","surgery"],"materials":["Red and black ink on paper."]},"4361abfb-bea8-52e0-b83e-6fd62095a8ea":{"name":"Qur’an with a *Falnama* (Book of Divination)","short_description":"This miniature octagonal Qur’an with an attached Persian *Falnama* (Book of Divination) fragment was penned, according to the colophon, in March 1545, likely in the Iranian city of Shiraz. The elaborate opening consists first of a symmetrical double page of illuminated floral rosette patterns within an octagonal shape, followed by similarly symmetrical opening pages containing the first lines of the Qur’anic text. The text is written in small *naskh* script, divided into verses by gold dots and framed in blue, red, black, and gold details. Although the binding is not original, the manuscript is preserved in an octagonal silver box from 17th-century Turkey, with its lid decorated with a cut pale beryl. The three suspension rings attached to the box indicate that it was likely tied to or hung from something. Small Qur’ans of this type were worn on silver chains around the neck and had an amulet function for the owner, but were also an expression of luxury. Additionally, the small yet elaborate calligraphy, the very fine illumination, and the valuable box indicate a very distinguished owner or patron. In the Ottoman Empire, these Qur’ans were hung from the tops of flags. According to legend, this manuscript was found tied to a lance in a Turkish military camp outside of Vienna in 1683 and belonged to Prince Eugene. The inventory of the Viennese Kunstkammer, however, indicates that it may have been part of the collection of Rudolf II in Prague in the 17th century. The *Falnama*, or Book of Divination, written in Persian, is included at the end of the Qur’an on fol. 279b-281a. Both the inclusion of the *Falnama* as well as the decoration style suggest a Persian place of origin. This assumption is supported by a similar octagonal Qur’an in the British Library (OR. 2200), which was copied in Shiraz in AH 950 / 1543 AD. Related pieces can also be found in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin or in the Topkapi Sarayi in Istanbul, among other locations.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 952 / 1545 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Octagonal shape with a diameter of 60mm, 56 x 56mm (43 x 43mm). ff. II, II*, 281 folios.","place_of_production":"Shiraz, Iran","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 952 / AD 1545","method_for_provenance":"It has been in the Austrian National Library since at least the end of the 18th or the beginning of the 19th century.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Allegedly found tied to a lance in a Turkish military camp outside of Vienna in 1683 and belonged to Prince Eugene. Part of the collection of Rudolf II in Prague in the 17th century according to the Kunstkammer inventory.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 99-100.","dynasty":"Safavid","binding_desc":"This red morocco binding has gold-stamped, lace-like ornaments and gold edging. It is probably an Austrian work from the end of the 18th century. The manuscript is preserved in an octagonal silver box from 17th-century Turkey, with its lid decorated with a cut pale beryl. The three suspension rings indicate that it was likely tied to or hung from something.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14411309","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","Falnama","illumination","naskh","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic small naskh script of 12 lines per page."]},"45b19a0c-0267-54d0-a134-624669d15108":{"name":"Qur’an Sections","short_description":"'This book binds two of the thirty parts (*ajza*) of the Qur’an. Known as *juz*, it was often sold separately during medieval Islam, with delicate floral and geometric patterns decorating the brown cover of the book.  \n  \nThe *ayah* (verses) appear in *naskh* calligraphy sectioned with golden illustrations of vegetal motifs including the lotus and other flowers incorporated from ancient Chinese and Buddhist tradition.  \n  \nAlthough most Muslims in China did not speak Arabic, a few Chinese Qur’ans existed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Since the spread of Islam and establishment of Islamic schools during the Yuan dynasty, prayers recitation and calligraphy were performed in Arabic. Many Muslims originating from the Arab world had a merchant background where *naskh* script represented the official writing. Adapted forms of *naskh* including *Muhaqqaq* and *Rihani* thus became the predominant styles for Chinese Qur’ans decorated with the typical gold ink.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"17th–18th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 22cm, Width: 28.5cm, Height: 3.5cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, engraving and pattern.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, engraving and pattern.","provenance":"China","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Anvaary, S., \"A Study of the Art of Chinese Quranography from the Sixteenth to the End of the Eighteenth Century\", *Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient*, 9: 33 (2021): 55–64.  \nGhoname, H., *Sini Calligraphy: The Preservation of Chinese Muslims' Cultural Heritage*, Doctoral dissertation, Manoa: University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2012.  \nHuaizhong, M. U. Y., \"The four upsurgences of Islamic culture in Chinese history\", *Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs,* 16: 1 (1996): 9–20.","dynasty":"Qing","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","China","Qing Dynasty","Quran"],"materials":["handwriting","Rice paper, ink"]},"47e09866-3a31-5ee5-a109-a01ff8ff7576":{"name":"*Treaty of Peace and Trade between France and the Tunisian Regency*","short_description":"The Treaty of Peace and Trade, signed between France and the Tunisian Regency, was written in both French and Arabic. It protected all French ships from attacks from Tunisian privateers, gave them access to every port in the country, and guaranteed all French nationals full security.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1799","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Gouvernement Tunisien","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Hamuda Pacha Bey","capitulation treaty"]},"483e8679-d93d-56cd-b566-f321c598b6de":{"name":"*Dala’il al-Khayrat* (*Guidelines to Blessings*) by Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli)","short_description":"The *Dala’il al-Khairat* (The Signs of Benediction) is a compilation of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad and other faith-related information by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. ca. 1465). Popular throughout the Muslim world and particularly in Ottoman lands. It also contains descriptions of the Holy Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madina, the two most important Islamic pilgrimage sites. Both are typically depicted in the centre of the manuscript, Here, detailed birds-eye views of both sanctuaries appear, surrounded by gold margins. On the right, at tthe heart of the Makkah mosque, the Ka’bah is dressed with its black kiswa cover, further enhanced by a golden belt (hizam) above and a golden door curtain (sitara or burqu’). On the left, within the mosque complex at Madina, a domed chamber contains the tombs of the Prophet and the first caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar, draped in golden covers – perhaps a reference to the precious, gold and silver-embroidered textiles that were spread over the tombs in Ottoman times.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation /Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"164 mm x 224 mm (open); 164 mm x 112 mm (closed)","provenance":"Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["kiswa","hizam","sitara","burqu'"],"materials":["Paper, ink, watercolour, gold"]},"4a2ff8cf-3035-5df6-b37d-f996ba871f8d":{"name":"Illustrated manuscript of Sa'di's *Bustan*","short_description":"This illustrated manuscript of Sa‘di’s *Bustan* features a spurious colophon and four paintings, presumably all by the early twentieth-century artist Turabi Bek Khurasani. Turabi Bek was active during the first decades of the twentieth century – the final years of the Qajar dynasty. As confirmed by the paintings in this *Bustan*, some of which recall those in the renowned *Haft Awrang* of Jami (Mashhad, 1556–65) in the Freer Gallery of Art, he excelled in the Safavid revival style.","type":"Islamic, Indian & Southeast Asian works of art; manuscript","holder":"Shangri La, Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira early 14th century / AD early 20th century (spurious colophon dated 779 AH / 1377 AD)","location":"Honolulu, Hawai'i","dimensions":"Overall: 27.9 x 17.1 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Late Qajar or Early Pahlavi","keywords":["Bustan","Illustration","manuscript","revivalism","Sa'di","Safawid revival","Turabi Bek Khurasani"],"materials":["gilded leather binding","Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper"]},"4b65636f-2968-54b7-8806-3c26e49e4118":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"Although no documentary information exists for this Qur’an, it is obvious it was produced for a wealthy, possibly influential, individual. The facing *shamsa*s, or sun-like medallions, at the beginning of the manuscript — and most of its other illuminations — consist mainly of dense mats of finely rendered arabesque vines from which spring tiny coloured blossoms. Like many manuscripts produced during the Safavid era, the illuminations are executed in a palette of blue, red and gold, with touches of yellow. Text pages consist of blocks of black *naskhi* script, bordered by vertical panels of blue and gold arabesques and set between longer lines of large blue or gold *thuluth* script. Large Qur’ans such as this are typical of Safavid production.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"46.2 x 30.3 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"4be86fc9-7fe9-524a-8ea0-665de458829d":{"name":"The Italian woman poet and peace activist of Armenian descent Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj (1855–1910), and a signed copy of her poem 'Peace'","short_description":"The descendant of an Armenian family that migrated to Venice at the beginning of the 19th century, Vittoria Aganoor Pompilj authored poems that were translated during her life into English, French and Spanish. She corresponded with many international literary figures and was a member of the International Arbitration and Peace League of Perugia (*Società per la pace e l'arbitrato internazionale di Perugia*), founded in 1892. In 1870, the British trade unionist Randal Cremer (Nobel peace laureate in 1907) founded the International Arbitration League, which –among other things – protested British intervention in Egypt and imperialism.","type":"Photograph and autograph collected in a register","holder":"State Archives of Perugia","dates":"3 September 1906","location":"Perugia","author":"Maria Grazia Bistoni, Costanza Maria Del Giudice","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"4c03bb38-e626-5fa6-8bad-df7b0742cf1b":{"name":"A table showing the revenues and expenditures of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway up to the end of July 1902 AH.","description":"A table showing the revenues and expenditures of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway up to the end of July 1902 AH.","type":"Archival Register","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 13 August 1902 / AH 8th Jumada 1320h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 34,5 cm; width: 21,5 cm","provenance":"Yıldız Imperial Palace","dynasty":"Ottoman","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["archival register","Hejaz Railway","ottoman empire","Railway","Transportation"],"materials":["Paper"]},"4c6528de-3b1b-5bce-b0d2-370e7037d94f":{"name":"The Ibn al-Bawwab Qur’an","short_description":"Both the calligraphy and the illumination of this Qur’an are the work of Abu’l-Hasan Ali (d. AD 1022), who is more commonly known as Ibn al-Bawwab, because he was the son (*ibn*) of Hilal, who was a doorkeeper (*bawwab*). Ibn al-Bawwab is renowned as one of Islam’s greatest calligraphers, and this Qur’an is held to be the only genuine manuscript by him still in existence. In this manuscript, the first two chapters each begin with an illuminated heading, but the beginning of every other chapter is indicated by only a line of gold *thuluth* script, stating the title of the chapter and the number of verses it contains, and a stylized palmette element that extends into the margin. The manuscript also includes five double pages of illumination.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 391 / AD 1000–01","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"17.7 x 13.7 cm","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","dynasty":"Abbasid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1431/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","colophon","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"4c75a74c-9d5b-5901-a8ac-c97ee313b0f5":{"name":"Khwaja Kirmani, Mahmud Ibn-Ali, Humay u Humayun (Humay and Humayun)","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of Mahmud Ibn-Ali Khwaja Kirmani’s (1290-1352) “Humay and Humayun”. It was calligraphed by the scribe Shams al-Din Muhammad (b. Husam al-Harawi) at an Imperial workshop of the Timurid prince Baysunghur (1397-1433) who was a famous patron of arts. The colophon gives the name of the scribe as well as the date AH 831 (1427-28 AD) and the place of completion, which was Herat. The manuscript belongs to a series of luxurious manuscripts executed in Herat for Baysunghur, but which are now scattered among many collections and museums all over the world. The scribe was also known as Shams Baysunghuri or Shamsuddin al-Sultani and he was a student of Maulana Ma’ruf who was a calligrapher brought to Herat by the Timurid ruler Shahrukh. His dated works range from this manuscript, in AH 831, to AH 833 (Kalila and Dimna, Istanbul, TSM, R. 1022). Regarding the text block throughout the manuscript, the outer column is inscribed obliquely compared to the two other columns on the page which perhaps represents an added commentary to the text. These columns are decorated with triangular arabesque vignettes in gold and blue in its corners, and the entire page is framed and divided by blue and gold borders. The headings in white or gold *thuluth* within golden-framed and blue-golden panels are decorated with gold, white or green arabesques. There are three full-page miniatures in total, which are thought to be the work of a single painter who was inspired by particular models. The miniatures are still to some extent in the tradition of the painting style that was developed in Tabriz and Baghdad in the late Jalayirid period; a comparable manuscript is BL Add. 18113 found at the British Library. The conquest of these cities by the Timurids and the transfer of the artists and manuscripts to the courts of Samarkand and Herat allowed for the perfection of these earlier styles.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 831 / 1427-28 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"242 x 145mm (166 x 90mm). ff. II, II*, 67 folios.","place_of_production":"Herat, Afghanistan","method_for_datation":"Colophon: name of the scribe, completed in residence Herat, date.","method_for_provenance":"There is an added border with owner's oriental stamp and the date AH 1227 / AD 1812 on Fol. 67 b. The owner's stamp of Hammer-Purgstall is also present, and dated AH 1223 / AD 1808-09.","provenance":"Herat, Afghanistan","obtention":"Entered the Austrian National Library in 1842 with Hammer-Purgstall's second collection.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 91-93.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 16.  \nRobinson, B.W, *Fifteenth-Century Persian Painting: Problems and Issues*, New York: New York University Press, 1991.  \nSoucek, Priscilla, “Comments on Persian Painting”, *Iranian Studies, Journal of the Society for Iranian Cultural and Social Studies*, VII (1974): 72-87.  \nWellesz, E., “Eine Handschrift aus der Blütezeit frühtimuridischer Kunst”, *Wiener Beiträge zur Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Asiens*, 10 (1936): 3-20.","workshop":"Imperial workshop of Baysunghur at Timurid Herat","dynasty":"Timurid","scriber":"Shams-ad-Din Muhammad b. Husam al-Harawi","binding_desc":"The half-leather binding has gold embossing on its spine while the front and back are composed of cardboard clad marbled paper, the style of which situates its production in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410595","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["illumination","miniature","nasta’liq"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in three columns, 20 or 23 lines per page (Persian)."]},"4ca47641-f0ff-50a2-a7c3-b3adf3abb210":{"name":"*Kufic* Qur’an manuscript.","description":"A manuscript comprising the second half of the Holy Qur'an that was placed for recitation in the Dome of the Rock for a number of centuries. A number of pages were lost as a result of its long use.  \nThe binding comprises two covers: the back and the front, fastened with a bolt-like clasp. The format is landscape, common for Qur'ans belonging to the first three centuries of the Islamic era. The binding is embellished by an embossed border of four lines, the inner part of which is gilded and outlined with braided silk thread. In the centre of each of the covers is a medallion with a spiral circumference. Within each medallion are intertwining vegetal decorations composed of five-leaf flowers. The inside of the binding is sheathed with light-red leather. The cover is not original and not earlier than the 12th / 18th century.  \nThe first and last two pages contain three rectangular panels framed by straight and circular bands which intertwine with each other. The inside of the bands are ornamented with red and blue dots. The spaces that result from the intersection of the bands are adorned with geometric lines interspersed with a number of dots in green.  \nThe Qur'an was written in *kufic* script in black ink. Vowels are stipulated in red, diacritical points in black; the pauses between verses are indicated by three slanted lines. The lines are numbered to enumerate the number of verses in each chapter. The names of the chapters *(suras)* are written in gilded *kufic* script, within rectangles framed in red. The chapter headings are not written in any one style and some are more decorative than others. The placing of the headings is unpredictable; sometimes within the upper section of the page, sometimes at the bottom within the lower band, and sometimes in the middle band. Sometimes the headings are illuminated within the decorative bands which contain simple and extremely beautiful decorations and whose design, size and form differ from one band to the next.  \nThis section is divided into seven of seven parts. The spreads that begin each of the one-seventh sections are distinguishable; the one under discussion by the presence of two frames that surround the content of each page. Both frames are decorated with different coloured dots. The number of the seventh part, the chapter title that it falls under, together with the corresponding verses from the beginning of the section to which it relates, are written in the upper section of the frame.","short_description":"The manuscript is the second half of the Qur’an. Its format is landscape and it is bound between two decorated leather covers. It is written in *kufic* script in black ink on gazelle parchment. Decorative motifs are distributed throughout and especially at the beginning of chapters. It is considered to be one of the earliest Qur’anic manuscripts extant.","type":"Qur'an, parchment, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Dome of the Rock.","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 24 cm, width 31.5 cm, depth 8 cm.","method_for_datation":"An inscription within the manuscript dates it to 984 / 1547), and indicates that the Qur'an was linked to Hasan bin al-Husayn. The style of *kufic* script also supports this date as does the style of decoration which was widespread in this period.","method_for_provenance":"Iraq was narrowed down as the place of production in view of the fact that most of the family of the Prophet was in Iraq at that time. The *kufic* script, together with the style of decoration used in this manuscript, coincide with the use of the same style which predominated in Iraq at that time.","provenance":"Possibly Iraq.","obtention":"The manuscript was transferred from the Dome of the Rock to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-'Asli, K., *Turath al-Filistin fi Kitabat Abd Allah Mukhlis \\[The Heritage of Palestine in the writings of Abd Allah Mukhlis\\],* Amman, 1986.  \nDeroche, F., *The Abbasid Tradition,* London, 1992.  \nAl-Munjid, Salah al-Din, *Dirasat fi Tarkikh al-Khat al-'Arabi \\[Studies in the History of Arabic Calligraphy\\],* Beirut, 1971.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Mathaf al-Islami in al-Haram al-Sharif' al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum at al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","dynasty":"Abbasid","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Hasan bin al-Husayn","kufic Qur’an manuscript","kufic script","Parchment","Qur’an","Qur’an manuscript","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Gazelle or goat parchment with ink and gold watercolour","the binding embossed leather."]},"4d7b079a-e0d0-5069-8f8b-a7c650770aed":{"name":"Collection of mystical stories","short_description":"This manuscript is a collection of 39 mystical stories, poems and treatises written in Persian, Turkish and Arabic. Whilst there are no miniature paintings accompanying the written text of the manuscript, each chapter does however open with an intricately illuminated *unwan* (chapter heading).  \nThe contents of the manuscript include, among other things, *tafsir* (exegesis on the Qur’an), stories about mysticism, *qasida* poetry (an Arabic form of poetry, similar to the ode) and philosophical treatises on the Christian gospel.  \nWhilst an exact date is known (1123 AH or 1711 AD) because it was clearly recorded in the collophon of the manuscript, a precise place of origin is absent in the written record.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1123 AH / 1711 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"305 x 168mm, 232 folios","method_for_datation":"A precise date can be inferred with relative certainty because the last chapter of the manuscript closes with the words; \"finished in the year 1123\".","provenance":"Possibly Syria","obtention":"The manuscript was brought into the collection by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Flügel, Gustav, *Die arabischen, persischen und türkischen Handschriften der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hofbibliothek zu Wien*, vol. 3, Vienna: Verlag der K. K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1867: 489-501.","binding_desc":"The manuscript is half-bound in red leather with ornamental gilding on the spine upon which the title of the manuscript is impressed in golden letters, reading \"neun und dreyssig mystische Abhandlungen\" (\"thirty-nine mystical treatises\"). The material used for the boards of the book itself is cypress wood. This binding was custom made for Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14400444","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["manuscript","qasida","tafsir"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq script of 27 lines per page."]},"4dac9cf9-671a-53db-afe9-db1a23d3b6cf":{"name":"Preparation of Medicine. Folio from Manuscript of an Arabic Translation of 'De Materia Medica' of Dioscorides","short_description":"This is a single leaf from a manuscript copied in AH 621 / AD 1224 in Baghdad by Abdallah ibn al-Fadl, a well-known calligrapher, for a long time believed to be the author of the miniatures. \"De Materia Medica\" a treatise by Dioscorides, a Greek doctor, was very popular in the Middle Ages. The Khanenko Museum keeps a folio that depicts a process of medicine-making. Extremely trustworthy and artistically convincing is the manner used by the medieval artist in rendering ethnic features of personages, their gestures, clothing and various details of everyday life.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AH 621 / AD 1224","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33cm, Width: 23.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (1926, origin), publication of H. Buchthal (1942, accurate date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection, publication of Hugo Buchthal (1942): former Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","provenance":"Baghdad, Iraq","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Bilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, 5 (1942).  \nContadini, Anna (ed), *Arab Painting: Text and Image in Illustrated Arabic Manuscripts, Handbook of Oriental Studies*, London: Brill, 2010.  \nDiscordides Pedanius, *De Materia Medica: Being an Herbal with many other medicinal materials*, (Written in Greek in AD 1st century. New indexed version in modern English translated and edited by Tess Anne Osbaldeston and Robert P. A. Wood), Johannesburg: Ibidis, 2000: 939.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.","dynasty":"Abbasid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Abbasid","Dioscorides","Iraq","manuscript","medicine","miniature"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"4dbcd917-010c-5ebd-8b39-646ec4f29059":{"name":"\"Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram' s Music\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1556–1605) personal copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It shows the king Bahram Gur with his beautiful slave girl, Dilaram, who could make animals sleep or awaken with the sound of her music.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.5cm, width: 15.1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 12 (October 1953).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Indian Miniatures.*, New York-Milan, 1959.  \n  \nUniversity Gallery, University of Florida. \"April 10th thru May 29th, 1966.\" In *Miniatures and Small Sculptures from India.*, (1966).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nGlynn, C.. \"An Early Mughal Landscape Painting and Realted Works.\" in *Los Angeles County Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 20, no. 2 (1974).  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nPal, P., ed., *Master Artists of the Imperial Mughal Court.*, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1991.  \n  \nKossak, S. M., ed., *Indian Court Painting 16th–19th century.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446562","materials":["Main support: ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper","Margins: gold on dyed paper"]},"4e2c253d-3f40-5817-ad41-b7fde8b9f4b8":{"name":"Confidential report related to the Iraqi State Railways and the Trans-Iranian Railway","description":"Report surveying the state of the railways and the gauges used by the Iraqi State Railways and the Trans-Iranian Railway between 1942 and 1944. The report is incomplete; 11 pages are related to Iraq (pp. 54-85), while 16 pages cover Iran (pp. 73-160). The typewritten text is accompanied by photomechanical prints and technical drawings of locomotives. The report might have been produced both by the British or the American intelligence. It includes The Second World War-era British military map showing regional railway networks (established or under construction) in the (ex) Ottoman Empire. Manuscript annotations highlight the geopolitical interests of various nations involved in their construction. The piece also has the stamp of the Survey Directorate, GHQ Middle East.","type":"Archival Material","holder":"Qatar National Library","owner":"QNL","dates":"1939-1944","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 21 cm; width: 27 cm","place_of_production":"Great Britain","catalogue_holding_link":"https://elibrary.qnl.qa/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2711204__SHC.ARC.2016.0094-0004__Orightresult__U__X3?lang=eng&suite=def","author":"Moez Dridi","keywords":["20th Century","Middle East","Railways"],"materials":["27 folios and 1 map"]},"4ff662e6-ce17-5b02-96f0-77d7ed40404e":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Sassanid Emperor Anushirvan Feasting)","description":"The work begins with praise written in the centre of a multicoloured gilded illumination on a navy blue background on facing pages. All pages containing the eulogy and inscriptions on the pages with miniatures are illuminated in the style of Beynes Sudûr. All chapters in the *Shahnameh* begin with the illumination of the title page. The white text written above and below the miniatures and enclosed in an illuminated frame at the end of the *Shahnameh* states that the *Shahnameh*, which tells the history of Persia, was completed in seven years, that 12 of the most famous artists of the period worked on it, and that it was written by Mehmed al-Kâtib in Shiraz. The illumination of the work was by Mehmed bin Hüseyin of Shiraz in 1549. The book, one of the most distinguished works of the period, is notable for its intricate miniatures created in a superior technique characteristic of the Shah Tahmasb period. These miniatures were made by calligraphers and *musehhep* in Shiraz, for centuries a centre of the art of miniatures. Consequently, the decorative style of the Shiraz-Turkmen miniature school, evident in works created in Shiraz during the first half of the 16th century, is also noteworthy in this work. It is characterised by thin, elongated and elegant figures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 956 / AD 1549–1550","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"37cm x 23xm","place_of_production":"Shiraz/Iran","obtention":"Brought to the museum in 1915 from the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Library.","dynasty":"Safavids (AH 907–1150 / AD 1501–1737)","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, gilding, leather binding"]},"50900128-bb54-580c-9129-d9d24be9c5ef":{"name":"Ten folios from the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi made for Shah Tahmasp I","short_description":"The ten folios come the *Shahnamah* made for the Safavid ruler, Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576). One of the finest illustrated Persian manuscript ever made, it has been referred to as the ‘Houghton’ *Shahnamah* after the collector who broke it up in New York in the 1970s. It is of large format, on fine gold-sprinkled paper, and with 258 illustrations. The format is independently conceived for each painting and must have involved constant consultation between scribes, painters and marginators. Folio 516, which in the Khalili Collection, is the only folio in the manuscript to bear a date.  \nThe manuscript was given by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman Sultan Selim II at the time of the latter’s accession in 1566. By 1903, the manuscript was in the possession of Edmond de Rothschild. It changed hands once again in the 1960s, when its then owner, Arthur Houghton Jr, began to disperse it. Today, some 140 of its paintings are in museums and collections throughout the world. The rest of the manuscript – the binding, the text block and 118 paintings – have been in the Contemporary Art Museum in Tehran since 1994.","type":"Manuscript; miniature painting; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Manuscript: 1520s – 1540s; folio 516b: dated Hejira 934 / AD 1527–8","location":"London","dimensions":"Folio: 47 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on information within the paintings themselves, on historical records and on numerous detailed studies by a number of academics and authors.","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Folio 119 only: ex-Edmond de Rothschild; Arthur Houghton Jr, Diane Woodner and Andrea Woodner; Christie’s, London, sale of 27 April 1993, lot 71.  \nRemaining 9 folios: ex-Edmond de Rothschild, Arthur Houghton Jr and Khosrovani Collections.","bibliography":"Canby, S.R., *The Shahnamah pf Shah Tahmasp. The Persian Book of Kings*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \nDickson, M.B., and Welch, S.C., *The Houghton Shahnameh* (2 vols), Cambridge, MA, and London: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \nFalk, T. (ed.), *The Treasures of Islam*, exhibition catalogue, Geneva: Musée Rath, 1985: 68–71, n. 42–4, 46, 49, 50, 53, 57 and 61.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: n. 299–308, pp.262–69.","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["gold","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Paper","Safavid","Shahnamah","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","margins heavily sprinkled with gold","text copied in a superior nasta‘liq,headings are in riqa‘"]},"50cb0435-f17d-5672-aecf-be44c5bba6ef":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock,\" from the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari","description":"Missing description","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"Boston","dimensions":"31.1cm × 21cm","place_of_production":"Eastern turkey or Syria","obtention":"By 1931, Denman Waldo Ross, Cambridge, MA;  \n1931, gift of Denman Waldo Ross to the MFA.","dynasty":"Mamluks","scriber":"Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri","keywords":["folio","Mamluks","Technical Manuscripts","water"],"materials":["Ink, watercolor and gold on paper"]},"51d89765-459f-5a2f-89bb-b09f35a3e9d2":{"name":"Firman issued by Sultan Abdülmecid for the construction of the Constanţa–Cernavodă railway","short_description":"The first railway in the European part of the Ottoman Empire was built in Dobruja. Its construction was leased by the Ottoman sultan to the British company \"Danube and Black Sea Railway and Kustendge harbour\". According to the contract signed on 1 September 1857 the company had to build a railway linking the cities Constanţa and Cernavodă and could exploit it for 99 years, after which it became property of the Ottoman Empire. The railway, inaugurated on 4 October 1860, was 66 km long and was destined for freight transportation. After Dobruja was annexed by Romania in 1878, the state bought the railway from the British company (1882). Later, in order to connect it to the Romanian railway system (since Dobruja is separated from the rest of Romania by the Danube) a railway bridge was built across the Danube.","type":"Document","holder":"Romanian Railways Museum","dates":"1857","location":"Bucharest"},"52faeb30-e7d3-51ad-a243-69d0743d824e":{"name":"The *Dala’il al-khayrat* of al-Jazuli","short_description":"The *Dala’il al-khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabi al-mukhtar* – better known by its abbreviated tilte, *Dala’il al-khayrat* – is one of the most popular works of prayer in the Islamic world. It was composed by a natïve of Sus, Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli (d. 1645).  \n  \nAs its name suggests, the work consists of numerous prayers for the Prophet, together with his epithets, and a description of his tomb, a diagrammatic depiction of which is found in most North African copies. Ottoman copies of the work, especially those from the 18th century onwards, however, tend to include perspective views of the two Holy Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina, thus diverging from the text of the manuscript.  \n  \nThe style of writing – a clear, Maghribi hand – and the square format of this manuscript place its origin in North Africa. However, the illumination, the inclusion of Mecca, and the original binding, are closer to mainstream Ottoman work, and it is posible that it was copied elsewhere, perhaps in Mecca.","type":"Manuscript; illustrated manuscript; prayer book; *Dala’il al-khayrat*; al-Jazuli; Mecca; Medina","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"Dated Hejira 24 Ramadan 1290 / AD 15 November 1873","location":"London","dimensions":"89 folios; 10 x 12cm","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"North Africa or possibly Mecca","bibliography":"Ben Cheneb, M., “al-Djazuli”, in Bosworth, C.E., van Donzel, E.J., Pearson, H. (eds), *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, vol. 2 (C-G), Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1983: 527–8.  \nPorter, V., (ed.), *Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam*, exhibition catalogue, London: British Museum, 2012: 52–5.","dynasty":"Ottoman","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","Ka'ba","manuscript","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion"],"materials":["contemporary leather binding and flap with painted and tooled designs in gold and silver","Ink, gold, silver and opaque watercolours on paper"]},"5483dab5-d84f-5427-be2a-f5641e4aecc1":{"name":"Monthly revenues deriving from the traffic of boats through the Suez Canal sent by the consul of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Port Said (Egypt) to the Commodities Exchange of Trieste","short_description":"Out of the 109 boats that had passed through the Canal in that month, 78 were from Britain, 8 from France, 7 from the Netherlands and the remaining 16 were from Spain, Germany, Italy, Austria, Denmark and Norway. British ships passed through the Suez Canal on their way to India and to other British colonial possessions.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Trieste","dates":"September 1876","location":"Trieste","dimensions":"545 x 420 mm","author":"Chiara Artico","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"548a0da4-daad-5893-abb1-4453dabee1bc":{"name":"Maulana Shams ad-Din Muhammad ‘Assar at-Tabrizi, *Mihr u Mushtari* (Romantic epic of the friendship of Prince Mihr with the youth Mushtari)","short_description":"Maulana Shams ad-Din Muhammad 'Assar at-Tabrizi (died 784 AH / 1382-83 AD) completed this romantic epic of the friendship of Prince Mihr and the youth Mushtari (*Mihr u Mushtari*) in 778 AH / 1377 AD. This manuscript was acquired for the Austrian National Library in 1677 in Constantinople by Peter Lambeck for 30 gold ducats and 15 kreuzer. It was copied in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Hidayat-Allah in c. 977-88 AH / 1570-80 AD, possibly in Shiraz, Iran. According to the 16th-century Turkish historian Mustafa 'Ali, Hidayat-Allah came from Isfahan and was the pupil of the calligrapher Mu'izz ad-Din Muhammad Amin from Kashan. Four other manuscripts with miniatures – produced between 1564 and 1584 – are signed by him. Stylistically, the eight full-page paintings can be linked to the artistic output of the city of Shiraz, where the manuscript was likely created between 1570 and 1580. Its dating to the end of the 16th century becomes more certain through closer inspection of the compositions throughout; the stylization of landscape and architectural forms, the colour scheme, and sparse presence of the *taj-i haidari* (Safavid staff turban) that went out of fashion during this period.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 977-88 AH / 1570-80 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"242 x 170 mm (165 x 97mm), ff. I, I*, 435 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: scribe's name mentioned.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there is a destroyed oriental owner's stamp. It was acquired in 1677 by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople for 30 gold ducats and 15 kreuzer. On fol. IIa: 'Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi N. 6'.","provenance":"Possibly Shiraz","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library in the second half of the 17th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 25-28.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Shams ad-Din b. Giyath ad-Din al-Hafiz al-Kirmani","binding_desc":"The dark brown leather binding has a flap, and on its front cover displays a central field with gold arabesque decoration of florals and cloud scrolls that are pressed from two matrices, incorporating the central medallion with two pendants. Flanking the shorter edges of the central block, circles and ovals form pseudo-title cartouches with inlays of gold leather filigree on red and blue paper and green silk backgrounds. All around, the frame mouldings are stamped in two shades of gold with rowed, elongated vine medallions. The back cover and the flap are decorated in the same manner. Doublures of lighter-coloured leather are overlaid with a medallion design of gold and brown arabesque filigree fillings against a pink, red, blue paper background, and green silk inlays. Their central panels are decorated with gold cloud band and floral vine ornamentation pressed with matrices. The binding was probably made in late 16th-century Shiraz, Iran.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/baa18848907","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Epic","mi'raj","painting","romance","Safavid"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 14 lines per page."]},"54e60e87-a0d4-5416-b5e8-03ace6751eca":{"name":"Qur’an leaf.","description":"The single large leaf comes from a Qur'an manuscript. It shows 11 lines per page written in a fine *muhaqqaq* script in black ink on thick, well-polished, pale pink paper. The right edge of the leaf is cut. The text runs from *sura al-takwir* (LXXXI), verse 13, on the recto to sura *al-tatfif* (LXXXIII), verse 4, on the verso, which is presented now. Gold rosettes, irregularly decorated with blue dots, indicate the verses. One circular and two ovoid illuminated ornaments in the margin probably contain the words *khamsa* and *'ashra* to mark every fifth and tenth verse. Both recto and verso pages possess a sura heading written in a white *kufic* script. The headings are set in illuminated rectangular panels, which have in the main field a blue ground decorated with gold arabesques. Each of the panels possesses an ovoid gilded medallion extending into the margin. In the upper part of the recto the word *waqf* is written in a cursive script, suggesting that the Qur'an from which the leaf comes was dedicated to a religious organisation.  \nThe *muhaqqaq* script style was used for Mamluk Qur'an manuscripts of the AH 8th and 9th / AD 14th and 15th centuries. This large script has several notable features such as flat, stretched sublinear curves, letters with endings which terminate in sharp points andbreaks between the vertical and horizontal parts of some of the letters. The *muhaqqaq* is a style of script suitable for large format books. The use of coloured paper, especially pink, was popular among Mamluk scriptoriums.","short_description":"On this leaf from a Qur’an the text runs from sura *al-takvir* (LXXXI) to sura *al-tatfif* (LXXXIII). Both sides have a sura heading. Gold rosettes indicate the verses, with illuminated ornaments in the margin. The Qur’an from which the leaf comes probably belonged to a religious organisation.","type":"Qur'an, leaf, paper, manuscript","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","dates":"Hegira 8th–9th centuries / AD 14th–15th centuries.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 44.8 cm, width 33.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the style of script and the kind of illumination.","method_for_provenance":"From the style of script and the kind of illumination.","provenance":"Probably Egypt.","obtention":"Bequest from the Békésy collection.","bibliography":"James, D., *Qur'ans and Bindings from the Chester Beatty Library: A Facsimile Exhibition*, Dublin, 1980.  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988.  \nJames, D., *The Master Scribes: Qur'ans of the 11th to 14th centuries AD.* The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Vol. II, London, 1992.  \nLings, M. and Safadi, Y. H., *The Qur'an*, London, 1976.  \nSafwat, N. F., *The Art of the Pen: Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries.* The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Vol. V, London, 1996.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","Qur'an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["calligraphy.","Paper, ink"]},"55152a48-4ea9-5d88-b3d1-c71ba5a5a61a":{"name":"*Panj Ganj* (‘Five Treasures’) of Jami","short_description":"The *Panj Ganj* (‘Five Treasures’) is a collection of five poems written by the Persian poet ‘Abd al-Rahman Jami‘ (d. AD 1492). The manuscript was produced in Iran but was not finished until it ended up in India, in the possession of ‘Abd al-Rahim, commander-in-chief of the Mughal army for both Akbar and Jahangir. The specific manner in which the text has been laid out results in three small triangular spaces on each page. ‘Abd al-Rahim’s artists completed the decoration of the manuscript by filling these spaces with decoration, usually figures of animals and birds (several examples from various folios are included here). They also added new, boldly decorated margins to each folio and added a painting on the final, colophon page of the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Calligraphy: Hegira 926 / AD 1520  \nPainting and illumination: Hegira 1015 / AD 1606-07","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"32.4 x 20.7 cm","provenance":"India","dynasty":"Timurid and Mughal","keywords":["animal","bird","border decoration","calligraphy","colophon","figural decoration","garden","illumination","miniature painting","monkey","yogi"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"566f599e-0817-50e5-8d87-c71e445f657b":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment was copied in 12th-century Iran or Iraq and its text includes sura 15, 44, 16:1-85, which is penned in monumental and geometric-ornamental angular (*kufic*) script in five lines per page. This is fully vocalised in red and blue with diacritical marks appearing in the form of golden dots. Individual verses are separated by gold rosettes with blue dots containing *kufic* counting letters. The circular medallions in the margins contain the verse count written and ornamented in gold, with a blue frame and ray-like extensions.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"12th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"248 x 190mm (185 x 120mm). ff. I, II*, 36 folios.","place_of_production":"Iran or Iraq","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, the owner's note by Darwish Muhammad Saza'i (or Sazali or Magali?) b. Ahmad Rifaat is visible. A restoration note of the Austrian National Library can be dated to 1931.","obtention":"Purchased from Memel (Vienna) in 1930.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 231-233.","dynasty":"Likely Seljuq","binding_desc":"This black leather flap binding has a differing front and back cover. Both covers contain borders across the edges of the cover as well as a braided band and stylised leafy vine in blind print. However, the front doublures are made of European marbled paper while the back is made of red leather. The binding was probably assembled and restored in Europe in the 20th century from older oriental pieces.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14408525","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","kufic","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink and gold on paper. Calligraphic Persian/Eastern kufic of five lines per page."]},"567ac179-c89c-5f43-a912-af9c71a221ec":{"name":"Collection of Mughal miniatures","short_description":"This album contains 70 miniature paintings realised using the courtly Mughal style, arranged on 66 folios. As the miniatures were composed by different artists they vary greatly in size and execution. It is assumed that these miniatures constituted a part of a large collection of miniatures that Maria Theresia had purchased to decorate the so-called \"Millionenzimmer\" (Millions Room), one of her private reception rooms in Schönbrunn Palace. Most likely, only part of the overall collection was used for the decoration resulting in the remaining miniatures then being gathered into two albums, Min. 44 and this one, Min 64. This thesis is supported by the contemporaneous renovations of the Millions Room, which we know for a fact that Maria Teresia undertook around the 1760's AD, and the arrival of the two albums into the collection of the Imperial Court Library in 1762 AD.  \nThe themes of the miniatures range from intricate courtly portraits and illustrations of Persian epics to classical scenes from Hindu-mythology.","type":"Album","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"10th to 11th century AH / 17th to 18th cenutry AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"530 x 398mm, 70 miniatures on 66 folios","method_for_datation":"The date and origins of the miniatures were establish based on the artistic style of the paintings.","method_for_provenance":"There are many Dutch marginalia throughout the album, mainly providing the titles of miniatures. It is likely that the miniatures in this album came to Amsterdam through the Dutch East India Company, from where they made their way to Vienna.","provenance":"India","obtention":"A written record of the album appears in the card catalogue of the Imperial Court Library in the 19th century. Despite this, there is no information on how the miniatures and the album were obtained initially. It appears to have entered the collection at the same time as a similar album of Mughal miniatures (Min. 44), around 1762 AD.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 256-290.  \nDuda, Dorothea, \"Islamische Buchkunst\" in O. Mazal (ed), *Kultur des Islam: Orientalische Handschriften der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek* , Vienna: Österrichische Nationalbibliothek, 1980: 256-258.  \nIrblich, Eva, \"Das Unternehmen der Konservierung und wissenschaftlichen Bearbeitung der indischen Miniaturen des Millionenzimmers von Schloss Schönbrunn in Wien\" in W. Koschatzky (ed), *Maria Theresia und ihre Zeit*, Salzburg/Vienna: Residenzverlag, 1979: 89-92.  \nHolter, Kurt, \"Die indischen Miniaturen des Millionenzimmers im Schloss Schönbrunn\" in W. Koschatzky (ed), *Maria Theresia und ihre Zeit*, Salzburg/Vienna: Residenzverlag, 1979: 109-111.","dynasty":"Mughal","binding_desc":"The brown leather binding was done in a classical style. A golden, double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of the Austrian Empire, is embossed in the centre of both the front and back cover, whilst the spine of the album is embossed with gold ornaments. The binding was expertly crafted in Vienna around 1820 AD.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14450761","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Album","Millions Room"],"materials":["The album is made of thick, white, European paper stamped with a watermark by the Dutch paper mill C. et J. Honig."]},"577527f6-207f-54b6-8eee-af77d7cc4100":{"name":"Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio depicting Shah Faridun spurning the peace envoys of Salm and Tur was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.6 × 24.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan, Gilan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Aq Qoyunlu","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","peom","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold and ink on paper"]},"57952ce7-c1d9-5593-a21a-cd6480d6eec9":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics. The quality of this Qur’an manuscript suggests that it might have been executed for a member of the Imperial household. The radiant opening double-page shows two delicate cartouches with ‘Al Fatiha’ and the beginning of ‘Al Baqara’ set into a majestic framework of gilt floral arabesque cartouches. The main body of the text is executed in finest black naskh, 15 lines to the page, the sura headings written in white riqa' on a solid golden ground. Beyond the gold margins, delicated medallions mark important subdivisions in the text. The last double page shows the end of sura 113 and sura 114 on the right and the dedication page on the left. Both texts are embedded in rectangular panels accentuated with richly gilt and blue ornamentation. Beyond, the entire page is covered with delicate sprays and leaves painted in solid gold.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"145 mm x 200 mm","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["sura","riqa'"],"materials":["European paper, black ink, pigments, gilding, pasteboard, leather"]},"580df60c-19a7-5ac3-bbe6-d83553b95b42":{"name":"*Bustan* of Sa'di","short_description":"These folios are from a copy of the *Bustan* (‘Orchard’), a didactic poem consisting of moralizing stories and anecdotes written in the mid thirteenth century by the Persian poet Sa‘di. The manuscript was produced in Iran in 1649 for the ruler of Bukhara, ‘Abd al-Aziz ibn Nasr Muhammad. However, the decorations that fill the margins of almost every page may have been added later. Oddly, they are positioned perpendicular to the text and none appear to relate to the text in any way. Some are scenes of animals (often mythical Chinese creatures) set amongst vegetation, while other are scenes of sensitively rendered people engaged in various activities, such as purchasing goods at a market.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1059 / AD 1649","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"18.7 x 11 cm","provenance":"Uzbekistan, Bukhara","dynasty":"Bukharan Khanate","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","Chinese motifs","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","script","Simurgh","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"58119adb-f72f-58c9-af23-ed78c51ccea1":{"name":"*Sita Shies Away from Hanuman, Believing He is Ravana in Disguise*","short_description":"The Great Mughal Akbar was known for his religious tolerance, and he did what he could to give his fellow Muslims insight into Hindu culture. He had holy Hindu scriptures translated into Persian, and he presented the magnificent copy of the *Ramayana* from which this miniature comes to his mother in 1594.","type":"Miniature from a copy of the *Ramayana*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1002 / AD 1594","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"India, Mughal","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["miniature","Mughal","painting","Ramayana"]},"58b704d2-eb03-5537-a131-1e943e19c77a":{"name":"First Small *Shahnama*","short_description":"The poet Firdausi completed the writing of his *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) in AD 1010. It is considered the national epic of Iran and in some sixty-thousand verses relates the tales of the heroes and kings of Iran, from the dawn of time until the Islamic conquest of the country in the mid seventh century. These folios belong to one of three manuscripts known collectively as the Small *Shahnama*s. None are dated, but they are generally thought to have been produced in about AD 1300, making them the earliest illustrated *Shahnama* manuscripts in existence. (Three thirteenth-century, unillustrated *Shahnama*s also exist.) There are, however, earlier objects (mainly ceramics) decorated with scenes from the various stories that make up the *Shahnama*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 700 / AD 1300","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"19 x 13.2 cm","provenance":"Iran or Iraq","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"5936c4f1-e821-5646-a430-d424ed9b426e":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Landhaur, the son of the king of Ceylon, is abducted in his sleep by a demon","short_description":"Landhaur (King of the Sun), is one of the legendary rulers of distant lands in the history of Hamza. First opponent, he converted to Islam and becomes a courageous comrade of Hamza. The episode shown here is not handed over textually.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","dynasty":"Mughal","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200232","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, Peter Klinger","keywords":["Hamzanama","Landhaur","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"5afb9d0a-a173-5509-83ce-e5ce7f4da179":{"name":"Page from a manuscript on horsemanship.","description":"A page from a manuscript on horsemanship, written in the *naskhi* script in black ink. The main titles indicating the subject matter are written in red. On this page the sub-title reads: 'the section on how to break the pole and avoid it'. At the top of the page, three Mamluk horsemen are portrayed, two of which are engaged in combat with poles. Each of them is wearing a knee-length tunic and a skull-cap, known in historical sources as *a zomt.* The third man is wearing a turban and a longer garment with narrow sleeves. He leans on the stick in a stance that suggests that he is observing the contenders and is possibly their trainer. The men's clothing has been painted in red, black and violet, appearing to be patterned with coloured threads, going in different directions in a haphazard fashion. This illustration clearly reflects the distinguishing features of the Arab school of painting that was widespread from the AH 9th / 15th century in the area encompassing Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and North Africa. The school was, however, differentiated by specific local characteristics in each region, although collectively it did reflect some general trends, the most important of which were: the small number of people depicted; the lack of a pictorial frame or background; the use of vivid colours; the absence of realism; a lack of regard to the fundamentals of perspective and the third dimension; an emphasis on the depiction of animals, especially horses. The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo has acquired three pages from this manuscript.  \nThe whereabouts of the remaining pages may suggest that the dealer of antiquities, Isa Ma'aluf, who had the manuscript in his possession until the year 1928 set about selling the book by the page to a number of countries. The manuscript was originally made up of 184 pages and contained 16 drawings depicting the mobilisation of armies. It included 46 colour illustrations to elucidate the subject matter. Unfortunately, the name of this manuscript and its author are unknown since the first and the last pages are lost. The manuscript contains a number of sections on the arts of war and horsemanship including: horsemanship and teaching it; drawing a bow; manoeuvres with a sword; knowledge on the different forms of a bow; raising and carrying a lance; manoeuvres with a shield on the ground and on a horse; javelin-throwing and casting a spear and shooting arrows. The manuscript also deals with cannons and gun-powder.","short_description":"The Mamluk period saw a renaissance of all the arts, especially book illustration. Iraqi artisans migrated to Egypt and Syria after the Mogul invasion of Baghdad and revived there the tradition of that art. This illustration from a book on horsemanship is a fine example of the Arab school of painting.","type":"Manuscript, miniature","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 24 cm, width 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"A number of technical terms and words appear in the text of this manuscript which are seen also in the works of historians who were writing about Egypt in the latter half of the Mamluk period. It also appears that the linguistic style, which includes words from the colloquial dialect, resembles that of the historian Ibn Iyas, who died in 930 / 1524.  \nFurthermore, the illustrator was intent on painting the clothing and head coverings of the characters in costumes true to those worn in the Mamluk period, reproducing the colours and styles as described in contemporary literary accounts. Sources also report that the Mamluks used to wear a loose outer garment called a *Kabr* during military training, and a red *zomt* on their heads. It is known that the red *zomt* was confined to the heads of Mamluks from the middle of the 9th / 15th century, by order of Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay in the year 841 / 1437. Likewise, Ibn Iyas mentioned in his book, *Bada'i -Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Encounters Through the Ages\\]* that the general public, the peasants, were forbidden to wear the *zomt* on their heads for it was restricted solely to the Mamluks. The *zomt* was usually red in colour and fluffy as seen in the manuscript paintings.","method_for_provenance":"This illustration clearly reflects the distinguishing features of the Arab school of painting that was widespread from the 9th / 15th century in the area encompassing Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and North Africa. The school was, however, differentiated by specific local characteristics in each region and this particular manuscript depicts the Mamluk hierarchy in Egypt some time after the 9th / 15th century.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"This manuscript was bought in 1955 from the antiquities dealer, Asherof.","bibliography":"Al-Pasha, H., et al, *al-Qāhira, tarikhuha, fūnunuha, Āthāruha \\[Cairo: its History, its Arts and its Monuments\\],* Cairo, 1970.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1981.  \nFarghali, Abu H. M., *Al-Taswir al-Islami: Nash'atahu wa mawqif al-Islam minhu wa usuluhu wa madarisuhu \\[Islamic Painting: Its Formation and Islam's Attitude Towards it, its Sources and Schools\\],* Cairo, 1991.  \nHamdi, A., *et al, Ma'rid al-fan al-islāmi fi misr \\[Catalogue of the Islamic Art Exhibition in Egypt\\],* Cairo, 1969.  \nIbn Iyas, Muhammad ibn Ahmad (d. 930 / 1524), *Bada'i Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Encounters Through the Ages\\],* Cairo, 1894.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York, 1997.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["horseman","horsemanship","Illustration","manuscript","Paper","Portrait"],"materials":["Paper with watercolour painting and writing in black and red ink."]},"5b990d35-bcaf-52cf-a880-52eebc5cded0":{"name":"*Zulaikha Seizing the Skirt of Yusuf's Robe* Folio from an album (or manuscript) with ghazals by Sa'adi","short_description":"The miniature on the folio illustrates one of the key episodes of the poem \"Yusuf and Zuleikha\" by Jami. Zuleikha invites Yusuf (pictured with a “flame of the prophet\" around his head) to a magnificent palace where he declares love. However, the virtuous Yusuf tries to escape. Zuleikha catches up to him at the door and grabs the edge of his robe. The man in the golden crown watching the scene from behind the open door on the left is probably the husband of Zulayaha, the Egyptian nobleman. He holds a \"finger of surprise\" at his mouth - a conditional gesture in Persian miniature signifying great astonishment.  \nThe composition and style of the painting follow a famous miniature of AD 1640, attributed to the brush of Muin Musavvir (1617–1702), an outstanding master of the Isfahan painting school.  \nInterestingly, the miniature is painted on a folio from a poetic album (or a manuscript) of the late 16th century, containing poems by Sa’adi Shirazi (1203 / 1210–1291), a great Persian poet.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 17th century (miniature); AD 16th century (calligraphy)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 25cm, Width: 14.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by L. Guzalian (1953, date, origin) and H. Rudyk (2017, origin specified). Sa'adi ghazal identified by N. Vyshnevska (2016).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","provenance":"Isfahan, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased in 1940s in Kyiv from a private owner.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nFarhad, M., “The Art of Muʿin Musavvir: A Mirror of His Times,” in Sheyla R. Canby (ed), *Persian Masters: Five Centuries of Painting*, Bombay: Marg, 1990.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school (?)","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold, ink on paper"]},"5ba1e422-156b-52c9-b178-d1de57501788":{"name":"Piri Reis b. Hajji Mehmed, *Bahriye* (Navigation or Sailing Manual)","short_description":"The important manual on navigation and sailing called “*Bahriye*” was authored by Piri Re’is b. Hajji Mehmed (died 962 AH / 1554–55), an Ottoman navigator and cartographer. This 17th-century copy was penned in large *naskh* script, possibly in Ottoman Istanbul. Piri Re’is, a Turkish captain and later admiral of the Ottoman fleet, is credited with the creation of two famous world maps as well as this sailing manual for the entire Mediterranean. While the latter is relatable to Catalan and Italian *Portolane* and *Isolarii* (Sea Atlases or Naval Manuals, and Island Books respectively), the work of Piri Re’is is considered quite independent and original as it contains detailed descriptions of the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, starting from the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Interestingly, this manuscript is a late copy of his first version of 1521, while a separate second version, which included a longer and more detailed text, was made five years later and was dedicated to Suleyman the Magnificent. The earlier text consists of 132 chapters with descriptive texts of historical, geographical, and navigational content. Moreover, this copy contains 133 half– to full-page map sketches that accompany the text, of which most feature a black compass rose in the centre. Like the other more than 20 surviving copies, it likely served primarily practical purposes. In contrast, the second version of the text is extant in about ten surviving copies which reflect a representative courtly quality both in their elaborate calligraphy and illustration. This suggests that these manuals were rather intended for the education of the nobility. It has been postulated that the Vienna copy, with its schematic, rather inconsistently oriented sketches that sometimes even extend into the text block, was produced by sailors or members of the Ottoman Navy in the arsenal or in cartographic workshops. The map sketches show port cities and fortresses identified by toponyms and other representational details added in bright colours. These representations seem to follow a fixed compositional formula with stylised landscape depictions. Small offshore islands or reefs, for example, are usually highlighted in red. Judging from the illustrations, this manual is stylistically comparable to the copy kept in the University Library of Bologna (MS 3613, dated 977 AH / 1569 AD), and it has been argued that the Vienna manuscript may be a copy of the Bologna manuscript from the second half of the 17th-century. The owners’ notes and stamps on fol. 1a reveal that the manual was part of the collections of a certain Zeynül'Abidin Evliyazade as well as of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Possibly 17th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"316x220mm (250x155mm), ff. III, II*, 172 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Istanbul","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, the owner's notes and stamps of a Zeynül 'Abidin Evliyazade and of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (dated 1223 AH/1808 AD) are visible.","obtention":"Purchased from Hammer-Purgstall in 1832.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 232-242.","dynasty":"Ottoman","binding_desc":"The light brown half-leather binding features the title as well as additional ornaments in gold print on the spine. It consists of European marbled paper over boards, which suggest that it was likely made in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14393579","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Cartography","geography","island","manual","Map","naskh","navigation","sailing"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Large calligraphic naskh of 19 lines per page."]},"5c13cdb4-c7e6-5dcb-af04-c009378b92a9":{"name":"List of 49 men, women and children from the district of Chiavari (on the Italian cost, near Genoa) who were kept as slaves in Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers, in March 1816","short_description":"In 1771, Tunisian corsairs had kidnapped in this very district Gian Battista Raffo, a watchmaker who later fathered Giuseppe Raffo (1795-1862) who in turn served for several years as Tunisian Foreign Affairs Minister.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Genoa","dates":"23 March 1816","location":"Genoa","author":"Alfonso Assini","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"5c505fce-a478-511a-be3a-4ccea6c65fe1":{"name":"An illustrated copy of the *Shahnamah* of Firdawsi","short_description":"This copy of Firdawsi’s epic is richly illustrated with 62 paintings, most extending well beyond the rulings. Stylistically, the paintings are the work of at least four artists, but only three of them are signed by Kazim Quli, who is otherwise unrecorded.  \nAccording to the colophon on folio 541a, the copying of the text was completed on 14 September 1602. No patron is mentioned, but a note on folio 1a, written by the Mughal emperor Jahangir, mentions that the manuscript entered the Mughal royal library on 21 March 1609. The manuscript remained there until at least 25 April 1686, as attested by a number of inspection and transfer notes on folios 1a and 541b, written by librarians during the reigns of emperors Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Awrangzeb. A note on folio 1a, accompanied by the names of 3 witnesses, mentions that the manuscript was in Shikarpur on 10 September 1739, when it was given to a certain Haji ‘Abbas who was to hand it over to Sardar Mir Afdal Khan in Qandahar.","type":"Manuscript; *Shahnamah*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Friday, 27 Rabi‘ al-Awwal 1011 / AD 14 September 1602","location":"London","dimensions":"541 folios, 35 x 23.8cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the colophon and the notes written by Mughal emperors and officials within the Mughal royal library.","provenance":"Iran, probably Isfahan","obtention":"Formerly Hagop Kevorkian Collection.  \nSotheby’s, London, sale of 3 April 1978, Lot 162.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Iran","manuscript ornamentation","miniature","Paper","Safavid","watercolour"],"materials":["3 are signed by Kazim Quli","62 illustrations, in ink, opaque watercolour, gold and silver","Ink, gold and watercolour on paper","text in nasta‘liq, signed by ‘Alijan ibn Haydar Quli al-Harawi"]},"5d530e40-18f0-5e71-b689-999b1ed68ae4":{"name":"Medical prescription.","description":"A medical prescription written on paper using a simple *naskhi* script used in daily life. This prescription is attributed to Shams al-Din ibn al-'Afif, one of the most famous physicians practising during the reign of the Mamluk sultan, al-Ashraf Barsbay (r. AH 825–41 / AD 1422–37). The historian Ibn Iyas (d. AH 930 / AD 1524) mentions that al-'Afif was the most eminent doctor in Egypt, and that he was the head of Bimaristan (hospital) of Sultan Qalawun, in Egypt. In addition he was the personal physician to Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay, and also responsible for granting doctors authorisation to practice. It is important to note here, that the afflicted who resided in Egyptian hospitals during the Mamluk period underwent both social and medical care, for they were clothed and paid until their treatment was finished. There were *Awqaf* (Endowments) made out to these hospitals, the proceeds of which defrayed the costs incurred by these institutions.  \nThe prescription itself is describing a treatment for the celiac disease. And although there are some grammatical errors in the writing of the description it is readable as follows:  \n'*Praise be to the one God* ///  \n*A* \\[medicinal\\] *powder known as “Sufuf al-Kifaya” \\[complete in its treatment\\] from the diwan of ///*  \n*ibn al-'Afif, the head of the maristan of Egypt who said: Take /// a quarter cup of Qaraz \\[a pod-like fruit of* Acacia Nilotica*\\], the same \\[measure\\] of aniseed, the same \\[measure\\] of fennel,/// 2 ounces of Kirmani cumin, … an ounce of mahagony wood, /// an ounce of seed of clover dodder, an ounce of wormwood from al-Sham \\[Syria\\] and two ounces of almonds./// Roast the qaraz and fennel and grind and crush the remaining components. /// Put hem together and add 3 ounces of water of the sand \\[al-ramli\\] radish \\[to the mixture\\] /// and the same measure of the water of green fennel. The leaves /// of two bunches of sweet basil and the leaves of one bunch of mint, 3 ounces of the water of bearberry, /// then the leaves of a fresh chopped-up bunch of sweet myrtle /// and 3 ounces of celery water. /// Mix them together and add to the \\[medicinal\\] powder, then dry the mixture /// and continue this process until it has soaked up all the water. /// Then add a quarter of a ratl \\[a measure, 449.28 g in Egypt today\\] of white sugar /// and take it in the morning and evening. This is good /// for the celiac disease.'*  \nThe latest scientific studies in nutrition indicate that some foods might cause illnesses, which can lead to death. One of these ailments is celiac disease. Those who are afflicted with this disease are not able to absorb wheat protein as a result of a disorder in the function of the intestines. If the sufferer does eat wheat or one of its by-products he or she may develop chronic diarrhoea and weight loss, ending, finally, in death. Doctors during the Mamluk period knew about this illness, and this prescription describes a treatment which modern science arrived at only very recently. Worth contemplating is the variety of herbs and plants that appear on this prescription which have a number of positive effects in the treatment of stomach ailments.","short_description":"This medical prescription describes a cure for a stomach ailment. It is attributed to Ibn al-‘Afif, the most eminent doctor of the Mamluk period and head of the Bimaristan (hospital) of Sultan Qalawun, where patients were provided with free medicine, clothes and an allowance as well as medical care until their treatment was finished","type":"Prescription, medication, paper","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 16 cm, width 10 cm.","method_for_datation":"This prescription is dated in accordance with historical sources with regard to Doctor Ibn al-‘Afif, which mentions that in addition to the above, Ibn al-‘Afif treated Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay during the final days before his death in 841 / 1437 while he was suffering from a malady of the stomach.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance of this object was established based on the fact that the document was uncovered during the course of archaeological excavations in Fustat.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"This document was uncovered during archaeological excavations that took place in 1931 in the city of Fustat.","bibliography":"Ibn Iyas, Muhammad ibn Ahmad (d. 930 / 1524), *Bada'i al-Zuhur fi Waqa'i al-Duhur \\[The Wonders of Flowers in Events Through the Ages\\],* Cairo, 1894.  \nIbn Maymun (known as Maimonides), Musa ibn Abd Allah (1135–1204), *Sharh asma' al-'iqar \\[Explanation of the Names of Drugs\\], Cairo, 1940.*  \nMuhammad, Sobhi Eid, *“*Tathkara Tibiyya Nadira Min 'Asr Barsbay \\[A Rare Medical Prescription From The Time of Barsbay\\]” *in Majala Dirasat Athariyya \\[Journal of Archaeological Studies\\],* Vol.3, Cairo, 1988.  \nSaid, M. H., (ed., with translation), *Al-Biruni's Book on Pharmacy and Materia Medica,* 2 Vols. Karachi, 1973.  \nYusuf, M. M., \"Wa min al-Ghidha' ma Katal \\[And Some Food May Kill\\]*\",* in *Al-Ahram* Newspaper, 22 August 2003.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Salah Sayour","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Disease","ink","medicine","naskhi script","paper."],"materials":["Paper and black ink."]},"5d9c4672-e793-561a-835c-cda69931fe09":{"name":"*Hamsat al-Jami* (Five poems by Jami)","short_description":"This manuscript contains the *Hamsat al-Jami* (\"Five poems of Jami\") from 951 AH / 1544 AD. Maulana Nur ad-Din ʿAbd ar-Rahman was born in 817 AH / 1414 AD in Torbat-e Jam, which is why he is mostly referred to as Jami. During his roughly fifty years as a poet, Jami wrote countless famous works including the collection of poems in this manuscript as well as the *Haft Awrang* (\"Seven Thrones\"). Most of his poetic works are allegories to spirituality and religion, as Jami was a devout scholar of Sufism.  \nAs the name suggests the Hamsat al-Jami contains five poems by the name of Tuhfat al-ahrar (\"Gift of the Free\"), Subhat al-abrar (\"Rosary of the Pious\"), Yusuf u Zulaikha (\"Yusuf and Zulaikha\"), Laila wa Magnun (\"Layla and Majnun\"), and Iskandar-nama (\"History of Alexander the Great\").","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"5th of Muharram 951 AH / 29th of March 1544 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"280 x 190mm (182 x 110mm), 239 folios","method_for_datation":"The colophon (fol. 30a) indicates that the copying of the text was completed on the 5th of Muharram 951 AH / 29th of March 1544 AD.","method_for_provenance":"Duda compared the illustrations in the manuscript with other miniature paintings and came to the conclusion that the manuscript most likely originated from Bukhara. This hypothesis is based on the stylistic attributes of the illustrations which closely align with those known to have been produced by the Bukhara school of miniature painting.","provenance":"Most likely Bukhara","obtention":"There is a stamp of a previous owner that dates back to 1080 AH / 1669 AD. Due to the poor conditions of this stamp, the owner’s name could only partially be deciphered by Duda. Based on an older shelf mark, she suggests that the manuscript has been in Vienna since the 18th century. Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall first mentions the manuscript being in Vienna in 1811 and was most likely bought by him for the Imperial Court Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 22-25.  \nFlügel, Gustav, *Die arabischen, persischen und türkischen Handschriften der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hofbibliothek zu Wien*, vol. 1, Vienna: Verlag der K. K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1865: 565-567.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Mahmud b. Mirak ad-Dargazini","binding_desc":"The black lacquer binding on this manuscript closes with a flap. On the spine of the flap there are verses written in gold starting with the words \"in hamsa\", therefore relating directly to the text of the manuscript. Because of this relation between the text and the binding it can safely be assumed that the binding was manufactured explicitly for this manuscript.  \nThe binding is decorated with floral motifs and golden ornamental medallions. The doublures of the manuscript are made out of brown leather and decorated with blue medallions.  \nThe binding is rather fragile and parts of the painted lacquer have chipped off.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410982","author":"Leonie Fernsebner, Suzanne Compagnon, Markus Ritter","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Hamsat al-Jami","Jami"],"materials":["12 of which are fully","chapter headings are written in thuluth. The manuscript consists of 239 folios including 13 illustrations","Ink, coloured and gold pigment on paper. The text is written in nastaʿliq with four columns each with 17 lines"]},"5e053a64-1076-5c13-b2f5-a260eeae41de":{"name":"The court of Kayumars  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, recounts the history of all of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam. A large part of the poem focuses on prehistoric, legendary kings, some of whom ruled for hundreds of years and established man’s knowledge of everything from fire to weaving. According to Firdausi, the very idea of kingship originated with King Kayumars, who ruled for thirty years, overseeing a peaceable kingdom in which men wore leopard-skin robes and wild animals grew tame. In this utopia Kayumars had one secret enemy, the evil Ahriman, whose envy drove him to incite his own son, the Black Div, to murder Siyamak, the son of Kayumars. Before the assassination took place, the angel Surush warned Kayumars of Ahriman’s plot.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1524–1525","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Stuart Cary, *A King’s Book of King’s: The Shah-Nameh of Shah Tahmasp*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972. ISBN: 9780300192650.","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","Guymars","Kayumars","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"5eedbbb5-d4fb-57a8-ae2f-5c2682f16249":{"name":"Document regarding slavery and piracy","short_description":"This document is written in Arabic on two sheets of parchment. The page on the right dates to 1842 and contains Ahmed Pacha Bey's correspondence regarding the end of the slave markets, whilst the page on the left dates to 1846 and deals with the abolition of the slave trade.  Length: 30 cm. Width: 40 cm.","type":"Historic manuscript; document","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"1863","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Ahmed Pacha Bey","abolition of slavery"],"materials":["Paper"]},"5ff60937-5e79-50fd-9f4b-b979480be0f5":{"name":"*A Youth with a Lion* Folio from an album","short_description":"The depicted scene takes place in a garden of a Persian Shah or a lord. Only the upper elite of Iranian society could afford keeping large predatory felines in their gardens. The young man's headdress fits the AD mid-17th century Safavid fashion.  \nThe author of the painting is Afzal al-Husayni (also named Mir Afzal Tuni, Afzal), a younger contemporary and follower of Reza Abbasi. Known primarily as the master of erotic drawing, Afzal preferred to depict the leisure of the Persian aristocracy: young men or love scenes in the garden. In addition to the artistic manner, the author is also indicated by an inscription in the bottom right of the folio that reads: “He! On the first day of the month of Jumat the Second of year 1056, the drawing of the most humble Afzal al-Husayni was completed”.  \nSince the late 16th century the Iranian miniature has acquired the role of an independent piece of art. The prestige of the artist's work and his creative and economic freedom was growing, and it became much easier to make a living on producing single page works than on illustrating a whole book. Separate paintings as well as calligraphic folios with poems constituted *murakka* albums, reflecting the aesthetic and intellectual demand of wealthy collectors.","type":"Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","owner":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 1646","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Height: 16.3cm, Width: 19.9cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis and inscription reading by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date), L. Guzalian (examination, 1953, date specified).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927). Old Museum Inventory Register (1925-1946).","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R. (ed), *Safavid Art and Architecture*, London: British Museum Press, 2002.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","workshop":"Isfahan school","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Afzal al-Husayni","calligraphy","Iran","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold and ink on paper"]},"6177d6e0-4105-5c92-a2c3-cf308dc051e6":{"name":"\"Alexander Fights a Sea Battle\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"In the episode illustrated, Alexander the Great has ordered the construction of a tall tower surmounted by a revolving mirror in order to battle the pirates menacing the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonists appear as contemporary Indians wearing turbans and tunics, rather than ancient Greeks, and one of the fighters uses a gun, an invention from nearly two millennia after Alexander’s time.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1005-6 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8 cm, width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\"in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89)  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.*. Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, 2001.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446566","materials":["Main support: Ink, opaque watercolour, gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper"]},"61c3680d-7e1f-5627-a43b-1ebb99008f0e":{"name":"Folio with two miniatures from Persian translation of 'The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence' by Zakaria Qazwini","short_description":"A folio from Persian translation of a popular cosmography treatise \"The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence\" by Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Qazwini. The book, written in AD 13th century, covers the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history, in a mixture of science and superstition. Both sides of the folio are embellished with miniatures featuring fruit-bearing trees.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 11.5cm, Width: 11.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Berlekamp, Persis, *Wonder, Image, and Cosmos in Medieval Islam*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nNewman, Andrew (ed), *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period*, Leiden: Brill, 2003.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Iran","manuscript","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Paints and ink on paper"]},"61e3f563-8d0b-554f-837e-efc244795bf1":{"name":"Qur’anic illumination.","description":"The right-hand page has the illumination, which is framed inside a gilt rectangle. The central decoration has two concave diamond shapes with a gilt background marked with brown lines framing stylised multi-lobed fleurons. The decoration is surrounded on each side by six triangles containing similar floral motifs. The whole illumination is separated by strips on a white background dotted with brown markings and divided by gilt segments.  \nThe left-hand page contains black *kufic* script. Vowels are marked by red dots and the *hamza* is shown with a green dot, as in the Abi al-Aswad system. The end of the verse is indicated by a triangle of three gilt dots. The end of the fifth verse is marked by a gilt medallion.  \nThe title of the *sura*, with the number of its verses, is indicated on the same line by a gilt *kufic* inscription with brown edges which terminates in a palm-leaf motif pointing towards the left-hand margin.","short_description":"The illumination, in a gold rectangular frame on the right-hand page, has two concave lozenges in its centre, gilded at the bottom and peppered with brown lines.  \nThe left-hand page is written in black *kufic* script with the title of the *sura* and the number of verses given in golden *kufic* script.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"The Qur’an was part of a legacy (*habus*) left to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by Fadhl Mawlat Abi Ayub.","dates":"Hegira 295 / AD 907.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Oblong, 9 cm x 12 cm; 2 pages.","method_for_datation":"The colophon of the Qur'an includes the Act of Mortmain (*Tahbis*) dated 295 / 907.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was copied and left to the Great Mosque of Kairouan by a woman who appears to be Kairouanese. It was probably copied in Kairouan itself which was a great centre of book production at the time.","provenance":"Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, the National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967. In 1983 it went back to Kairouan, to the Centre of the Islamic Arts and Civilisation of Raqqada. It has been displayed at the Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art since 1986.","bibliography":"*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","dynasty":"Aghlabid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"620147b9-073c-55b0-9874-1ee32624af18":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Two books of this multi-volume Qur'an, of which pages 100 and 101 of book II are shown here, are the only ones kept in the Rabat National Library. On almost square pages, they are both in Maghrebi *kufic* script in brown ink on parchment. Although in the same style, the calligraphy in the two volumes is not the same, suggesting the work of two copyists. However, judging from the thickness of the lines, the roundness in the angles of the letters and the depth of the curves, the two styles belong to the same period and to the same Qur'an. *Kufic* script in the West started to differ from the oriental style in the second half of the AH 3rd / AD 9th century, evolving towards a style known as Maghrebi, which reached maturity two centuries later. This type of writing, which continued to obey Abu al-Aswad's archaic system of vocalisation, has no diacritical marks. Only the short vowels are represented (*fatha*, the letter A ; *damma*, the letter O, red dots over the line), *kasra* (the letter I, red dot under the line), and *shedda* (indicating the duplication of the letter) which today is written like a lower case *w*. The yellow and green round dots denote the vocal attack.  \nIn this Qur'an, the titles of the suras lack any specific decoration. Only small golden rosettes framed by little dots, alternately blue and red, mark the separation between the verses, whereas the big rosettes, delicately adorned, embellish the verses in groups of ten. The written forms found in this specimen could link it to Zirid Qur'ans. Some very regular small punched holes in the upper margin of every page, where the word *habus* appears, prove that this book was brought as a pious offering to a shrine, probably in Fez.","short_description":"This Qur'an transcribed on parchment was offered as a pious gift to a shrine. The square format and the archaic *kufic* script with its rounded angles are characteristic of the Maghrebi calligraphy of the period. The red dots and golden rosettes mark the vowels and the separation of the verses.","type":"Qur'an, parchment, manuscript","holder":"National Library.","initial_owner":"*Habus* or *waqf* endowment.","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th centuries / AD 9th–10th centuries.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 42 cm, length 36 cm.","method_for_datation":"Format and stylistic analysis of the script: archaic *kufic* style, codified for the system of vocalisation devised by Abu al-Aswad ad Du'ali (68 / 688) and adopted in the Muslim world from the 2nd–3rd / 8th–9th centuries. The calligraphy in these two volumes of the Qur'an is similar to the Western variant, known as Maghrebi.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an is thought to be from Fez, as the town was the Idrisid capital and home of the Qarawiyyin university.","provenance":"Fez (?).","bibliography":"Allouche, I. S. and al-Rajrari, A., *Fahras al-makhtoutat al-arabiya al mahfouda fi'al khisana ai-amma bi Ribat al-Fath* (inventory of Arabic manuscripts kept at the General Library of Rabat), 2 volumes (1921–53), Paris, 1958.  \nAl-Rassy, J. et Varichon A., *De l'empire romain aux villes impériales: 6000 ans d'art au Maroc* (catalogue), Paris, 1990.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui, L., *Les bibliothèques du Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc: les trésors du royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, pp.108–9.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.182–3.","dynasty":"Idrisid","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001; IAM_TN_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","religious manuscript","religious object"],"materials":["Parchment, brown ink."]},"6204d094-907f-5ef3-b378-936a43e07247":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","short_description":"These images show events that took place on the Golden Horn on the evening of the third day. In them, we see the sultan seated in a tent on the Arsenal Palace quay surrounded by attendants. Two rafts are floating by. The one at the right, of which we can only see a part but appears to be a platform mounted on a pair of caiques, was donated by Yeğen Mehmed Pasha, Superintendent of the Customs Office. The figures of two rams suspended on gears and pulleys from the roof butt one another. This is following a real raft on which are set two gigantic dummies that face backwards and are dressed in Persian garb. At the front of the raft is a huge wheel of fireworks that one of the pyrotechnicists is causing to revolve. Its supporting frame is surmounted by a fire-spewing bird and rockets hurtle this way and that.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"The book's dimension: 20x38 cm","provenance":"Istanbul","artist_birthdate":"Late 17th century","artist_birthplace":"Edirne","artist_deathdate":"1732","artist_deathplace":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Levni","miniature","entertainment","Dance"],"materials":["Miniature; illustrated"]},"63a0f023-76ca-5378-a69c-036e6ca9862e":{"name":"*Divan-ı Hafız* by Şemşeddin Muhammed Hafız Şirazi","description":"The miniature depicts a social gathering for entertainment. A servant offers a plate of pomegranates to the individual seated on the carpet in the centre, who is accompanied by a beautiful young boy clapping his hands and reciting a *ghazal* (love poem) to the accompaniment of musicians.","type":"Book","holder":"Konya Mevlana Museum","dates":"AH 958/AD 1560","location":"Konya","dynasty":"Ottoman (AH 698–1340/AD 1299-1922)","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"647040db-954c-553c-b7b9-c7c2901d4516":{"name":"Album of calligraphies including poetry and prophetic traditions (*hadith*)","short_description":"This album contains samples written by one of the most celebrated Turkish calligraphers, Shaikh Hamdullah (d. 1519), who developed the *naskhi* and *thuluth* styles from masters of the past to suit Ottoman taste. These pages, which show control, exactitude, and gentle flow, but also exaggeration of some letters to create a lively rhythmic pattern, demonstrate the calligrapher’s mature phase. The text comes from the hadith, the compilation of the Prophet Muhammad's words and deeds that is an important source for moral and legal guidance in the Islamic tradition. On each page, several lines of a small script (*naskhi*) are framed by one or two lines in a larger script (*thuluth* or *muhaqqaq*) and then pasted onto sheets of marbleized paper, which developed in Turkey and came to be much favored for calligraphic works.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 905 / AD c. 1500","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 32.1cm, W: 23.8cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982  \nCalligrapher: Shaikh Hamdullah ibn Mustafa Dede, (d. 1520)  \nVendor: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA  \nFormer owner: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA (until 1982; sold to MMA)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin, *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington DC: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987: 44ff.  \nDerman, M. Ugur.,*Letters in Gold. Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Collection, Istanbul*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998: 29–30, 46–47.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 292–93, no. 204, ill. 293 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 46–47, no. 7, ill.  \nHaidar, Navina,\"Visual Splendour: Embellished Pages from the Metropolitan Museum 's Collection of Islamic and Indian Manuscripts\", *Arts of Asia*, 42 (2012): 112–13, ill. fig. 9 (colour).  \nRaby, Julian and Tanindi, Zeren, *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century. The Foundation of an Ottoman Court Style*, London: Azimuth editions, 1993: 96–100.  \nRogers, J. M., *Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Collection of Nasser D. Khalili*, London: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva, 1995: 162, 233–35, no. nos. 161, ill. pls. 161, 162.  \nRoxburgh, David J., *The Persian Album, 1400–1600. From Dispersal to Collection*, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2005.  \nSafwat, Nabil F., *The Harmony of Letters*, Kuwait: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1997: 20, 62–63, ill. (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 21, ill. fig. 26 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 40 (1982–1983): 10, ill. (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 123, ill. fig. 93 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, Schimmel, Annemarie, Swietochowski, Marie Lukens and Thackston, Wheeler M., *The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: esp. pp. 23ff. Album making in the Mughal period.","dynasty":"Ottoman","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982","keywords":["Arabic inscription","Basmala","binding","calligrapher","calligraphy","craftsmanship","gold","Hadith","ink","inscription","Istanbul","leather","leather binding","manuscript","marbling","nashki","Ottoman","Ottoman Calligraphy","Paper","poetry","Prophet Muhammad","Thuluth","Turkey","watercolor"],"materials":["Main support: ink, watercolour, and gold on paper. Margins: ink, watercolour and gold","marbled paper. Binding: leather and gold."]},"649d4fc6-efad-5c54-848f-c9739373ad0f":{"name":"*The Elephant Clock*, folio from a *Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by al-Jazari","short_description":"This folio comes from a treatise on fantastic devices invented by the author Isma‘il al-Jazari. His elephant clock was especially intricate: every half hour, the bird on the dome whistled, the man below dropped a ball into the dragon’s mouth, and the driver hit the elephant with his goad. This automaton is reminiscent of the elaborate clocks found on medieval town halls in Europe, which made the passage of time more entertaining through the performance of the moving figures. The folio is a rare survival from Syria, where few such manuscripts from this date are known.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 30cm, W: 19.7cm; Mat: H: 48.9cm, W: 36.2cm; Frame: H: 51.4cm, W: 38.7cm","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif  \nAuthor: Badi' al-Zaman ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari, 1136–1206  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (by 1932–d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art, New York. The Iranian Institute*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: no. Gallery VII; case 72G, 190.  \nAtil, Esin, *Art of the Arab World*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1975.  \nAtil, Esin, *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981: 255–57.  \nBernus-Taylor, Marthe, *L'Etrange et le Merveilleux en Terres d'Islam. Musée du Louvre 23 avril–23 juillet 2001*, Paris: Musée du Louvre, 2001.  \nCampbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 133, ill. (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 227–335, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 143–45, no. 92, ill. 144 (colour).  \nRoxburgh, David J. (ed), *Turks. A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600*, London, New York: Royal Academy of Arts, 2005.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/2 (Autumn 1978): 4–5, ill. 5 (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 50–51, ill. fig. 35 (colour).","dynasty":"Mamluk","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Arabic inscription","Clock","Elephant","engineering","gold","ink","Mamluk","manuscript","measuring instrument","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","scientific object","Syria","timekeeping","treatise"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"66dee6a2-095c-5e95-9ab7-3051179223bf":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’).","description":"The work is written in Turkish with large *naskhi* script in black ink on 90 leaves of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper. Within are 55 miniatures depicting subjects in the text, some of them one to a page and some two. On pages 1b–2a two round medallions carry an inscription stating the work's subject and saying that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95). The text is written 37 lines to a page; the titles and chapter headings are gilded. Their illumination features floral compositions with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired motifs (*hatayi-*style), while that of the first two pages' medallions includes large floral motifs (*halkar*\\-style).  \n  \nThe work's dark-green cover is lacquered using a technique known as *Edirnekari*. The outer covers are richly decorated with gold and silver in floral compositions, while the inner covers feature medallions, pendants and corner-pieces. The binding is not original.  \n  \nThe work, which was written by the court panegyrist (*Şehnameci*) Sayyid Loqman Aşuri, consists of two main sections. The first begins with the universe and the signs of the zodiac and continues with stories taken from the Torah, the New Testament, and the Qur'an which tell of the lives of prophets and those who rendered service to the faith. These are illustrated with paintings. The first part ends with genealogical trees of the Prophet Muhammad, the Four Orthodox Caliphs, and the sultans and high officials of Muslim dynasties such as the Umayyads, the 'Abbasids, the early Islamic period, the Ghaznawids, the Ilkhanids, the Seljuqs and the Timurids. The second part opens with Sultan Osman, the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, and goes up to Sultan Murad III, with 12 portraits of Ottoman sultans. It ends with descriptions of the political events of these sultans' reigns.  \n  \nThis work was made for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III, and the quality of its paintings, its binding and its calligraphy make it one of the greatest works of Ottoman art created for a sultan.","short_description":"This manuscript includes stories of the prophets, the birth of Islam and histories of Muslim states. It was written on the order of Sultan Murad III by the historian Sayyid Lokman and illuminated by famous *naqqash* (painters) Molla Kasım and Ustad Osman. It is a unique work of Ottoman art.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, paper, ink, leather binding, lacquered","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira 993 / AD 1583.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 64.7 cm, width 41.3 cm.","method_for_datation":"It is stated on the work that it was prepared for the Treasury of Sultan Murad III (r. 982–1003 / 1574–95) in 993 (1583).","method_for_provenance":"The work was almost certainly written in Istanbul by order of the Sultan.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum in 1915 from the Library of the complex in Aksaray (Istanbul) founded by the wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz ('Abd al-'Aziz) I, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Zübdetü't Tevarih, Sultan III. Murad için Hazırlanan bir Şehname”, P. *Art, Culture, Antique*, 3, 1996, pp.17–37.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.42, pl. 19A–E; pp.52–6.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.272–5.  \n  \nRenda, G., “New Light on the Painters of the Zubdat at Tawarikh in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul”, *Fourth International Congress of Turkish Art,* University of Provence, 1976, pp.183–207.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Edirnekari technique","gilding","ink","lacquer","painting","Paper","watercolour","zodiac"],"materials":["Delicate finished (aharlı) paper, ink, watercolour, gilding, the binding lacquered (Edirnekari technique)."]},"66ef3821-0608-5a20-9446-662a31c4e610":{"name":"*Divan-ı* Ali Şir Nevai (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"This copy of Ali Şîr Nevâî's *Divan*, a collection of poems written under his pseudonym, Fânî, is dated Hegira 943 / AD 1536–1537, and is signed by Mir Ali al-Bukhârî. It is written in Chagatai Turkish in *Nastaliq* calligraphy in two columns on papers of various colours with different patterns and *zerefşan* (gold leaf).  \nOn page 1a is a text written in a circular medallion with superscript text. This states that the work was prepared for Abdülazîz Khan, b. Ubeydullah Khan, one of the rulers of the Shaybânî Dynasty, an Islamic dynasty that ruled in Mâverâünnehir, Khârezm and Khorasan. At the top of the same page is the seal of Sultan Mahmud I's foundation, and below it is the seal of Derviş Mustafa Efendi, inspector of Evkaf. On the following facing pages is a scene of entertainment in the countryside. The title page is decorated with floral and geometric motifs. There are a total of eight miniatures in the work.  \nThe binding comprises two covers, the outer of which is leather over cardboard. It is decorated with Chinese clouds and various floral motifs on a gilt ground. The inner cover is made of brown leather, and the backgrounds of borders, corners, and edges of panels are navy blue. These sections with navy blue grounds are decorated with floral motifs obtained by the *kat’ı* (paper cutting) technique.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 943/AD 1536–1537","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"30cm x 17cm","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from the Mahmud I Library on 13 April 1914.","dynasty":"Shaybanids","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, gilding, leather binding"]},"6727ef2a-3a08-5d1f-a254-abd5bdf97f5f":{"name":"Isfandiyar’s second exploit: he kills two lions  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Recounting the story of Iran from mythical times through to the arrival of the Muslim Arabs in the mid-7th century AD, the epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) was originally completed in 1010 by the poet Firdausi. These dramatic scenes centering on Isfandiyar, son of King Gushtasp, were included in a 1341 Shahnameh that is now dispersed. The story of Isfandiyar’s exploits recalls the seven trials that the great hero Rustam underwent in his quest to liberate King Kay Kavus from captivity in a much earlier Shahnameh story. Isfandiyar endured his labours en route to rescuing his two sisters, who were captured during the ongoing war between Iran and Turan. Isfandiyar decided to take the shortest but most dangerous route to the Brazen Hold, the Turanian fortress made of brass where his sisters were imprisoned.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"741 AH / 1341","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"35.3 x 28cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Simpson, Marianna Shreve, “A Reconstruction and Preliminary Account of the 1341 Shahnama, With Some Further Thoughts on Early Shahnama Illustration,” in Robert Hillenbrand (ed), *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars*, London / New York: I.B. Tauris Publishers, 2000: 217­–47. ISBN: 9781850436591.","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["folio","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"672e5d81-e294-5bdc-9691-e88fb689a760":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"The Fatiha *sura* ('the Opening', verses 1 and 2), taken from a Qur'an copied on parchment.  \nThe writing combines the *kufic, naskhi* and the *rayhani* styles. Its identity has still not been well established. The laying out of the cursive script is more rectangular than curved.  \nVowel-points are absent from this writing, but, in keeping with the system developed by al-Khalil ibn Ahmad, there is an abundance of orthographic signs. Vowels are marked in red, *sukun* and *shadda* in blue and *hamza* and *maddah* in brilliant green.  \nStanding out on this page is a strip containing the title and number of verses in the following *sura*, written in gold.  \nThe title is inscribed in a series of superimposed frames in which geometric decoration alternates with floral decoration using the multi-lobed fleuron. Some strips are engraved in gold and all the surrounds are brown. A palm-leaf motif made up of floral arabesques projects towards the edge of the page.  \nAt the top of the page in the right-hand margin there is a geometrically decorated gold and brown lozenge; the corners each have a crown in the same colour and the sides have blue and brown circles on the outer edge.  \nThe central area contains gilded *kufic* script indicating the number of the verses.","short_description":"This page is from a Qur'an copied on vellum. Bands of geometric decoration with the name of the *sura* and the number of verses it contains, in gold, are particularly distinctive. The colophon of the Qur'an mentions the deed of gift by the governess of Prince Badis to the Great Mosque of Kairouan.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"Fatima al-Hadinah, governess to the Zirid prince, Badis.","dates":"Hegira 410 / AD 1020.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 45.5 cm, width 31 cm; 5 lines, 1 folio.","method_for_datation":"The deed of gift clearly mentions that the legacy took place in 410 / 1020.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was copied, illuminated and bound by Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq for Fatima al-Hadinah, the governess of the Zirid prince, Badis. The work was supervised and financed by Durah al-Katibah – 'Durah the lady-scribe', the governess's secretary. The colophon of the Qur'an mentions the deed of gift by Badis's governess to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The deed is authorised by the *qadi* (judge) of Kairouan, Abdullah ibn Hashim.","provenance":"Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, this Qur'an was obtained by the Bardo Museum. In 1986 it was transferred to the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada where it is currently on display.","bibliography":"Lings, M., and Safadi, Y.-H., *The Arts of Islam* (exhibition catalogue), London, 1976, p.30, plate no. 25.  \n*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), Paris, 1982, p.273, plate no. 357.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.175–6.","dynasty":"Fatimid-Zirid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometric decoration","religious manuscript","rihani"],"materials":["Parchment."]},"67ae5352-aaad-57a1-9050-4df90cfc07e6":{"name":"*Suz u gudaz* (‘Burning and Melting’)","short_description":"*Suz u gudaz* (‘Burning and Melting’) is a romance, an allegorical poem that tells of the soul’s yearning for God through the story of a Hindu woman who, following the custom known as *sati*, ended her life on her husband’s funeral pyre. The poet Muhammad Riza, known as Naw‘i (d.1619), was born in Khabushan in north-eastern Iran, but later travelled to India where he composed the poem for Prince Daniyal, son of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605). The three paintings shown here depict the worship of fire, the young man telling his father of his beloved, and the two lovers seated in a garden with an attendant standing nearby.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira mid 11th century / AD mid 17th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"24.6 x 14.5 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_268/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"681543eb-7d4b-5d8f-91c4-bdb708f84dc9":{"name":"Qazwini, Zakariya Ibn-Muhammad al-, Tuhfatu i-Gharaʾib (ʿAjaʾibu i-Mahluqat wa Gharaʾibu i-Mawjudat) (The Gift of Oddities)","short_description":"This manuscript is a Persian copy of Zakariya Ibn-Muhammad al-Qazwini’s (1203-1283) Arabic original “Tuhfatu i-Gharaʾib” (“The Gift of Oddities”) calligraphed by the scribe Pir Husain al-Katib. This copy can be localised in Shiraz and was inspired by the Herati style however it also reflects Turkmen and Safavid styles as well. The date 1492 is mentioned in the colophon and soon after its production, it is likely that it came into the collection of Shah Tahmasp (1514-1576), whose seal can be found within. The manuscript has richly embellished double opening pages situated within a decorative blue and gold colour scheme interspersed with floral scrolls and colourful buds and flowers. There are 204 illustrations scattered across various pages of the manuscript showing constellations, zodiacal signs, celestial symbols, animals, and fantastical creatures, among other depictions. These paintings mostly occupy a small section of the text area, and often protrude into the empty margins that surround the written text. There are occasional colour abrasions in the illustrations, as well as some miniatures having been painted over in the early Safavid period, but they are mostly well-preserved.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH  897 / 1492 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"240 x 170mm (text area 145 x 95mm). ff. I, I*, 310.","place_of_production":"Possibly Shiraz","method_for_provenance":"Seal of Tahmasp I. (1514–1576). This object is presumably from the collection of Jakob von Wallenburg (d. 1806). It was also part of the collection of Graf Wenceslaus von Rzewuski (d. 1831), after which it entered the collection of Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (d. 1856; his seal is on f. 310b).","provenance":"Possibly Tabriz","obtention":"Entered the Austrian National Library in 1842.","bibliography":"Déroche, François, *Islamic codicology. An introduction to the study of manuscripts in Arabic script (102)*, London: Al-Furqan publications, 2006: 238.  \nDuda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 76–82.  \nFingernagel, Andreas (ed), *Juden, Christen und Muslime. Interkultureller Dialog in alten Schriften. Ausstellungskatalog (Wien, ÖNB, Prunksaal, 7. 5. 2010 bis 7. 11. 2010)*, Vienna: Kremayr & Scheriau, 2010: 219 f., fig. 26.  \nRührdanz, Karin, “Illustrated Persian 'Aja'ib al-makhluqat manuscripts and their function in early modern times”, *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Times. Studies on Iran in the Safavid period* (2003): 33-47.  \nRührdanz, Karin, “Der Text über die Dämonen und seine Illustrationen in 'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat-Handschriften vom 14.-17. Jahrhundert”, in Anna Parzymies (ed), *Studies in Oriental Art in Honour of Professor Tadeusz Majda*, Warsaw: Dialog, 2006: 269-284.","dynasty":"Turkmen and Safavid","scriber":"Pir Husain al-Katib","binding_desc":"The dark brown leather binding with a renewed green flap was likely produced in early 16th-century Tabriz, and restored in 1921 in Vienna. The front and back cover include a cut-out medallion with corner pieces created as recessed leather inlays with gold relief stamping. From a central rosette, a flower tendril extends upwards and downwards in an S-shape. Within, four symmetrically arranged cranes or herons are depicted in mid-flight. The extensions directly above and below attached to the central medallion include a seated hare. The spine, which has been renewed, has three cartouches with gold-stamped leather inlay, showing floral tendrils ending in animal heads. The leather doublures also show a cut-out medallion design containing delicate arabesque leather filigree on a blue ground, with golden contour lines.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14413879","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Creation","illumination","miniature","nasta’liq","wonders"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in 16 lines per page. Thuluth headings in blue, red and gold (Persian)."]},"68ecd47c-38f6-579b-9162-d8283100397d":{"name":"*Siyer-i Nebi* (‘Biography of the Prophet’).","description":"The work is written in Turkish on delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper using 13 lines per page of large *naskhi* script. The text is written within gilded margins in black ink; proper names are written in red ink. The areas between the lines of text are filled with gilding whose edges are traced in black. The six-volume *Siyer-i Nebi* or 'Biography of the Prophet' tells of the life of the Prophet Muhammad and of the history of Islam up until his death. The volume in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is a copy of the fourth volume and has 545 folios. A total of 193 miniatures depict the subjects within. The first page, an illuminated title page, is decorated with gilding. On those pages with miniatures, the painting is situated between the top and bottom two lines of text. The volume's brown leather binding is adorned with an oval medallion with palmette pendants and corner-pieces.  \n  \nThe fourth volume begins with the birth of the Prophet's daughter, Fatima, and goes on to describe her marriage to 'Ali; the miracles of Muhammad; the love of Talha and Gamza; tales of heroic Muslim women; the preparation for the battle of Badr and the battle itself; Muhammad's wounding at the battle of Uhud; the death of the Prophet's uncle Hamza; the distribution of the spoils of war; the story of Ka'b and his daughter; and the killing of the Muslims' enemy, Sufyan ibn Khalid.  \n  \n*Siyer-i Nebi* was prepared in six volumes by the palace atelier at the behest of Sultan Murad III in the AH 10th / AD 16th century. Today one volume is lost, while the others are dispersed in libraries around the world. The manuscript in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is a copy (made in the AH 11th- / AD 17th-century) of a manuscript of the fourth volume of *Siyer-i Nebi* in the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, (T. 419). The miniatures are stylistically typical of the period.","short_description":"This AH 11th- / AD 17th-century copy of *Siyer-i Nebi*, literally 'Life of the Prophet', has an important place in Ottoman art not only because of subject but also because of its binding, the figurative style of its miniatures, and its architectural compositions.","type":"Manuscript, miniature, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The original owner is unknown, but a seal belonging to the wife of Sultan Mahmud II, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. AH 1300 /AD 1883; queen mother from AH 1277–92 / AD 1861–76), bearing the date AH 1279 / AD 1862–63, is found on pages 1a and 545a.","dates":"mid hegira 11th century / AD 17th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 38 cm, width 26 cm.","method_for_datation":"The style of the miniatures is characteristic of the 11th / 17th century.","method_for_provenance":"Manuscripts of this quality and cost can only have been made in the palace atelier.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The manuscript was transferred to the Museum in 1334 / 1916 from the library of the complex in Aksaray (Istanbul) founded by the wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz I ('Abd al-'Aziz), Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. AH 1300 /AD 1883; queen mother from AH 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","bibliography":"çığ, K., “Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi'ndeki Minyatürlü Kitapların Kataloğu”, *Şarkiyat Mecmuası*, III (1959), pp.51–90.  \n  \nTanındı, Z., *Siyer-i Nebi. İslam Resim Sanatında Hazreti Muhammed'in Hayatı*, Istanbul 1984, pp.156–9.  \n  \nölçer, N., *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art,* Istanbul, 2002, pp.292–5.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["gilding","ink","lacquer","leather (binding) painting","Paper","watercolour"],"materials":["Finished (aharlı) paper, black ink, watercolour, gilding, leather (binding)."]},"690ddb14-8419-58b9-8cc0-666d98a20849":{"name":"Abu Mansur Muwaffaq ibn 'Ali al-Harawi, *Kitab al-Abniya 'an haqa'iq ad-adwiya* ('The Book of Fundamentals on the True Nature of Remedies')","short_description":"This is the oldest known surviving Islamic manuscript in the Persian language. It is a copy of the 10th-century writer Abu Mansur Muwaffaq ibn 'Ali al-Harawi’s so-called *Kitab al-Abniya 'an haqa'iq ad-adwiya* (‘The Book of Fundamentals on the True Nature of Remedies’), the content of which he attributes to the Samanid writer Mansur b. Nuh around 350-365 AH / 961-976 AD. According to the colophon, this manuscript was written in monumental calligraphic angular (*kufic*) script by 'Ali b. Ahmad al-Asadi at-Tusi Ash-Shatr in 447 AH / 1055-56 AD, possibly in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan. This writer was also a poet who wrote the heroic epic entitled *Garshaspnama*, which was based on the famous ‘Book of Kings’ (*Shahnama*). The copy is dedicated to an *ar-ra'is al-jalil al-amjad* Abu'l-Qasim. In the margins, Turkish glosses from a later time reveal the manuscript’s stay in Turkey after which it can be traced to the inventory of the Austrian National Library in 1811.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"447 AH / 1055-1056 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"190x150mm (135x115mm), ff. II, II*, 219 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Nakhichivan, Azerbaijan","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 447 AH / 1055-1056 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, a dedication to a certain *ar-ra'is al-jalil al-amjad* Abu'l-Qasim was added, while the work itself is attributed to the Samanid writer Mansur b. Nuh (350-365 AH / 961-976 AD). Later Turkish marginal glosses prove the manuscript's stay in Turkey.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library before 1811.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 51-52.","dynasty":"Possibly Seljuk","binding_desc":"The brown neo-classical leather binding with gold printing was created in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/111CE4F9","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","kufic","remedy"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic cursive angular script kufic of 13 lines per page."]},"69bdb01a-4161-5c8b-8079-4bbee1cbfb1d":{"name":"*Noah’s Ark*","short_description":"Timur’s son Shah Rukh (r. AH 808-851 / AD 1405-1447) ordered the historian Hafiz-i Abru to write a continuation of Rashid al-Din’s famous history of the world, Jami al-tawarikh. Like the Il-Khanids, the Timurids were concerned with legitimizing their right to rule, and Hafiz-i Abru’s “A Collection of Histories” covers a period that included the time of Shah Rukh himself.  \n  \nThe style of the manuscript’s miniatures is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, but the scene on the stormy sea is quite dramatic, with the fluttering sail, the ark breaking out of the picture frame and the swollen bodies. The animals that are to populate the earth are rendered both humorously and fairly realistically.","type":"Miniature from Hafiz-i Abru’s *Majma' al-tawarikh*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH c. 828 / AD c. 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.3cm × 32.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, 4/10-1936, 2. Session, lot 191.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. no. 23.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat. no. 18.  \n  \nGhiasian, Mohamad Reza, *Lives of the Prophets: the illustrations to Hafiz-i Abru's \"Assembly of Chronicles\"*, Leiden: Brill 2018: cat.no. 2.2, 141.  \n  \nRohr, C., ”Sintflutdarstellungen: ein transkultureller Mythos durch Zeiten und Räume” in G. J. Schenk et al. (ed.), *Mensch - Natur – Katastrophe von Atlantis bis Heute*, Mannheim: Schnell & Steiner, 2014: fig. 4.","dynasty":"Timurids","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Jami al-tawarikh","Noah's Ark","painting"],"materials":["Pigments"]},"6a2ad1b6-4e61-5b64-aa4c-e23e31a8188c":{"name":"*Sübhatü'l Ebrar* by Molla Camii","description":"Molla Camii was a poet and scientist of the Naqshbandi order who was born and raised in Samarkand during the Timuri period (1414–1492). He was a highly renowned figure during his lifetime, and was frequently invited by the Ottoman sultans.  \nIn this miniature Prophet Abraham and a fire-worshipping priest are depicted. Prophet Abraham informs the pagan priest that he can invite him to his table only if the priest accepts Islam. The elderly priest, declaring that he would not alter his beliefs for a mere morsel of bread, rises from the table and departs. At this point, a voice from the heavens is heard saying it is unjust to compel an elderly man to leave the table hungry, regardless of his beliefs. Prophet Abraham then realises his error and invites the priest back to the table. The priest, after being invited a subsequent time, becomes a believer upon being told what had happened.  \nIn the miniature, Prophet Abraham's head is haloed and his face is veiled. He points to the food, indicating that the priest should join him.","type":"Book","holder":"Konya Mevlana Museum","dates":"AH 943/AD 1537","location":"Konya","dynasty":"Ottoman (AH 698–1340/AD 1299-1922)","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["finished (aharlı) paper, ink, leather binding"]},"6a7f88ad-e38f-5e65-b83b-d07699dcfcd7":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’)","short_description":"Muslims consider the Qur’an the third and final portion of God’s revelation to mankind: it completes, but does not supplant, God’s earlier revelations to the Jews and Christians. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments are therefore also prophets in Islam. This manuscript is a history of the world beginning with Adam and ending with the Ottoman sultans of the sixteenth century. It includes depictions of various prophets common to all three religions (such as Abraham and Ishmael), as well as specifically Islamic prophets (such as Alexander and Khizr). The manuscript ends with a depiction of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), during whose reign the manuscript was produced. Each prophet or sultan is identified by an inscription.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira after 991 / AD 1583","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_414/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","Edirnekari technique","gilding","illumination","Illustration","ink","lacquer","miniature painting","painting","Paper","script","watercolour","zodiac"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6cac4f71-4c6d-5af5-91b7-33d7f396babe":{"name":"*Iyar-i Danish* (‘Touchstone of Wisdom’)","short_description":"The text of *Iyar-i danish* (‘Touchstone of Wisdom’) derives from the collection of Sanskrit animal fables known as Panchatantra and thought to have been compiled sometime before AD 500. Since then, several versions of the fables have appeared, in ancient Pahlavi, Persian and Arabic. The version known as *Iyar-i danish* was compiled at the Mughal court for the emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605). The fables are part of the genre of literature known as ‘mirrors for princes’, consisting of stories intended to instruct rulers in the art of statecraft. Each chapter of the text consists of a frame story dealing with a specific moral. The characters of the frame story then each tell their own stories of behaviour exemplifying the moral in question.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 1003–04 / AD 1595","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"19.6 x 12.8 cm","provenance":"India","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["animal","education","fables","fox","Illustration","Kalila wa dimna","lion","literature","manuscript","miniature painting","stories"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6cd1576c-84dc-565e-8f5b-d3d3ed636ea8":{"name":"Al-Hariri, *Maqamat* ('Assemblies')","short_description":"The Arab poet Al-Hariri of Basra, or Abu Muhammad al-Qasim ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Hariri (d. 516 AH / 1122 AD), wrote the *Maqamat al-Hariri* (‘Assemblies of Hariri), which is a collection of fifty stories written in the *Maqama* style of rhymed prose with intervals of poetry. Al-Hariri also extensively utilises Arabic idioms and proverbs. While this style of writing was developed a century earlier, Al-Hariri elevated this genre into a major literary form through this work. In his *Maqamat*, the anecdotes are told by the roguish wanderer and eloquent trickster Abu Zayd to the narrator, al-Harith b. Hammam al-Basri. This copy was written in calligraphic large Mamluk *naskh* script by Abu'l-Fada'il b. Abi Ishaq in 734 AH / 1334 AD. The quality of the manuscript, its courtly title page, and large format suggest that it was created in Cairo, then capital of the Mamluk Sultanate and Caliphate. The sultan who possibly commissioned the manuscript and who may be the one depicted on the dedicatory title page is An-Nasir Muhammad b. Qala'un, who was in power for the third time from 709 AH / 1309-10 AD to 741 AH / 1340-41 AD. The manuscript includes seventy paintings, which must have been completed by a group of artists or a workshop. It is likely that multiple pages are no longer extant. The images that are preserved reflect a Mamluk style of painting, including bright colours on a golden background, more monumentalised scenes, and a reduction to essential elements in expression and composition, especially when compared to the Persian-Seljuk style of Baghdad and Mosul book-painting. The figures’ facial features follow the Turkish-Mongolian ideal of beauty that emerged under the Seljuks in Persia. The essential principle of composition throughout the manuscript is the juxtaposition of individual figures with figural groups, whereby means of deliberate contrast or symmetry are employed. These compositions underline the textual structure of the stories. The manuscript probably entered the Austrian National Library between 1820 and 1840.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"734 AH / 1334 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"373 x 260 mm (c. 260 x 160mm), ff. II, II*, 195 folios.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, a note in the margin with incomplete names.","provenance":"Possibly Cairo","obtention":"Unknown but came into the Austrian National Library between 1820 and 1840.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 20-46.  \nGrabar, Oleg, *The Illustrations of the Maqamat*, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1984.","dynasty":"Mamluk","scriber":"Abu'l-Fada'il b. Abi Ishaq","binding_desc":"The classicist brown leather binding has a double-eagle supralibros printed in gold. On fol. 195b, brownish traces reveal the imprint of the original Mamluk leather binding. The binding dates to the first half of the 19th century and was likely produced in Vienna, Austria.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14421947","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Assembly","Mamluk","Maqamat","painting"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic Mamluk naskh script of 13 lines."]},"6d7f4481-8b0a-58f0-8484-d932e30b3821":{"name":"Cloudy Mountains","type":"Handscroll","holder":"Cleveland Museum of Art","dates":"1130","location":"Cleveland, Ohio","dimensions":"Image: 43.7 x 192.6cm; Overall: 45.5 x 646.8cm","provenance":"China","obtention":"Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1933.220","dynasty":"Southern Song","artist_birthdate":"1072","artist_deathdate":"1151","materials":["Handscroll, ink and color on silk"]},"6e13aca8-8a19-574f-8378-12aea190e022":{"name":"File 3142/1903 'Hedjaz Railway'","description":"This volume contains copies of correspondence between British officials regarding the construction of the Hedjaz \\[Hijaz\\] Railway. The correspondence discusses a number of different aspects of the railway including its route, the progress of its construction and donations made towards its construction by members of the Muslim community in India.  \n  \nA limited amount of the correspondence in the volume is in French, including a copy of a letter sent by Paul Cambon, the French Ambassador in London, to Sir Edward Grey, the Foreign Secretary (folio 15).  \n  \nThe volume contains a number of reports and related information about the railway. Of particular interest are the following:  \n  \nA report on the Hejaz Railway by Major Francis Richard Maunsell, dated July 1907 (ff 56-69)  \nA memorandum respecting German influence on the Hejaz Railway by George Ambrose Lloyd, 1906 (ff 95-96)  \nA list of the principal stations on the Hejaz Railway with approximate distances between Damascus and each station (f 100)  \nA map of the Hejaz Railway with list of stations (f 106)  \nA report by Mr Teofani Loiso, Vice-Consul at Mersina, based on information provided to him by his son who was employed as an engineer on the railway (ff 105-107)  \nA report by Herr Otto von Kapp Kohlstein, a German engineer who inspected the Haifa-Damascus branch of the route and worked on the construction of the Damascus-Maan branch (ff 107-109).  \nIn addition, the volume contains cuttings (and translations) of press articles related to several aspects of the railway and its construction. Also included are two maps. The Turkish (Ottoman) language material consists of the second of these two maps.  \n  \nThe volume includes a divider which gives the year that the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references contained in it arranged by year. This divider is placed at the front of the volume.","type":"Written Document","holder":"Qatar National Library","owner":"QNL","initial_owner":"East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department","dates":"1901-1908","location":"Doha","dimensions":"1 volume (242 folios)","place_of_production":"India","provenance":"British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers.","copyright":"Open Government Licence","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100000000365.0x0003d1","keywords":["documentation","Hijaz","India","Railway construction"],"materials":["Paper"]},"6eafd8d2-5a3d-5f7f-b16f-0753d6373196":{"name":"Possibly Yusuf b. 'Abdüllatif, *Sübhet al-Akhbar* (The Rosary of World History, Genealogy of Ottoman Personalities)","short_description":"The elaborate genealogy or chain book, titled *Sübhet al-Akhbar* (‘The Rosary of World History’) was likely written by Yusuf b. 'Abdüllatif (died 1545), a court genealogist under Suleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul, around 1094 AH / 1683 AD. Since the historical information in the text dates back to 1678, the manuscript itself must have been created shortly after this period, before the deposition and death of Qara Mustafa Pasha, which occurred at the end of 1683. The text later became part of the library of Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1716 and was ultimately acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1727. Family trees and their graphical representation in the form of linked circular medallions – hence also the classification as a *Silsile-name* – have been an old tradition in Islam since the early 14th century. The literary form of such genealogies referring to ancestors, however, originated under Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. Starting with Adam and Eve, these manuscripts progress from the great biblical prophets and legendary rulers of Iran to the most distinguished Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and Turkish dynasties, and conclude with the contemporaneous rulers of the Ottoman Empire. These types of genealogies were often conceived as scrolls, which are even reflected in book form within this manuscript, as the connecting lines extend downwards in a vertical manner. These family trees are of great cultural and art-historical interest as large quantities of them are in existence, and reveal the manifold artistic source materials that even draw on European models. Moreover, their political objective to legitimise the Ottoman rule based on previous history reveals the self-representation of Ottomans as well as their visual evaluation of specific ancestral figures. As these genealogies are traced back to pagan or biblical times, the names of saints become part of a dynastic claim of legitimacy and historical awareness. From fol. 4b onwards, genealogical trees are depicted in a vertical manner, including inscribed or figuratively painted medallions of various sizes connected by red and blue lines. It is possible that the circular shape of the portraits was derived from ancient to medieval coins and medals with the ruler's portraits. These 102 paintings throughout the text are accompanied by the figures’ names in red script. Moreover, radiating, oblique or upside-down blocks of text – usually a short vita of the person – and inscriptions in smaller black script are added around them. The background is filled with delicate gold floral vine designs. According to the signature on the final painting, they were made by the painter Hüseyin al-Istanbuli. They are executed in a particularly high quality, utilise rich colours, and are modelled delicately. Gold and silver are lavishly used; a hierarchical difference is established by utilising a golden background for the depiction of saints while ruler figures are set within a different context of a landscape. The portraits of the Ottoman sultans follow a typification that had developed since the 16th century and is believed to have been so wide-spread that historically educated people could recognise the rulers based on their most distinctive facial features, their hairstyle, their garments, and their attributes. A comparable yet less elaborate manuscript in Ankara (Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, manuscript K-4) was copied in the same workshop and illuminated by the same painter, with the signature also found on the last portrait of the sultan, with a date of 1094 AH / 1683 AD. The Ottoman court style of this period is characterised by a mixture of European and Ottoman artistic traditions with a detailed realism, plastic modelling, cubic perspective motifs, richness of ornamental elements, and *horror vacui*, contrasted with a bright polychromy, and two-dimensional ornamental compositions.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 1094 AH / 1683 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"300 x 185 mm (202 x 120 mm/255 x 150 mm), ff. II, I*, 17 folios.","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Painter's signature on last miniature.","method_for_provenance":"At the earliest from 1716 in the library of Prince Eugene of Savoy, where it bore the number XXXIII.","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1727.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 27-41.","dynasty":"Ottoman","binding_desc":"The dark brown Morocco leather binding shows a large, stamped medallion in oval shape with two pendants. Along the edges of the cover is a gold interlace band. The binding dates to the last quarter of the 17th century and was likely made in Istanbul, yet it was partially restored at a later point.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14386545","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Adam","Eve","genealogy","medaillon","Mehmet","Muhammad","painting","prophet","Süleyman","sultan","turban","Zahhak"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on Venetian paper. Calligraphic Turkish naskh script of 19 lines per page."]},"6f08705f-4fcd-53b3-897e-4ec99dd97489":{"name":"*Wonders of Creation*","short_description":"Zakariya Qazwini’s extremely popular *‘Aja’ib al-mukhluqat* (‘Wonders of Creation’) was compiled in AD 1270. The text describes various real and imagined marvels of the universe, exploring the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history. His text, originally written in Arabic, was later translated into both Persian and Turkish. Most copies are heavily illustrated. This particular copy includes more than 500 illustrations, including depictions of a peacock, the monkeys and other fauna of the island of Java, the *Shadadar*, a unicorn with a musical horn and an anatomical diagram of a pregnant woman. The manuscript opens with a fine illuminated double-page frontispiece.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 952 / AD 1545","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"31.9 x 18.9 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["anatomy","astrology","astronomy","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","science","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6fd22e74-7aec-530f-aa12-acba198db8f8":{"name":"*Siyar-i Nabi* (‘Life of the Prophet’)","short_description":"In Cairo, in the late fourteenth-century, al-Darir wrote a *siyar-i nabi* (life of the prophet). Earlier such texts had been written, but al-Darir’s was the first to be written in Turkish, the language of the ruling Mamluk dynasty of Egypt. Some two hundred years later, in Istanbul, the Ottoman sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), commissioned a six-volume copy of al-Darir’s text. These illustrations are from the fourth volume of that manuscript, the volume dealing with the battles of Badr (AD 624) and Uhud (AD 625). The illustrations are the work of several individuals and are generally executed in a simple and direct style.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1003 / AD 1594–95","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"37.4 x 27 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","camel","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","tent"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"706091ba-1c94-588c-882c-871fe5fdaca3":{"name":"Miniature 'Mi'raj (the Miraculous Ascension) of Prophet Muhammad'","short_description":"Mi'raj is the scene of the Ascension of the Great Prophet Muhammad to Heaven to the throne of Allah. The iconography of the scene has become established in the Iranian painting tradition since the late AD 15th century. The composition of Mi'raj, together with the poetic dedication of God and His Prophet, traditionally opened manuscripts of historical, biographical and poetic works of classical Persian literature. In the centre of the scene we see Prophet Muhammad riding the fantastic animal Boraq, a mare with a woman’s head. Muhammad is traditionally depicted with a large flaming halo around his head. His face is covered by a veil, probably added to the picture later. In front of the Prophet, we see the Archangel Jabriel showing the way. Above the Archangel there is a lion, the heavenly personification of Ali, the first righteous Imam of the Shiites. Angels with gifts fly around the Prophet. Between the figures against the blue sky, golden \"Chinese\" clouds abound. The miniature subject combines two important Islamic legends. The Qur'anic Al-Isra (Night Journey, Surah 17) recounts the Prophet's magical night flight from Mecca to Jerusalem. The Al-Mi'raj (Staircase), narrated in hadiths, is the story of Muhammad's miraculous ascent to Heaven to the throne of God.","type":"Miniature; Manuscript","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 33.5cm, Width: 20.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin and date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Shiraz, Iran (?)","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko presumably in Paris from collectors the Kalebdjian brothers. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Amir-Moezzi, Mohammad Ali (dir), *Le voyage initiatique en terre d'Islam: Ascensions célestes et itinéraires spirituels*, Louvain: Cerf, 1996.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nGruber, Christiane and Colby, Frederick (eds), *The Prophet’s Ascension: Cross-Cultural Encounters with the Islamic Mi‘raj Tales*, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nRudyk, H. (ed), *Charisma of Iran. Persian art of 12th–19th centuries from museum collections of Ukraine*, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2017.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","mi'raj","miniature","Safavid"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"70d82e89-b0df-5268-a49f-ceb3a92a2ba4":{"name":"Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, *'Aga'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-maujudat* ('The Wonders of Creation and the Marvels of Creation')","short_description":"Abu Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (600-682 AH / 1203-1283 AD) wrote the famous treatise ‘The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation’ (*'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat*). According to the colophon, this copy was written in 1174 AH / 1761 AD by al- Hajji 'Ali, one of the freedmen of 'Abdalhaiy Auda Pasha and likely created in Ottoman-dynasty Cairo, Egypt. As the owners’ stamp indicates, the manuscript later belonged to Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, and was acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1842. In the early 19th century, the manuscript and binding were probably supplemented and restored, yet their original look has been preserved. Its contemporaneous leather binding exhibits Ottoman-style decoration, while its 455 paintings of various sizes and shapes seen throughout the manuscript. They seem to have been created to mimic medieval models of painting, which were not fully understood, or perhaps just poorly preserved. Interestingly, the images are in stark contrast with the neat Egyptian writing style in *naskh* script. The flat painting style throughout includes raw outlines and bright colours, all of which give the paintings a dramatic and, at times, comic expression that may be comparable to later Coptic painting.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1174 AH / 1761 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"309x212mm (215x125mm), ff. I, I*, 312 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Cairo","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1174 AH / 1761 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 312b, an owner's stamp by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall dated to 1223 AH / 1808 AD is visible.","obtention":"Acquired  in 1842 from Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 111-116.","dynasty":"Possibly Ottoman","scriber":"al-Hajji 'Ali","binding_desc":"The brown leather binding features gilt inlays of thin light-brown leather, which are stamped with floral motifs in the Ottoman style. The binding consists of a flap that has a recessed pointed medallion with pendants at its centre. Hand-painted cord or interlace motifs are visible on the overall frame, and immediately inside this frame are small, stamped floral details. The binding was likely produced in 18th-century Cairo, Egypt.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14424052","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Creation","naskh","Qazwin","wonders"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 23 lines per page."]},"71082c7e-eac1-551e-a256-81448d398bf5":{"name":"*Jihannuma* (View of the world)","short_description":"Katip Celebi went down in history as a gifted polymath. Born as Mustafa ibn 'Abd Allah in Istanbul in 1017 AH / 1609 AD, he started his studies in Arabic calligraphy and grammar when he was a mere six years old. He was said to be an exceptional writer, which later on earned him the name Katip Celebi, literally translating to \"Learned Scribe\". His passion for learning made him interested in various fields of study including lexicology, logic, rhetoric, mathematics, medicine, geography, astronomy, genealogy, history and chronicling. In addition to writing books and treatises in Turkish, Arabic and Persian, Katip Celebi also translated texts from French and Latin.  \nThis particular manuscript is a rarity for two main reasons, one that it is the first edition of Katip Celebi's famous geographical book *Jihannuma*, and the second being that it contains additional notes for the planned second edition. The presence of these reconsiderations has earnt the manuscript another name, the \"Viennese Concept\", as it clearly documents Katip Celebi's process of revising his own work and assembling a second edition of the *Jihannuma*. Finally, it is important to note that parts of the text were written and annotated by the Learned Scribe himself.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 1058-1064 AH / 1648-1654 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"235 x 165mm (195 x 95mm), 254 folios","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 45a there is \"ex bibliotheca orientali Wenceslai Comitis Rzewuski\" written in ink.","obtention":"After Waclaw Rzewuski's death in 1831 AD, the manuscript was bought from the Viennese antiquarian bookshop Kuppitsch for the Imperial Court Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Die Handschriften in türkischer Sprache, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 110-113.  \nHagen, Gottfried, \"Überzeitlichkeit und Geschichte in Katib Celebis Gihannüma\" *Archivum ottomanicum*, 14 (1995/96), 133-159.  \nTaeschner, Franz, \"Zur Geschichte des Djihannuma\", *Mitteilungen des Seminars für Orientalische Sprachen zu Berlin*, 29 : 2 (1926), 99-111.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"Katip Celebi, by name Haci Halife","binding_desc":"The manuscript is bound in red-brown leather. The edges of both covers are framed by gilded, ornamental embossing. Both doublures and endpapers of this manuscript are made out of marvellously crafted Ottoman marble paper.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14018433","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Haci Halife","Jihannuma","Katip Celebi"],"materials":["Naskh script of 25 lines per page."]},"718874e8-d67c-57c0-aabc-505af50ed024":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"Al-Takathur *sura* ('The Rivalry', 102: 8) and al-Asr *sura* ('The Time', 103: 1). This page is taken from a Qur'an written in black *kufic* script. The vowels are marked with red diacritic dots and the *hamza* and *shadda* are indicated by green and yellow marks in the style of Abi al-Aswad, the Arab grammarian (d. AH 61 / AD 681). The verses are divided by a gilded green-centred rosette outlined in brown dots. The magnificent title of the *sura* is contained within an ornamental line of *kufic,* terminating in a palm-leaf motif which projects into the margin of the page. This palm-leaf is composed of stylised, gilded leaves and floral arabesques and is illuminated in blue and green with delicate touches of brown. These motifs are part of the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers from the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","short_description":"Written in black *kufic* script, this page contains two Qur'anic quotations (102: 8 and 103: 1). The division of verses is marked by a gold rosette with a green centre. All of the motifs belong to the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers after the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"The Zirid prince, al-Mu‘izz","dates":"Hegira, beginning of the second quarter of the 5th century / AD 9th century.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 32 cm, width 22.5 cm; 5 lines.","method_for_datation":"The Qur'an was given as a legacy (*habus*) by the Zirid prince, al-Mu'izz ibn Badis to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The deed of gift dates from later than the break with Cairo, since it mentions the hatred of the prince for the Fatimids. According to historians this split began in 424 / 1033 and came to an end by 441 / 1050.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was left to the Great Mosque by the reigning Zirid prince. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production, it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Great Mosque of Kairouan.","obtention":"This Qur'an was obtained by the National Library in 1967 after the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, and was transferred in 1983 to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*30 ans au service du patrimoine* (exhibition catalogue), 1986, p.210.  \n*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), 1982, p.247, cat. no. 330.  \n*The Arts of Islam* (exhibition catalogue), 1976, p.20, cat. no. 2.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.221.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","dynasty":"Zirid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript","religious objects"],"materials":["Decorated parchment."]},"71964a69-73f1-55cb-a4b0-08031be5d50e":{"name":"The peace treaty of Bucharest","short_description":"The peace treaty that ended the Russo-Ottoman war of 1806-1812 was signed by the representatives of Russia and the Ottoman Empire in Bucharest, the capital of Wallachia, on the 28 May 1812. Both Wallachia and Moldavia had been occupied by Russia during the war. According to the third article of the peace treaty the Russian army had to liberate Wallachia and the Moldavian territory on the right side of the Prut River. The fourth article stipulated that Russia annexed the territory situated on the left side of the Prut, which became the new border between the Ottoman and the Russian Empires. The new area incorporated into the Russian Empire was given the name Bessarabia, which had in the past designated southern Moldavia.","type":"Document","holder":"National Museum of Romanian History","dates":"28 May 1812","location":"Bucharest"},"71a4f299-e4d9-536c-9b45-df79ec3e4787":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an","short_description":"The surviving left-hand folio of the double-page frontispiece (folio 1a) is designed as two overlapping circles in a braided frame, each containing part of the verse, letter and diacritical count. This derives from the illumination of early Qur’ans in oblong format and indicates that the transition to vertical format did not immediately bring a radical new layout. The manuscript ends with an illuminated double finispiece in which gold predominates. The pattern, here too, is based on overlapping circles.  \nThe text is copied in *naskhi*, with 20 lines to the page. *Sura* headings are in gold *kufic*, with a marginal gold palmette, which occasionally contains the name of the place where the *sura* was revealed. Individual verses are not marked, but groups of five verses are indicated by an oval and groups of ten by a circle.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *naskhi* script; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"c. AD 1000–1050","location":"London","dimensions":"202 folios; 14 x 11cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Iraq","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992, cat.1, pp.24–7.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.56, p.68.","dynasty":"Abbasid / Buyid","keywords":["Abbasid","Buyid","gold","ink","Iraq","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","naskh","naskh script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","leather binding is a 19-century German restoration"]},"71b58e2a-590f-5062-b329-444a2fef694c":{"name":"\"How Rustam Found a Spring\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"The two miniatures 69.74.8 and 69.74.9 illustrate the first and second of Rustam's seven ordeals. The first depicts the frequently illustrated scene of Rustam's gallant horse Rakhsh killing a lion while the hero sleeps. The subject of the second miniature is, on the other hand, rarely depicted. Rustam and Rakhsh nearly die of heat and thirst in the desert before, with the help of divine providence, they find a spring. Rustam bathes and grooms his faithful steed by the water's edge, as seen here. The painter is very sympathetic to the closeness between the hero and his trustworthy Rakhsh.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Textile Museum, Washington (until 1969)","dates":"AH ca.700-730 / AD ca. 1300 - 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Text block: Height: 15.4cm, width: 12.2cm; Painting: Height: 4.5cm, width: 8,5cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Northwestern Iran or Baghdad","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Swietochowski, M., and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions* , 1965–1975 (1975).  \n  \nSimpson, M., \"The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts.\" PhD diss., Garland Publishing, Inc., 1979.  \n  \nDiggard, J.-P., *Chevaux et cavaliers arabes dans les arts d'Orient et d'Occident* , Paris: Gallimard Institut du monde arabe, 2002.  \n  \nKelly, E., \"A Study of Islamic Metalwork.\" In *Zoomorphic Incense Burners of Medieval Khurasan.*, Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452048","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, silver, and gold on paper"]},"72310d27-d35b-55e1-9286-57585ac375e7":{"name":"*Silsila-nama* (‘Genealogy’)","short_description":"These folios belong to one of a small group of manuscripts produced in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, probably in Baghdad, for Ottoman Turkish patrons. These manuscripts are generally classed as genealogies (though they in fact do not function strictly as such) and are known by the name *silsila-nama*. They usually begin with an account of the Prophet Muhammad, followed by a history of the world from Adam to the reigning Ottoman sultan, and are illustrated with numerous small, medallion-like portraits of prophets and kings. Each individual depicted is identified by an inscription. The manuscript opens with an illuminated frontispiece.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1006 / AD 1598","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"26 x 16.4 cm","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","dynasty":"Ottoman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_423/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"7269ff1c-7668-58a5-a38d-e8ec83dace0c":{"name":"*Zafarnāmah by Sharaf al-Din ʿAli Yazdi* (Timur's Return to Samarkand and the Festive Celebrations in the Garden of Bagh-ı Behesht)","description":"*Zafarnāmah* is a significant historical text from the 15th century that describes Timur's leadership and achievements. Written by Şerafeddin Ali Yezdî (Hegira 858 / AD 1454), the work was commissioned by Timur's grandson, Ibrahim Sultan. As a historical source, *Zafarnāmah* is invaluable for its comprehensive information about Timur's life. The book was compiled using notes taken by Timur's royal scribes and secretaries, indicating that its contents were meticulously selected. Its most significant source is the biography of Timur, *Zafarnāmah*, written by Nizāmeddīn-i Sāmī in 1404. The primary distinction between Şerafeddin's *Zafarnāmah* and Sāmī’s earlier *Zafarnāmah* lies in the novel information presented in Şerafeddin's later version, and the more elaborate embellishments, including miniatures, in Sāmī’s earlier one. 
The later work was inscribed by Hamdullah ibn al-Sheikh Murshid al-Kātib in Hegira 891 / AD 1486–1487, and is written in Persian with black ink in *taliq* calligraphy on fine paper. The work contains ten miniature scenes of rich workmanship, most of which depict Timur. The miniatures generally portray battles, council meetings and festivities that took place during the Timurid period. The first page contains the foundation seal of Hacı Mehmed Aga, the trustee of Teke Sancağı (Antalya region). The following page displays an illumination comprising geometric and floral motifs on blue and gilt backgrounds. The titles of the chapters and some of the prayers are written in gilt, red and blue ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 891 / AD 1486–1487","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"34.5cm x 23cm","place_of_production":"Herat/Afghanistan","obtention":"The object was brought to the Museum from Antalya Müsellim Mosque on 31 March 1916.","dynasty":"Timurids (AH 771-911 / AD 1370-1505)","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, gilding, leather binding"]},"72ae01c0-55bc-584b-8258-a81263d1edbd":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Emissaries bring news from the provinces of Khaybar and Chin to Anoshirvan","short_description":"\"Sergeants-at-arms hastened off to all parts of the realm and found two ancient bricks, one in Khaybar and one in Chin. They brought the two bricks to Anoshirvan and reported to the emperor of the seven climes. The king summoned the *khwaja* to his retinue and, in his presence, asked the sergeants why the two countries were in ruins. The sergeants reported that in Khaybar there was a guebre named Hisham who did everything he could by way of cruelty and injustice, while in Chin, although the Khaqan was very good, he had a son named Bahram Gur, who was extremely egotistical and unruly. The subjects of those two kingdoms were tormented by the injustice of those two, and on account of them the kingdoms were in ruins.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Johannes Wieninger, Mio Wakita-Elis","keywords":["Emissaries","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"72c0e86c-b1ae-5017-a60e-32986c29c774":{"name":"*Surname-i Hümayun* (‘Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival’).","description":"The *Surname-i Hümayun* ('Book of the Imperial Circumcision Festival') is a work dealing with the celebrations held for the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, which lasted for 52 days and 52 nights in AH 990 / AD 1582. It documents, in both word and image, how during the festivities the craft guilds paraded their various products, how a variety of entertainments were organised, how banquets were held and food distributed to the public every day, how the sultan would scatter gold and silver among the people from time to time, how poor children were circumcised and given new clothes, how beggars were made happy, and how people who had been imprisoned for debt were granted their freedom by having their debts paid. For this reason the *Surname* is an important historical source providing for us a record of the AH 10th- / AD 16th-century Ottoman lifestyle; its economy, social life, culture, art and entertainment.  \n  \nThe celebration was held in the Hippodrome, i.e. the 'Horse Square'. The Ibrahim Pasha Palace is depicted here, and the three-storey wooden spectators' gallery erected at one of its corners for the use of palace officials and representatives of foreign governments, is an indispensable element of the scenes in the *Surname*.  \n  \nOne of these scenes represents the parade of the glassmakers' guild. Here the sultan, seated on the enclosed balcony of the audience hall in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace, watches the glassmakers' guild along with the assembled people and the guests sitting in the spectators' gallery. The glassmakers present the glass objects they have made, even showing the stages of glass production and the tools they use with the help of a furnace mounted on a wheeled wagon.  \n  \nAnother painting in the *Surname* shows the procession of architects and engineers with a faithful replica of the Süleymaniye Mosque made of wood and ivory. This picture is noteworthy because it represents Ottoman art in all its splendour, celebrated in both the depiction of the architect Sinan, who was still alive in this period and probably participated in this parade, and, through his most monumental building: the Süleymaniye Mosque.  \n  \nThe celebrations of the circumcision festival are transformed into a painted story through 250 double-page miniatures with compositions generally similar to the two seen here.","short_description":"*Surname* is a magnificent manuscript telling the story of the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III, held at the Hippodrome in front of the Ibrahim Pasha Palace in AH 990 / AD 1582. The setting, processions and events are depicted both in writing and in miniatures.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, watercolor, miniature painting","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982-1003 / AD 1574-95).","dates":"Hegira 991–7 / AD 1583–8.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Since some pages of the manuscript are missing, including the colophon, it has been ascertained from the Kepeci Ruus register in the archives (3 Safar 997/1583 no. 250, 37) that it was completed in 997 / 1588.","method_for_provenance":"It is known that this manuscript was prepared by the team of artists in the Topkapi Palace atelier, and that it was therefore produced in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The *Surname* was made for Sultan Murad III in the Topkapi Palace atelier and is still in the palace library.","bibliography":"And, M., *Kırk Gün Kırk Gece*, Istanbul, 1959.  \nAtasoy, N., *Surname-i Hümayun*, Istanbul, 1998.  \nAtasoy, N., “Tarih Konulu Minyatürlerin Usta Nakkaşı Osman”, *Sanat Dünyamız*, 73 (1999), pp.213–21.  \nİpşiroğlu, M.Ş. “Das Hochzeitbuch Murats III”, *Deutsch-Türkische Gesellschaft*, Bonn, 1960.  \nTansuğ, S. *Şenlikname Düzeni*, Istanbul, 1961.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şebnem Tamcan","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","glass","Ibrahim Pasha Palace","miniature painting","Sinan.","Süleymaniye Mosque"],"materials":["Finished (aharlı) paper, ink, watercolour, gilding, leather (binding)."]},"74c8d2f0-d499-5753-a385-cea7dbf6cb7a":{"name":"Muhammad Jandarajizada (?), *Muraqqa'* (Album)","short_description":"This *muraqqa‘* (album) was compiled for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (reigned 1574-1595) in Istanbul in 980 AH/1572-73 AD. The term *muraqqa’* (‘patched garment’) refers to the patchwork character of the collection of calligraphy, drawing, and painting in codex-format, which was significant for Safavid and Ottoman cultures as a means of collecting and displaying artworks. Likely created according to a systematic and aesthetic process of selecting materials, the specimens of this album were arranged in a particular order. It includes 18 ornamental pen-and-ink drawings, eight figural pen-and-ink drawings, 16 paintings, eight figural lacquer paintings, eleven pages with paper cutting, and 54 pages with calligraphy as the main motif. These specimens are mounted within perforated boards of variously decorated frames. The introduction to the album names a certain Muhammad Jandarajizada as its artistic compiler, while the scribe’s name is Haidar al-Husaini. The dedication to Sultan Murad III can be found on fol. 2b, and it appears that it was gifted to him at least two years after its completion. A red lacquer seal of Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, the Austrian *internuntius* in Constantinople, on fol. 1a reveals the person who brought the album to Austria as a diplomatic gift for the Austrian emperor, after which it became part of the Austrian National Library in 1833-34.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"980 AH /1572-73 AD+G5","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"333 x 222 mm, 52 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 980 AH / 1572-83 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 2b, dedication to the reigning Sultan Murad Khan ibn Sultan Selim Khan. On fol. 48b, a cut-out and affixed owner's stamp of a so-called Mustafa as-Selaniki with the date 978 AH / 1570-71 AD. On Fol. 1a,  red lacquer seal of Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind incnluding the name Ottenfels and an Arabic motto in Arabic script.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, Austrian Internuntius at Constantinople, donated the album to the Austrian National Library in 1833/34.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 109-160.  \nFroom, Aimée, *A Muraqqa' for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595). Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Mixtus 313*, New York: New York University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2001.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"Haidar al-Husaini","binding_desc":"The binding with which the album came to the Austrian National Library was one of red morocco with gold-pressed decoration, originating from 18th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387500","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Album","angel","calligraphy","drawing","muraqqa'","painting","Yusuf"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper."]},"74f17e3d-8cbd-5078-a0dc-decb3548d54d":{"name":"*Rihlat al-ʿabdari*","description":"A 15th-century manuscript copied in the early 18th century, consisting of one volume of 156 folios, written in the Moroccan calligraphic style known as *Musnad*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Al-Qarawiyyin Library","dates":"Early 18th-century copy of 15th-century original","location":"Fez","dimensions":"H: 21cm, W: 28cm","keywords":["Travel","journey","pilgrimage","Islamic pilgrimage","pilgrimage account","Hajj","Mecca","Medina","Holy Places","Moroccan pilgrim","pilgrim","manuscript","copy","manual copying","calligraphy","musnad"],"materials":["Paper"]},"75805f88-9097-5845-bd37-d89f589785bd":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The text of this Qur’an was copied in a bold *naskhi* script in Cairo, the capital city of the Mamluk dynasty (AD 1250–1517), by the calligrapher Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Ansari al-Khazraji. The manuscript’s fine illumination has been attributed to Muhammad ibn Mubadir, one of the illuminators of the well-known Baybar’s Qur’an, now in the British Library. The central panel of the frontispiece consists of a star-polygon design, typical of Mamluk illumination of the time and a pattern that was also used in the decoration of other media, such as inlaid wooden doors. The patronage of Mamluk sultans and their amirs was focused primarily on Qur’ans and architectural complexes, to which Qur’ans, such as this fine example, were often donated.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira c. 700–710 / AD 1300–10","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"35 x 25 cm","provenance":"Egypt, Cairo","dynasty":"Mamluk","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1457_1/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","kufic","palmette","patronage","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"75ede8fe-76f3-5385-bdc5-f85fce889190":{"name":"Quran","short_description":"These are two pages from a calligraphic Quran written in maghrebi script, dating to the 18th century, and a good example of the symbiosis between Hispano-Islamic and Ottoman influences. Although the script and the colour of the diacritics are typically maghrebi, the decoration and the frontispiece of the fatiha, which is adorned with floral motifs, shows the clear influence of the Ottoman school, which was itself inspired by Iranian art. The vowels are written in red, the *sukun* and the *shadda* in blue, the *hamza* in yellow or gold and the *hamza al-wasl* in green.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Musée des Arts Islamiques de Kairouan","dates":"19th century","location":"Kairouan","dimensions":"L. 11 cm, l. 15 cm","provenance":"Zaouia of Sidi Sahab, Kairouan","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Calligraphy","Ottoman influences"],"materials":["Paper"]},"76bd886e-d945-5f5e-b0b1-071c229a6721":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early AH 8th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.  \n  \nThis folio illustrates elaborate hydraulic clock in the form of a palace gateway.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.8cm × 27.5cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","dynasty":"Mamluks","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13823/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=8e1195fe-3ca5-462a-9ff4-c563984d6be1&idx=0","keywords":["folio.","Mamluks","Technical Manuscripts","water"],"materials":["Ink, watercolour and gold on paper"]},"776becd1-b151-59c4-9e46-f120b2d7a354":{"name":"*The Nightmare of Zahhak*. Miniature from the *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"This Safavid folio once belonged to the so-called *Shahnama* of Shah Tahmasp (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576). It is probably the most luxurious and celebrated Shahnama manuscript ever produced for a royal patron. This painting depicts the tyrant Zahhak as he wakes up terrified from a nightmare announcing his death by the hands of the Iranian hero Faridun. His scream has awakened the entire palace. The *Shahnama*, composed in the AH 5th century / AD early 11th century, remains a nation epic of Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 47.2cm, Width: 32.1cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Presented in 1568 by Shah Tahmasp to the Ottoman sultan Selim II (r. AH 930-984 / AD 1524-1576); Collection of Baron Edmund de Rothschild, 1903–1934; then by descent to Baron Maurice de Rothschild, 1934–1957; Arthur A. Houghton Jr, 1958–1977; Stuart Cary Welch Collection (on loan to Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, 1983–2007); sold to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Gonnella, Julia, et al., *Museum of Islamic Art: The Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2022.  \n  \nChekhab-Abudaya, Mounia and Tugwell, Julia, *Imperial Threads: Motifs and Artisans from Turkey, Iran and India*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2017.  \n  \nSoueif, Ahdaf, *Reflections on Islamic Art*, Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2011.  \n  \nWatson, Oliver, *Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar*, Munich: Prestel Verlag, 2008.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Tara Desjardins","keywords":["court","Iran","Persian","Safavid"],"materials":["illustration, calligraphy","Opaque Watercolour, Gold, Paper, Ink"]},"776d0182-9513-5ff2-a690-04f7b572b738":{"name":"*Tughra* (official signature) of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66)","short_description":"Ottoman *tughra*s are calligraphic emblems of the sultan's authority and were included in all official documents, including *firman*s (royal decrees), endowment papers, correspondence, and coins. Used by the first Ottoman sultan in 1324, they later developed into a more complex form that was not easily read or copied. This example served as the monogram of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66). Its stylised form is an intricate calligraphic composition comprising the name and titles of the sultan, his father's name, and the phrase “the eternally victorious”. Its bold, gestural line contrasts with the delicate, swirling vine scroll illumination as ornamentation. This *tughra* served as the heading for a long, narrow document in scroll form, the first line of which is preserved in golden script at the bottom of the page.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 962–67 / AD c. 1555–60","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 52.1cm, W: 64.5cm; Mat: L: 63.5cm, W: 76.2cm","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1938  \nVendor: E. Beghian, London  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[E. Beghian, London, until 1938; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Atil, Esin, *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington DC: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987: 41–42, no. 4, ill. pl. 4 (colour).  \nBowie, Theodore Robert, *Islamic Art Across the World. An Exhibition Prepared by Theodore Bowie. Vol. No. 1970/3*, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Art Museum, 1970: no. 26.  \nBurn, Barbara (ed), *Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York/Boston: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993: 83, ill. (colour).  \nCampbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 139, ill. (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.: 78, ill. fig. 45 (b/w).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"Turkish Art of the Muhammadan Period\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 2 (1944): 211, ill. (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 16, 286, 294–95, no. 205, ill. 295 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 128–29, ill. fig. 23 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 48–49, no. 8.  \nde Montebello, Philippe and Howard, Kathleen (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992: 325, ill. fig. 33 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 52–53, ill. fig. 63 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 114–16, ill. fig. 85 (colour).","dynasty":"Ottoman","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1938","keywords":["Anatolia","calligraphy","court life","craftsmanship","document","firman","floral decoration","floral motifs","floriated","foliated","gold","Istanbul","legal document","letter","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","Ottoman Imperial symbols","Paper","sultan","Turkey"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"77727072-da2f-510c-951d-aa1c5205f9d2":{"name":"Imperial decree of Sultan Abdulhamid II","description":"Imperial decree of Sultan Abdulhamid II announcing that, in order to facilitate the construction of the Hejaz Railway, a valuable means of easing pilgrims’ journey to the Hejaz, he has donated one month of his imperial salary, and that contributions are also expected from ministers, state officials, and all Muslims.","type":"Archival Document","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 21 June 1900 / AH 23rd Safar 1318h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 36 cm; width: 23 cm","provenance":"Sublime Porte, Grand Vizier's Office","dynasty":"Ottoman","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["Hajj pilgrimage","Hejaz Railway","Imperial decree","ottoman empire","Railway construction","Sultan Abdulhamid II"],"materials":["Paper"]},"78bb25e6-fdd2-5c9d-af72-c30e121b175e":{"name":"Gushtasp puts Isfandiyar in chains  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"Isfandiyar, eldest son and crown prince of the legendary Iranian king Gushtasp, was falsely accused of planning to seize his father’s kingdom. Not knowing the truth, his father ordered Isfandiyar chained and imprisoned in a mountain fortress. In a later battle with enemies, the king regretted his act and had Isfandiyar released so that he could provide military assistance. Gushtasp is portrayed here enthroned, wearing a blue robe. Blue was frequently used in Persian painting to signify key figures, particularly kings.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"32.8 x 23.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"7a673124-7bea-543e-8cdf-59c06cdc2216":{"name":"Record of the marriage between the Egyptian governmental official Paul Draneht Bey, aged 55, and the Italian Adele Casati, aged 19, celebrated in Oggebbio (Italy) in 1873","short_description":"Apparently, Adelaide Casati and her sister Margarita attended the premiere of the Aida in Cairo (24 December 1871). Their father, Filippo, was participating in the performance as a cello player. In Cairo, the two Casati sisters met their future husbands, respectively, Paul Draneht, and the Greek banker, Joannis Sinadino (who acted as witness in the marriage between Paul Draneht and Adelaide Casati). Both men moved to live in Oggebbio, Italy, when Paul Draneht bought a villa there.","type":"Archival document (marriage record)","holder":"State Archives of Verbania","dates":"28 June 1873","location":"Verbania","author":"Massimiliano Cremona, Ignazio Galella","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"7a6f1e1a-ffd8-5d4d-9cce-388c9f25e887":{"name":"Double page from a manuscript of the Qur’an (37:13-23; 73-86)","short_description":"The wealth and piety of late medieval Egypt and Syria saw the endowment of numerous religious complexes, especially mosques, tombs and religious schools (*madrasas*). The ruling elite’s enthusiasm for building was paralleled by the commissioning of a set of Qur’ans for each institution. In the 8th/14th century, single-volume, two-volume and thirty-volume Qur’ans became the standard formats. The marginal ornament on this bifolium designates a rub‘, or one-quarter of a thirtieth of the Qur’an.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"Bifolio, overall: 55.9 x 36.8cm;  \nText block: 24.1 x 16.5cm","method_for_datation":"The Rayhani script, five lines per page, written in black ink with additional marks in red, compares with a fourteenth-century thirty-volume Qur’an donated to a mosque in Cairo by the Mamluk Sultan, Faraj ibn Barquq (Hegira 801-815 / AD 1399-1412), part nine kept in the British Library, London.","method_for_provenance":"The style of the Rayhani script, written five lines per page, relate this bifolium to manuscripts of the Qur’an produced in Mamluk Egypt and Syria.","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","obtention":"Collection of Maan Z. Madina (1926-2013), New York, until 2002 (sold to); LACMA, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo divino: Arte islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Angeles*, Santiago, Chile: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 20.","dynasty":"Mamluk","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Qur’an","religious foundations","religious manuscript","rub‘"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"7a8205d2-2d3a-59d3-b4bb-d33dce902734":{"name":"Handwritten poem by Constantinos Kavafis","short_description":"The poem *The City*, here labelled *Again at the same city* (*Pali stin idia poli*) handwritten by Constantinos Kavafis and dated August","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"1894","location":"Athens","author":"Maria Dimitriadou","keywords":["poetry","Greek","Alexandria","Egypt","phanariote","Istanbul","Constantinople","Greek community","literature","journalism","migration","mithology","travel","exile","cosmopolitism","travel and exile in literature","mithology in literature","historical events in literature"],"materials":["Paper and ink"]},"7afbbf7d-ed60-561b-9e5e-eaee7949f848":{"name":"Alphabet Book","short_description":"Alphabet books such as this are known as *elif-ba cüzü* in Turkish and were usually produced for children learning to read and write. In this case, such a fine example would surely have been for a royal or other high-placed young individual. The twenty-eight individual letters of the Arabic alphabet are spread over the first opening of the book, with each letter set in a small diamond-shaped space. Above the right-hand page is a cartouche inscribed with the words: ‘In the name of God, who is merciful and compassionate. O my Lord God, may my task be easy, free from difficulty and brought to an auspicious conclusion.’ Following pages show how each letter is joined to other letters and then, on the final pages, are prayers in Arabic.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.5 x 16 cm","provenance":"Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["Bookbinding","border decoration","calligraphy","didactic instruments","education","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","school","script","teaching"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"7b456f9b-750b-56db-a86f-8e36eccf0b62":{"name":"*Khusraw Hunting*, folio from *Khusraw and Shirin*","short_description":"This painting from a manuscript of *Khusraw and Shirin* by the poet Hatifi demonstrates the importance of Persian literature in the Ottoman world. The manuscript contains seven paintings, executed in a distinctive style related to western Iranian tradition from the Aq Quyunlu but also borrowing elements from European sources. This scene depicts Khusraw riding on his horse Shabdiz while hunting. A poem on the final page of the manuscript identifies the sole artist of the work, who completed the calligraphy, illumination, gilding, and painting, as Suzi (“the burning one”).","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 904 / AD 1498–99","location":"New York","dimensions":"Entire sheet: L: 24cm, W: 16.4cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul or Amasya, Turkey","obtention":"Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969  \nPoet: Written by Hatifi  \nArtist: Calligraphy and paintings by Suzi  \nVendor: Sotheby's, London  \nFormer owner: Osman Ata'ullah, Turkey  \nFormer owner: Sir Gregory O. Page-Turner, England (until 1827; his sale, March 1827, no. 190)  \nFormer owner: Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet, England (1827–d. 1872)  \nFormer owner: Bibliotheca Phillippica, England (1872–1968; its sale, Sotheby's, London)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin (ed), *Turkish Art*, Washington D.C/New York: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1980: 161, ill. fig. 71 (b/w), fol. 22b.  \nBrend, Barbara, *Perspectives on Persian Painting. Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa*, New York: Routledge Curzon, 2003: 153.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 288–89, no. 200, ill. 289 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Reports of the Departments: Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 28/ 2 (1969): 79-81, ill. 79 (b/w), folio 22r.  \nGrube, Ernst J., *Studies in Islamic Painting*, London: Pindar Press, 1995: 460, ill. fig. 11 (b/w).  \nPetsopoulos, Yanni (ed), *Tulips, Arabesques & Turbans. Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire*, New York: Abbeville Press, 1982: no. 195, 199, ill. pl. 195 (colour), folio 22r.  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1975: 133, ill. (b/w).  \nSwietochowski, Marie and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Painting\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 36/ 2 (Autumn 1978): 46–47, ill. 46–47 (colour), folios 15r and 22r.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 117, ill. fig. 87 (colour).  \nYoltar-Yildirim, Aysin and Brill, Robert H., \"A 1498–99 Khusraw va Shirin: Turning the Pages of an Ottoman Illustrated Manuscript\", *Muqarnas*, 22 (2005): 96–109, ill. figs. 1–12, folio 1v fig. 4; 2r fig. 5; 2v fig. 6; 15v fig. 8; 22v fig. 9; 32r fig. 10; 49v fig. 11; 67v fig. 12; 78r fig 7 (colour).","dynasty":"Ottoman","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1969","keywords":["Anatolia","Asmaya","binding","Figurative representation","gold","human figure","human representation","hunting scene","Illustration","ink","inscription","Istanbul","Khusrau","leather","leather binding","lion","literature","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","nasta'liq","opaque watercolour","Ottoman","painting","Paper","Persian literature","Shirin","Turkey"],"materials":["binding: leather","Main support: ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"7bcc1f68-b1fc-5f4e-9ba9-572b00e46c54":{"name":"Qur’anic Manuscript","short_description":"Interlocking circles, often punctuated by circles or dots, are used in conjunction with squares, rectangles, diamonds or triangles to form the basis of intricate geometric patterns. Interlocking circles grace doors and windows, prayer niches and arches as an architectural ornament. Silver and gold jewellery and musical instruments also incorporate patterns based on interlocking circles. With such a broad range of applications, the scale of the patterns varies dramatically. For example, a pattern stamped in gold leaf for the decoration of a Qur’an case necklace can measure as little as few millimetres in diameter, while an identical pattern used in stucco or plaster that serve to adorn the interior of a prayer hall can be exponentially larger.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"2 Jumada al-Ula 1291 AH / June 1874 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 34.6cm, Width: 24.5cm, Weight: 2395.2g","provenance":"Oman","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","dynasty":"Al-Busaid","scriber":"Suleiman bin Muhammad al-Wa'eli","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Qur'an"],"materials":["Ink on paper"]},"7bd0767f-b448-56ce-8a8e-6180b326ce87":{"name":"\"Alexander is Lowered into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"The Khamsa of the Indian poet Amir Khusrau includes a section on the philosopher-king Alexander the Great, who in Khusrau’s telling of his life led expeditions to China, Russia, and the Western Isles. In this copy of the Khamsa made for the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Alexander is shown being lowered into the sea in a glass diving bell. While underwater, he will receive a visit from an angel who foretells his death.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597–8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 23.82cm, Width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446561","materials":["Main support: Ink, watercolour, gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper"]},"7bd75a35-d206-5701-b425-b077957ef154":{"name":"Émile Zola. *J'accuse!* … 11-13 January 1898","short_description":"In 1894, the French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was accused of espionage, found guilty, fired and deported. His family, who were fighting to have him pardoned, won over the famous naturalist writer, Émile Zola. In just a few days, Zola wrote an indictment (\"J'accuse\"), addressed to the President of the French Republic, which was published in *l'Aurore*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1898","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Current affairs","French politics"]},"7c3b1c92-51fd-5856-8367-ca91f32596a9":{"name":"'Mihr in a Bath House in Khwarazm'","description":"Assar Tabrizi, who was active under the Jalayirid sultan Uways and died in c. AH 792 / AD 1390, was inspired by Nizami’s famous romances *Layla wa Majnun* and *Khusraw wa Shirin* when he wrote ‘Mihr and Mushtari.’ It tells the story of the love of Mihr, son of King Shapur, for Mushtari, the vizier’s son.  \n  \nIn Persian mystical poetry, physical love is often a reflection of divine love, and the beauty of the beloved a reflection of God’s beauty. The beloved was just as often a man as a woman, and although love did not have to manifest itself physically, the sexual ambiguity of works like this was enough to awaken displeasure in more morally oriented circles.  \n  \nIn contrast to the story of Khusraw and Shirin, who clearly have a sexual relationship, this does not seem to have been the case between Mihr and Mushtari. In any event, Mihr marries Nahid, the daughter of the Khwarazm shah.  \n  \nThe bathing scene is unusual. The text explains that Mihr, the central seated figure, is having a knot in his long hair combed out","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 947-957 / AD 1540-1550","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 25cm × 20cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz (Iran)","bibliography":"Boghanim, H. and Carayon, A. (eds.), *Parfums d'Orient, Institut du monde arabe*, Paris: Beaux Arts, 2023: cat. 56, 115 and 215.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat.no. 66","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Khusraw","Layla","Majnun","miniature","Shirin","water"],"materials":["Pigments"]},"7c87bedb-5773-5c25-8dc4-6634c1e81d26":{"name":"Treaty of Bardo","short_description":"Also known as the Treaty of Ksar Said, the Treaty of Bardo was signed by the Bey of Tunis and the French government on 12 May 1881. It consisted of two articles which established the French protectorate of Tunisia. The bey was henceforth required to give up all his powers over foreign affairs, defence and administrative reform to the French resident-general.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"12 mai 1881","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["French protectorate of Tunisia","Sadok Pacha Bey"],"materials":["Paper"]},"7d3b68dc-71b0-568b-845e-68031bc767d0":{"name":"Inscription of a bridge built on the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway","description":"Inscription of a bridge built on the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway. It serves as a visual representation of authority. This can be used as a related item to Sykes-Picos Agreement map.","type":"Archival Photograph","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 1903 / AH 1320/21 h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 16,5 cm; width: 12 cm","provenance":"Unknown, (Currently in Ottoman Archive Photograph Fond)","dynasty":"Ottoman - Sultan Abdulhamid II Period","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["bridge","Hejaz Railway","inscription","Railway construction","Transportation"],"materials":["Photograph Paper"]},"7dbe5f26-102f-5a9b-a9c9-3dbff17febde":{"name":"\"The Clever Hare with the King of the Elephants at the Spring of the Moon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. *Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript.* Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In *The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna.*, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","dynasty":"Muzaffarids (Gujarat Sultanate)","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453119","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"7dc1075a-1325-58f1-b686-f18457946a27":{"name":"Qur΄an bifolium","short_description":"The manuscript has 35 pages with five lines per page, with ruled margins, and gold and red rosettes between the verses. The opening double page is finely decorated in gold, red and blue. The binding is made of brown morocco.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 33 cm","provenance":"Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","leather","manuscript","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Paper foil, pigments"]},"7e967a87-06f8-504f-b353-0258d46e2618":{"name":"*Haft Aurang* of Jami","alternate_name":"'Seven Thrones' of Jami","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 977 / AD c. 1570","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 29.8cm, width: 18.4cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/446552","keywords":["Iran","Jami","Manuscript.","water"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper"]},"7e9c43e1-9c01-5ae6-aa4e-69ea000166c4":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"The text is written in verse and prose in six columns in black ink and *taliq* calligraphy on Harar paper. The outer edges of some pages are decorated with the *halkâr* technique, while the chapter titles are illuminated in a style typical of the period. Pages 1b and 2a are entirely covered with miniatures, with the scenes surrounded by illuminated edging. The book contains 32 miniature scenes, each depicting a story from the *Shahnameh* painted in the Timur-school style.  \nThe volume is bound in black leather over cardboard and is of a similar period. Four *salbek*s are at the corners, and in the centre of the white umbrella on the covers. The outer border panels are decorated with a variety of colours in the *kat’ı* technique.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 10th century /AD 16th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"42cm x 18cm","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa Library on 1 March 1914.","dynasty":"Safavids (AH 907–1150 / AD 1501–1737)","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, gilding, leather binding"]},"8267bfa4-2166-51d7-8e12-263939dcfc97":{"name":"Calligraphic Galleon","description":"The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities.","type":"Calligram","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Ciancimino & Co, London, until ca. 1965];[Francesca Galloway, London, until 2003]","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766–67","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 48.3 cm, width: 43.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 2003","bibliography":"Blair, S.S., *Islamic Calligraphy.*, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nLeoni, F., \"Islamic Art and the Supernatural.\" In *Power and Protection.*, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University, 2016.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"The Decorated Word: Writing and Picturing in Islamic Calligraphy.\" in *The Burlington Magazine*, vol. 161 (October 2019).  \n  \nDalal, R., S. Roberts, and J. Sokoly, ed., *The Seas and the Mobility of Islamic Art.*,New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.","dynasty":"Ottomans","artist_birthplace":"Turkey","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611","materials":["Ink and gold on paper"]},"8310ae72-ca15-52e6-8f0c-5560520c46c5":{"name":"Folio from a Qur'an manuscript","short_description":"This folio was once part of a two-volume Qur’an produced during the Nasrid period in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. Although paper had reached the Middle East by the tenth century, it did not become widespread in Islamic Spain and North Africa until much later. Despite its conservative use of parchment, the folio displays many characteristics that differentiate it from earlier Qur’an manuscripts. *Sura* headings in gold *kufic* script stand out in contrast with the distinctive *maghribi* script of the text, and gold medallions serve as ornate verse markers.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira late 7th–early 8th century / AD late 13th–early 14th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 53.5cm, W: 55.9cm","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1942  \nVendor: Mrs. Kamer Aga-Oglu, Ann Arbor, MI  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Mrs. Kamer Aga-Oglu, Ann Arbor, MI, until 1942; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Aanavi, Don, \"Western Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 27/3 (November 1968): 199, ill. (b/w).  \nAli, Wijdan, *The Arab Contribution to Islamic Art : From the Seventh to the Fifteenth Centuries*, Jordan: The Royal Society of Fine Arts, Jordan, 1999: 123, ill. fig. 82 (b/w).  \nBurn, Barbara (ed), *Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York; Boston: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993: 82, ill. (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 61–62, no. 32, ill. 62 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 44–45, ill. pl. 3 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 68, 88–89, no. 20, ill.  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 33/1 (Spring 1975): ill. 15 (b/w).  \nEttinghausen, Richard (ed), *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York*, Berlin: Staatliche Museen Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, 1981: 122–23, no. 44, ill. 123 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 33, ill. fig. 40 (colour).  \nWalker, Daniel S., Ponce Guadián, Arturo, Babaie, Sussan, Carboni, Stefano, Froom, Aimee, Swietochowski, Marie Lukens, Masuya, Tomoko, Daskalakis-Matthews, Annie Christine, Kahil, Abdallah and Kessler, Rochelle, *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994-Enero de 1995*, Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994: no. 3, 50–51, ill. 51 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 56–57, ill. fig. 41 (colour).","dynasty":"Nasrid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1942","keywords":["calligraphy","foliated","gold","illumination","ink","Islamic Spain","magribi","manuscript","Nasrid","opaque watercolour","Parchment","Qur'an","religious object","Spain","verse markers"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on parchment"]},"8417a7db-dd62-56ca-887b-404da568f48b":{"name":"\"Design for the Water Clock of the Peacocks\"","alternate_name":"from the Kitab fi ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya (Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices) by Badi' al-Zaman b. al Razzaz al-Jazari","description":"Al-Jazari, the author of this treatise on a variety of practical and fanciful mechanical devices, served at the Artuqid court in Diyar Bakr in the late eleventh to the early twelfth century. Some of the elements of the peacock clock, run by water, are shown in this illustration. In the completed device, the arch containing two peacocks would be surmounted by another containing a peahen that would turn from right to left in the course of a half hour, causing the peacocks to whistle.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Jack S. Rofe, Scotland (until 1929); [Hagop Kevorkian, New York (at least until 1953)]; [ Kevorkian Foundation, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.4 cm, width: 22.1 cm","place_of_production":"Syria or Iraq","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Robinson, B. W., *The Kevorkian Collection: Islamic and Indian Illustrated Manuscripts, Miniature Paintings and Drawings.*, New York, 1953.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"An Exhibit of Islamic and Indian Paintings.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin.*, new series, vol. 14 (December 1955).  \n  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam : Art of the Mamluks.*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.  \n  \nBrinkmann, V., ed. *Machine Room of the Gods : How Our Future was Invented.*, Frankfurt, 2023.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., Deniz Beyazit, and Martina Rugiadi. \"The Great Age of the Seljuqs.\" In Court and Cosmos. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.","dynasty":"Artuqids","artist_birthdate":"1136","artist_birthplace":"Northern Mesopotamia","artist_deathdate":"1206","artist_deathplace":"Northern Mesopotamia","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451302","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"8483f56d-4097-5e63-a47a-8a53aa99f289":{"name":"*Hilye*","short_description":"Despite the steady advance of western-style artworks, traditional Ottoman arts and crafts did not disappear entirely. This hilye or word portrait of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has been rendered on tripartite, foldable cardboard, decorated on the outside with elaborate ebru paper marbling. Its composition follows a layout current since the 11th/17th century when it was devised by the famous Ottoman calligrapher Hafiz Osman (1052-1110 H/1642-1698CE). Traditionally, the hilye presents Hadith recounting the noble physical and spiritual attributes of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), often embellished with rich illumination. A large oval cartouche, with the hadith in black naskhi, appears in the centre, surrounded by four roundels naming the four rightly-guided caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Above the cartouche, the Bismillah is written in thuluth style. Below, a verse from the Holy Qur'an (68:4) is followed by the last lines of the hadith, a prayer, the names of the artist and two individuals certifying his work, and the date. All calligraphic elements are set against a stippled gold background enhanced with European-style floral elements.","type":"Oil on board","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1295 / AD 1878","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"Length 386 mm x 182 mm","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["ebru","hilye","Hafiz Osman","Bismillah"],"materials":["Black ink, pigments, gilding on board; ebru (marbling)"]},"84a2af32-23c5-5782-9961-db81e133a30a":{"name":"\"The Hare, the Lion, and the Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","dynasty":"Muzaffarids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453088","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"85493164-1267-5bd7-94a0-ee830d45bd3c":{"name":"Qur´an folio","short_description":"Parchment folio from a manuscript of the Qur´an in *kufic* script (*Sura* 4: verses 170-3).","type":"Religious manuscript","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Maghrib; Tunis; Kairouan","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["calligraphy","kufic script","religious manuscript"]},"8573340c-4d2f-5e03-8ece-8ea167d4279a":{"name":"Diplomatic document with case.","description":"This document is one of more than 120 letters of diplomatic correspondence kept in the Swedish National Archives that testify to Swedish relations with the Ottomans. In 1657, the Swedish King Charles X Gustavus (r. 1654–60) sent Claes Ralamb and Gotthard Vellingk as his envoys to the Sublime Porte to achieve an alliance with the Ottoman Empire. The Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü who wrote this letter, acknowledges the receipt of two letters from the Swedish king and confirms that his envoys have been admitted to the presence of the sultan. He notifies that the Sublime Porte rejects his request to enter into an alliance with the Ottoman Empire because his actions do not correspond to his words. The grand vizier reproaches the king for his alliance with the former Voivode of Transylvania, Georg Rákóczy, and for his attack on Poland against the will of the sultan. In fact, after his accession to the throne, in 1655 Charles X Gustavus declared war against the Polish King Johann Kasimir because he would not allow his succession to the throne. One year later, in 1656, he gained a victory over Poland. However, the sultan took the Swedish attack on Poland as an attack on the Ottoman Empire. Georg II Rákóczy (1615–60), who had achieved sovereignty in Moldavia and Walachia with the aid of Sultan Mehmed IV, likewise reinforced Sweden's war against the sultan's will. In 1657, for that reason he suffered the loss of the Transylvanian throne at the instigation of the Ottomans. Claes Ralamb (1622–98), who stayed in Istanbul from May 1657 until January 1658, was the first Swedish envoy at the Sublime Porte. In these circumstances, his mission had to come to an end without success. According to the inscription in the left corner above, he presented this letter enveloped in the red silk case on 27 May 1658 to Charles X Gustavus in Gothenburg.","short_description":"Letter written by the sultan’s Grand Vizier Mehmet Köprülü to the Swedish King Charles X Gustavus. Claes Ralamb, the first Swedish envoy at the Sublime Porte, asked, on behalf of his king, for an alliance with the Ottoman Empire. The sultan rejected this and Ralamb returned to Sweden without success.","type":"Paper, ink, silk","holder":"Swedish National Archives.","initial_owner":"King Charles X Gustavus (r. 1654–60).","dates":"Hegira 1067–8 / between May AD 1657 and January AD 1658.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Height 76 cm, width 50 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the date of C. Ralamb's stay in Istanbul. The letter itself is not dated.","method_for_provenance":"This letter was sent by the Grand Vizier Mehmed Köprülü to King Charles X Gustavus written at an encampment near Edirne as mentioned in the letter.","provenance":"Ottoman encampment near Edirne, Turkey.","obtention":"The object is part of the diplomatic correspondence regularly handed over to the National Archives by the Foreign Ministry.","bibliography":"Björkman, W., “Die Schwedisch-Türkischen Beziehungen bis 1800”, in *Festschrift für Georg Jacob zum 70. Geburtstag*, Leipzig, 1932.  \nZetterstéen, K. V., *Türkische, Tatarische und Persische Urkunden im Schwedischen Reichsarchiv*, 1945, pp.25–6, no. 56.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Diplomatic relations","War"],"materials":["Paper, ink, silk."]},"85ef64b4-b35e-5591-9865-b764784b8092":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"This volume is one half of a divided manuscript usually referred to as the Collection of Epics. These paintings belong to the half containing the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’), which is today part of the collections of the Chester Beatty Library. The other half of the manuscript, which consists of shorter epics written in imitation of Firdausi’s *Shahnama*, is held by the British Library. None of the illustrations are original to the manuscript but instead were later added to it, probably about ten years after it was first produced.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 800 / AD 1397","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"25.8 x 16.8 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["arms","calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","lion","miniature painting","Rustam","script","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"869b29bc-51fe-528b-b3a2-1d11954beeb5":{"name":"The Jami‘ al-Mabadi’ wa’l-Ghayat of al-Marrakushi","description":"Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan al-Marrakushi’s treatise, compiled c. 680 AH (AD 1281–2) in Cairo, is the most important written source for medieval Islamic astronomical instruments and includes discussions of sundials, armillary spheres, astrolabes and quadrants for determining time from solar altitude.  \n  \nIt is copied in *naskh* script with 28 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","location":"London","dimensions":"30.8cm x 19.2cm","place_of_production":"Iran or India","method_for_datation":"dated AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","bibliography":"Maddison, F. and Savage-Smith, E., *Science, Tools & Magic. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XII. Part One: Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe, London: The Nour Foundation, 1997: cat. 118, pp. 190-2, 200.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat. 368, p. 311.*","dynasty":"Safavid or Mughal","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Metalwork, water-scoop, ottomans, water"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","leather binding with flap"]},"86b8321d-1511-5aba-a8cf-ce33f27cf40c":{"name":"\"Khusrau Catches Sight of Shirin Bathing\"","alternate_name":"Folio 50 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"One of the five stories related in Nizami's Khamsa (Five Tales) concerns the love affair between the Iranian king Khusrau and the Armenian princess Shirin. This beautifully-detailed painting captures the moment when Khusrau first catches sight of Shirin, bathing in a stream. While the pond has now tarnished to near black, it was originally painting in shining silver, complementing the golden sky above.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"F. R. Martin (Sweden), Alexander Smith Cochran (NY, USA)","dates":"AH 931 / AD 1524–25","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 32.1cm, Width: 22.2 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913.","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts\", *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8 (1913), 80–86.","dynasty":"Safavids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446594","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"87879e92-ff30-570b-8cd8-47fd7a42b282":{"name":"Book of the Images of the Fixed Stars of al-Sufi","alternate_name":"Kitab suwar al-kawakib al-thabita of al-Sufi","description":"This book, based on the Almagest of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, concerns the forty‑eight constellations known as the Fixed Stars, which, according to the medieval conception of the universe, inhabited the eighth of the nine spheres surrounding the earth. The constellations each appear twice in mirror image, shown as observed from the earth and from the sky.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Léonce] Alexandre Rosenberg, Paris, until 1913","dates":"AH late 9th century /AD late 15th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 25,8cm, width 18,1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1913","bibliography":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, D. S. Walker, A. P. Guadián, S. Babaie, S. Carboni, A. Froom, M. L. Swietochowski, T. Masuya, A. C. Daskalakis-Matthews, A. Kahli, and R. Kessler. \"Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995.\" In *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York.* , Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994.  \n  \nCarboni, S., *Following the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., and C. Moore, ed. \"A Resource for Educators.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.","dynasty":"Timurids","artist_birthdate":"903","artist_birthplace":"Rey, Iran","artist_deathdate":"986","artist_deathplace":"Shiraz, Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446297","materials":["Ink and gold on paper","leather binding"]},"87cd43a9-2f34-5603-8fcc-c5f26dd19789":{"name":"Noble Qur'an Manuscript","short_description":"Literally meaning \"the recitation\", the Noble Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) from Allah verbally through archangel Jibril (Gabriel) over a period of twenty-three years (609–632 AD).  \n  \nThe Qur’an is comprised of 114 *surah*s (chapters) classified into two types, *Makki* and *Madani*, depending on whether their *avat* (verses) were revealed before or after the Hijrah (the Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Madinah). The Qur’an is arranged in 30 *juz* (parts).  \n  \nMuslims regard the Qur'an as proof of Muhammed’s prophethood and the culmination of a series of divine revelations from Adam, the first prophet, and continuing with the Scrolls of Suhuf Ibrahim (Abraham), the Torah or *Tawrat* (Pentateuch) of Moses, the Book of Zabūr (Psalms of David, and the *Injil* (Gospel) of Jesus.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"20th Safar 1332 AH / 17th January 1914 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 31.3cm, Width: 21.5cm, Weight: 1641.7g","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","dynasty":"Al-Busaid","scriber":"Muhammed bin Udai al-Battashi al-Wardi","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Noble Qur'an"],"materials":["Ink, gold leaf and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"8913a2c3-c150-58aa-b350-9e9629da01c2":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"These folios are part of a 201-folio fragment of one of the oldest Qur’ans in existence, a manuscript that is generally accepted as having been produced in the early eighth century, and therefore no more than a century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the eleventh year of the Islamic era (AD 632). The text of the Qur’an is always in Arabic and on these folios it is written in *kufic* script on vellum. Colourful bands of mainly geometrical decoration in a palette consisting primarily of red, blue, green and yellow pigments mark the start of each new *sura* (chapter) of the Qur’an.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 2nd century / AD early 8th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"38 x 47 cm","dynasty":"Umayyad","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and ink on vellum"]},"892929c1-c076-5866-8b6c-b938d759084c":{"name":"La Marche de la Caravane du Grand Caire pour la Mecque","description":"‘The march of the caravan from Cairo to Mecca’ is an illustration (page 130 ) from volume II of Troisième voyage du sieur Paul Lucas, fait en M.DCCXIV, & c. par ordre de Louis XIV dans la Turquie, l’Asie, la Sourie, la Palestine, la Haute et la Basse Egypte, & c., by Paul Lucas. It is the earliest printed European depiction of the mahmal procession.","type":"Illustration","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","owner":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"1719","location":"London","dimensions":"Height:16 cm; Width: 35,7cm","place_of_production":"Printed in Rouen, France","catalogue_holding_link":"https://khalilicollections.org/collections/hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage/khalili-collection-hajj-and-the-arts-of-pilgrimage-la-marche-de-la-caravane-du-grand-caire-la-mecque-arc-pt171/","materials":["Engraved print"]},"89551a6b-2ae7-52e1-a91e-7ff3b1d265b5":{"name":"Gradual","description":"Some things are made to last forever. One of them is the Gradual from the St. Katharinental Abbey in what is today the canton of Thurgau. The late Gothic hymnal was created in 1312 and was used in the abbey for approximately 500 years. Because it was kept locked away between uses, the Gradual is in excellent condition and the colours of the precious miniatures adorning the pages have lost none of their brilliance. The book was opened only while the nuns sang from it during Mass. They would stand on the choir steps so that they could all read from the book at the same time. The name «Gradual» derives from the Latin word gradus meaning «step». The book is almost half a metre tall to enable all the nuns to read the liturgical chants. This Gradual is one of the most valuable manuscripts in Switzerland. Weighing thirteen kilograms, it is also a true heavyweight of cultural history.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Swiss National Museum","owner":"Swiss Confederation, Canton of Thurgau, Gottfried Keller Foundation","dates":"around 1312","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"H: 48.5cm, W: 33.5cm, D: 20cm, Weight: 12.2kg","method_for_datation":"Documents","provenance":"St. Katharinental Abbey in Diessenhofen, Canton of Thurgau, Switzerland","obtention":"Bought 1958 at an auction","bibliography":"[https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/searchresult/list/one/snm/LM026117#details](https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/searchresult/list/one/snm/LM026117#details)","keywords":["Canton of Thurgau","Diessenhofen","Gradual","illuminated","manuscript","Parchment","St. Katharinental Abbey","Switzerland"],"materials":["Parchment, illuminated, binding: metal fittings"]},"89a86236-adc3-549a-bfa6-2e0e2a3a3b00":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"These folios are from a copy of the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) made in the city of Shiraz in south-western Iran in AD 1341. The manuscript was produced for Qiwam al-Din, a vizier of the ruling Injuid dynasty. The illustrations are in a horizontal, rather narrow format dominated by large figures executed in what appears a rather unsure hand. Backgrounds are red, gold or unpainted, and vegetation consists of oversized and simplified forms. The manuscript is now dispersed with folios from it held by many museums and libraries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 741 / AD 1341","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"37.5 x 30 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","dynasty":"Injuid","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"89f36061-aab4-567a-ad9a-8b9204d45732":{"name":"Ar-Ribash, *Kitab al-'Izz wa'-manafi' li'l-mujahidin fi sabil Allah b'aalt al-hurub wa'l-madafi'* ('Book of Glory and Advantage for Those Fighting in the Holy War with Artillery and Cannons for the Glory of God')","short_description":"This manual titled ‘Book of Glory and Advantage for Those Fighting in the Holy War with Artillery and Cannons for the Glory of God’ ( *Kitab al-'Izz wa'-manafi' li'l-mujahidin fi sabil Allah b'aalt al-hurub wa'l-madafi'*) was written by Ar-Ribash (in Spanish Rivas or Rives) around 1630-32. It was translated around 1638 from Spanish by Ahmad b. Qasim b. Ahmad b. al-Faqih Qasim b. ash-Shaikh al-Haghari al-Andalusi. According to the colophon, this copy was completed by the scribe Muhammad Khuja, the son of translator Ahmad b. Qasim, in 1050 AH / 1641 AD in the city of Tunis, Tunisia. The manuscript was published by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1811, so it must have entered the Austrian National Library before this date. Interestingly, from a cultural and historical point of view, this North-African copy is an example of European technical knowledge disseminating into the Arab world. However, hadiths were added to the text, and landscape background as well as the figures of European artillerymen were omitted from the 38 half- to full-page technical drawings. Fewer than a dozen copies exist, and their dates of manufacture range from the middle of the 17th to the late 18th century. Another example of this manual is a directly or simultaneously copied manuscript located in the National Library of Algiers in Tunis (no. 1511). The author copied the text of the book *‘Plática manual de artillería’* by Luis Collado (Milan 1592) partly verbatim, and partly in an abridged form. The same manuscript as well as C. Lechuga’s *‘Discurso de la artillería’* (Milan 1611) served as models for the technical illustrations.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1174 AH / 1761 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"367 x 240 mm (270 x 172mm), ff. I, II*, 171 pages/87 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1050 AH / 1641 AD","method_for_provenance":"It bears the old shelfmark no. 73, and was published by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1811.","provenance":"Tunis","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library before 1811.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 17-20.  \nJames, David, \"The Manual de Artillería of al-Ra'is Ibrahim b. Ahmad al-Andalusi with Particular Reference to its Illustrations and their Sources\", *Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies* 41, part 2 (1978): 237-257.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"Muhammad Khuja","binding_desc":"The European white vellum paper binding features a title inscription in brown ink on its spine. The title is written in Arabic script with the added Latin translation of *’Liber gloriae et utilitatis pro iis, qui ope tormentorum bellicorum pro fide certant*.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC15055840","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Artillery","cannon","Maghrib","painting"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic maghribi script of 22 lines per page."]},"89f81d78-7886-5bf1-850f-f11ee861c1ae":{"name":"Qur’an Pages with Case","short_description":"Single pages of the Qur’an from Granada remain inside this box stitched of brown, black, red and white leather. Two leather covers without a spine mantle 1,172 loose paper sheets.  \n  \nFloral and geometric patterns in red and yellow ink surround the *ayah* (verses) in Arabic calligraphy. The Mudejar and Morisco read and wrote scriptures in Arabic as well as Spanish as distinct interpretations of the Qur’an.  \n  \nSince the forced expulsion of Muslims in the 15th century, very few complete samples of Qur’ans from Andalusia still exist. While Arabic calligraphy expresses a religious devotion as the worldly form of God's word, a gradual disappearance of Islamic schools in the Iberian Peninsula limited access for Muslims to study the Arabic language.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"15th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 17.5cm, Width: 12cm, Height: 5.5cm","place_of_production":"Spain, Grenada","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy and inscriptions.","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Ekhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \nGonzalez, V., \"THE HERMENEUTICS OF ISLAMIC ORNAMENT: THE EXAMPLE OF THE ALHAMBRA\", in S. Schmidtke (ed), *Studying the Near and Middle East at the Institute for Advanced Study,* New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2018: 375–388.  \nLopez-Morillas, C., \"The Genealogy of the Spanish Qur’an\", *Journal of Islamic Studies*, 17: 3 (2006): 255–294.  \nOmran, Z., *Applied Art ornamented by Arabic Calligraphy in the Iberian Peninsula (10th-15th centuries)*, Doctoral dissertation, 2021.","dynasty":"Mudejar","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["calligraphy","Granada","Quran","Spain"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper"]},"8a1a5938-d8f7-5633-a242-0a2bc0bf6853":{"name":"Qur’an leaf","short_description":"This is a fragment of one of the luxurious Qur’ans ever produced commonly identified as the Blue Qur’an. It contains verses 267-273 from Sura al-Baqara within 15 lines of *kufic* script in gold ink on indigo dyed-parchment. The extensive use of extended strokes is proof of the use of blunt point ruling of this leaf. The calligraphic style of this leaf is characterised by the letter ha in the form of a semicircle resting on a vertical bar. There are no vocalisation marks above or below the vowels as well as no dots are visible to differentiate between letters of the same shape. As with other leaves of the Blue Qur’an, ornamentation on this leaf is kept to a minimum, with silver rosette, slightly faded and oxidised, marking the end of each verse. Meanwhile, groups of ten verses are marked by a seventeen silver petalled flower design with an inscription in the middle that spells out the number of that particular verse, as on the recto of this leaf it reads ‘seventy-two’.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 300-400 / c. AD 900-1000","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"28.6 x 38.2cm","provenance":"Near East or North Africa","dynasty":"Fatimid","materials":["Kufic script on blue vellum"]},"8a43d752-4d38-57e5-983c-c182f0858098":{"name":"Fath 'Ali Khan Shaba of Kashan, *Shahanshah-nama* (The Book of the King of Kings)","short_description":"The *Shahanshah-nama* (‘The Book of the King of Kings’) is a copy of an epic poem in honour of Fath 'Ali Shah (1772-1834), written by Fath 'Ali Khan Shaba of Kashan (d. 1238 AH / 1822-23) around 1225 AH / 1810 AD in Isfahan, Iran. There is no colophon, however, at the end of the preface, a certain 'Abd al-Wahhab Musawi from Isfahan names himself as the scribe in calligraphic cursive *nasta’liq* script. Another small note in *shikasta* script states the name of a certain Muhammad Husain(i) al-Haqir Bahir ibn Hasib-Allah. The manuscript was presented to Emperor Franz I in Vienna as a gift from Fath 'Ali Shah by the Persian ambassador. The 26 paintings included throughout the book were executed in the European-inspired Qajar style around 1225 AH / 1810 AD. The depictions of Fath 'Ali Shah and his court consist of portrait-like features, and the ruler’s insignia as well as the court costume are of great cultural-historical interest.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 1225 AH / 1810 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"390 x 260 mm (280 x 175 mm), 439+1 folios.","provenance":"Isfahan","obtention":"Presented to Emperor Franz I in Vienna as a gift from Fath 'Ali Shah by the Persian ambassador.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 13-15.","dynasty":"Qajar","scriber":"'Abd al-Wahhab Musawi, Muhammad Husain(i) al-Haqir (?) Bahir ibn Hasib-Allah","binding_desc":"The lacquer binding has a light-brown leather spine. A floral band with corner fillings incorporating multi-coloured flowers frames the central medallions with two pendants each at the top and bottom on the front cover. In the medallion, a small bird’s nest is seen amongst peonies and other flowers on a black background. In the pendants situated above and below the centre medallion, more peonies and pansies are depicted. The undecorated parts of the cover are black-brown with gold speckling. The back cover is attached upside down and is identical to the front cover apart from the bird depiction in its centre. It is made in the Qajar style, likely in early-19th-century Isfahan.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14412032","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Shahanshah-nama"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic cursive nasta'liq script of 20 or more lines per page."]},"8a6532ff-cf2a-5f34-9f53-a4d9192c2490":{"name":"A folio from the Maqamat al-Hariri representing a *Jendoul* (folio 61r)","description":"The boat depicted by Yahya al-Wasiti in this AH 7th / AD 13th-century miniature, illustrating the \"Maqamat\" of al-Hariri, is a richly ornamented boat rowed by three men standing aft. The story it illustrates mentions that it was used on the river Euphrates. The fact that three oarsmen were needed suggests that it may have been rowed upstream, as well as carrying several passengers and perhaps cargo.  \n  \nIn AH 1444 - 1445 / AD 2023-24, artist Rashad Salim and the Safina Projects team studied this image in detail in preparation to reconstruct the historic boat. This was an unusual challenge, as the image is not proportionate. The study process included creating artist’s impressions and technical drawings, scale modelling by three different modelmakers experienced in different kinds of boatbuilding, and experimentation with rowing methods to understand how this boat worked and to calculate its proportions before the first prototype Abbasid Jendoul reconstruction was built in AH 1444 - 1445 / 2024-25.","type":"Folio","holder":"National Library of France","initial_owner":"The manuscript was probably produced for the Turkic emir shown in the left-hand frontispiece (folio 1v), a lieutenant of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir (r. AH 623–639 / AD 1226–1242)","dates":"AH 634 / AD 1236-1237","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Page 37cm x 28cm","method_for_datation":"Colophon in the manuscript provides the name of the artist and date of completion.","method_for_provenance":"Similarity with other Baghdadi manuscripts, and the appearance of the name of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir in one of the paintings (AH 8th / 15th maqama, fol. 164v).","provenance":"Probably Baghdad","obtention":"Acquired from the estate of collector Charles Schefer in 1899.","dynasty":"Abbassids","artist_birthdate":"Unknown (probably late AH 6th / 12th - early AH 7th /  AD13th)","artist_birthplace":"Probably Wasit","artist_deathdate":"Unknown (probably mid- to late AH 7th / AD 13th century)","artist_deathplace":"Unknown","scriber":"Yahya ibn Mahmoud al-Wasiti","binding_desc":"Leather","catalogue_holding_link":"https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52519766k/f131.item.zoom","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","crew","manuscript","maqamat al-hariri","miniature","painting","passengers","rowing","wasiti"],"materials":["calligraphy, miniature painting.","Parchment, watercolours"]},"8af510d9-874c-5bbc-951d-4a7aa8e9950f":{"name":"*Silsile-name* ('Chain book' or Genealogy)","short_description":"This *Silsile-name*, meaning chain book or genealogy, was completed by the scribe and painter Huseyin in 1104 AH / 1692 AD in Istanbul, according to the colophon. It was acquired in Turkish Ottoman territory soon after by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (died 1730 AD) and listed in the printed catalogue of his personal library in 1702, his coat of arms appearing as embossed stamps on two folios (fol. 2a, 36a). However, it was acquired by the Austrian National Library in the early 18th century and restored in 1921, as an inscription on fol. 1a indicates. Family trees and their graphical representation in the form of linked circular medallions - hence the name - have had a long tradition in Islam since the early 14th century. The literary form of such genealogies referring to ancestors, however, originated under Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century. Starting with Adam and Eve, these manuscripts develop from the great biblical prophets and legendary rulers of Iran to the most important Arabic, Mongol, Persian, and Turkish dynasties, concluding with the contemporaneous Ottoman rulers. The genealogies were often conceived as scrolls, and here this appearance is even reflected in book form with the connecting lines between profiles continuing horizontally across the page from right to left. These family trees are of great cultural and art-historical interest as they exist in large numbers and reveal manifold artistic source material that even draw on European models. Moreover, their political objective to legitimise the Ottoman rule based on past history reveals the manner of self-representation of Ottomans as well as their visual evaluation regarding specific ancestral figures. As these genealogies are traced back to pagan or biblical times, the names of saints become part of a dynastic claim of legitimacy and historical awareness. Genealogies with paintings in medallion form can be divided into two categories: one creating manuscripts of the highest quality in an Istanbul studio working for the court, and the other one of slightly lower quality produced by workshops of the Mevleviye Order, which were either located in Istanbul or in various places in the Ottoman province such as Baghdad at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. This particular copy was likely made by a workshop close to the court, stylistically relating to a similar manuscript located in Warsaw, Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa, BOZ 183). Its 36 folios are in horizontal landscape format, with inscriptions accompanying the tondo-shaped miniatures that were carefully crafted by the otherwise unknown painter Huseyin in the Ottoman court style from the end of the 17th century. Depending on the importance of the person depicted, the diameter of the circular medallions varies; moreover, the flame aureoles of saintly figures stand out amongst their mortal counterparts. While the biblical ancestors and the Turkish tribal fathers are depicted in small roundels, the medallions increase in size starting with the Prophet Muhammad, his successors, the Abbasid caliphs, and the Mongol rulers, reaching its biggest form in the depiction of the first Ottoman sultan (fol. 30a). The great variety of the elaborate robes and of the headdresses adorned with numerous decorative elements point to the luxury of the commission. European painting conventions are reflected in the shading, the colour scape, and the modelling of the skin, masterfully combined with Ottoman artistic traditions. However, while the prophets and past rulers are shown as ideal portraits following traditional models in a uniform scheme, the depictions of later Ottoman sultans have individual, portrait-like features. This reveals that the painter may have had access to portrait miniatures from the sultan’s collection at court.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1104 AH /1692 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"225 x 345 mm (170 x 250 mm), ff. I*, 36 folios.","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1104 AH / 1692 AD","method_for_provenance":"Acquired in Turkish Ottoman territory in 1692 or 1699 by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (died 1730 AD) and listed in the 1702 printed catalogue of his library as no. 1 of Turkish manuscripts. On fol. 2a and fol. 36a, likely the count’s coat of arms appears as an embossed stamp. On fol. 1a, there is an old signature as well as an inscription outlining that it was restored in June 1921.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library since the early 18th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 15-26.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"Huseyin","binding_desc":"The brown-black leather binding has a stamped arrangement of a central medallion with two pendants on the sides, as well as profiled corner fillings. The decorative motifs present reddish floral arrangements and stylised cloud bands over a gold background. While the delicate ornamentation on the binding still reflects 16th-century traditions, it was likely made at the end of the 17th century.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387495","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Adam","Eve","genealogy","medaillon","Mehmet","Muhammad","painting","prophet","Süleyman","sultan","turban","Zahhak"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Small Turkish naskh in three columns up to 20 lines per page."]},"8b77b70b-784c-5988-890e-779ea486c18e":{"name":"Letter by the Prefect of Cosenza (Calabria, Italy) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Trade, referring to the exceedingly long working hours of women and children in the spinning factories","short_description":"In Italy, the first law that introduced some forms of protection for female workers was approved in 1902 (l. 242/1902). It limited the working hours for women to 12 hours a day and introduced a one-month maternity leave after delivery. When this letter was written, there was a discussion in the country on the possible regulation of the working conditions of women and children. The Prefect of Cosenza reported that there were factories in which women and children worked from 4:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night.","type":"Letter (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Cosenza","dates":"Cosenza, 4 January 1896","location":"Cosenza","author":"Margherita Martino","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8bfb57b0-3eda-5341-8fd5-4e8591fd6cb2":{"name":"Treaty between the Moroccan Government and Great Britain","description":"The 1856 Treaty between the Moroccan Government and Great Britain began the European race to concede the Sharifian Kingdom of Morocco.","type":"Treaty; historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1856","location":"Tetouan","keywords":["British in Morocco","international relations","diplomacy","treaty","Europeans in Morocco","economy","trade","commerce","industrialists","sea trade","sea routes","maritime routes","ports","Moroccan ports"],"materials":["Paper"]},"8c914730-20a7-5718-b92c-20ee629a7048":{"name":"Circular letter by the Italian Director General of Police to all the Italian Prefects, regarding 'Italian migration to Tunis and Bona (Algeria)'","short_description":"The Italian consuls reported large numbers of unemployed Italian migrants in Bona (Algeria), where many Italians ended up begging in the streets, and in Tunis, where many Italians were in dire straits. The Director General of Police instructed the Prefects to inform the Italian population about this situation and warn it against “the shameful and fraudulent enticement by Migration Agents who, out of greed, push our peasants towards the most heartbreaking poverty”. The Prefects were also instructed to “assiduously prevent clandestine migration and repress its promoters”.","type":"Circular letter (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Catania","dates":"Rome, 6 December 1878","location":"Catania","author":"Anna Maria Iozzia","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8c92f71c-b73f-530e-9820-d74185e369c6":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"The Qur’an is often divided into sections, such as thirty sections, one to be read each day of Ramadan, the month of fasting, or seven sections, one to be read each day of the week. In this manuscript the end of each section was originally marked by an illuminated finispiece. Each page of text is written in *thuluth* script in gold ink outlined in black.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 607 / AD 1211","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"12.2 x 16 cm","place_of_production":"Sinjar","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Abbasid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1448/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"8d580ca5-2f15-5f82-9f15-cc5c1c0c7b42":{"name":"'The Dervish from Faryab Crosses the River on his Rug'","description":"In his *Bustan* (The Flower Garden), Sadi described an amazing experience that he had on a ferry. While the author paid for his journey, an old dervish from the town of Faryab did not have the money and was left on the riverbank. As the boat made the crossing, Sadi heard laughter in its wake. It was the dervish, sailing over the river on his prayer rug.  \n  \nIn this rendition, the ferry is shown as a western carrack, with Sadi dressed in a green caftan and standing in the bow. The page comes from a manuscript calligraphed by Mir Ali Haravi in Herat in AH 932 / AD 1526. At this point, the volume evidently had only a few illustrations, while others were added later in a style in keeping with the original ones.  \n  \nThe richness of detail on this painting harks back in time, though the young man standing next to Sadi is wearing a turban typical of the Shah Abbas period (r. AH 995- 1039 / AD 1587-1629). This shah was responsible for the completion of the manuscript, and the stamp at the top shows that it was donated to the family sanctuary in Ardabil in 1608/1609.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 1008-1016 / AD 1600-1608","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"folio: 28.5cm × 18.5cm","place_of_production":"Isfahan (Iran)","bibliography":"Christie's, London 21/4-2016, lot 100.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners, Copenhagen: The David Collection*, 2017: cat. 31.  \n  \nMeyer, Joachim, *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat.119, 290--291.","dynasty":"Safavids","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Bustan","Dervish","folio","manuscript","miniature","Sadi","water"],"materials":["Pigments"]},"8dd3b36c-526b-5668-b79e-f5e7fec4f4dc":{"name":"Anthology of Persian Poetry","short_description":"Manuscripts of this particular format are known by the term *safina*, a Persian word meaning ‘boat’ and an apparent reference to their long and narrow, boat-like shape. *Safina*s were presumably designed to be carried in the pocket, and most are anthologies of verse, as is this one. *Safina*s were especially popular in fifteenth-century Iran, during the reign of the Timurid dynasty. The three paintings included here illustrate Firdausi’s *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’) and Nizami’s Layla and Majnun. The margins of most pages of the manuscript are decorated with stencilled patterns.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 853 / AD 1449","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"21.2 x 7.7 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"902c2907-e9b7-5dd0-9cee-203c7c56caa4":{"name":"A leaf from the *Siyar-i-Nabi*","short_description":"In 1376 AD, the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria celebrated his coming to power by commissioning the compilation and translation of the history of Prophet Muhammad. Sultan Barquq ordered the renowned Mustafa ibn Yusuf ibn Umar al-Mevlevi al-Erzumi to author the history of the Prophet known as *Siyar-i Nabi*. Two hundred years later, in AD 1594-95, the celebrated text was copied by the royal scribe Mustafa ibn Vali in Istanbul. The manuscript was a royal commission where in every other page the scribe would leave space for miniature. The completed six volumes depicting 814 miniatures were later presented to the Ottoman Sultan Murad II. In this leaf, the illustration shows a group of visitors in awe, when they saw the house of a humble pious boy, who has the utmost respect and affection to the Prophet Muhammad (saw), has turned into a palace as a divine gift.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"c. Hegira 1000 / c. AD 1600","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"37.2 x 26.6cm","method_for_provenance":"\\- Commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Murad III in 1594;  \n  \n\\- In the possession of Princess Se'adetlu Bash-Rukhshah-Qadin Hazretleri in 1753;  \n  \n\\- In the possession of Major R.G. Gayer-Anderson.","provenance":"Turkey","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 18. Müstakim-zade, Süleyman Saadeddin, *Tuhfe-i Hattatin*, Istanbul, 1928.  \nSuyolcuzade, Mehmed Necib, *Devhatul Kuttab*, Istanbul, 1942.","dynasty":"Ottoman","materials":["Gouache heightened with gold on paper"]},"9046e802-e0a4-5cd0-ad42-5b6b93278655":{"name":"Two pages from a Qu’ran.","description":"These two pages which contain the *sura*s, al-Balad (verses 10–20) and al-Shams (verses 1–6) are taken from a Qur'an written in thick *kufic* script.  \nThe orthographical signs are denoted by single red dots and the *tanwin* by two vertically arranged red dots in the manner of Abi al-Aswad, (d. AH 61 / AD 681). The use of the colour red to denote all the orthographical signs is a system that was adopted by the Iraqi school of calligraphy, unlike the Andalusian school which used various colours. In the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan there are Qur'ans displaying both methods of writing, which shows the important linking role that Ifriqiya played as a meeting place between East and West.  \nThe tenth verse is marked with a star surrounded by multicoloured lobes. The title of the *sura* is made up from the name of the *sura* and the number of verses it contains. It is written in gilt *kufic* script framed with stippled strap-work reminiscent of the decoration of some of the contemporary bookbinding from Kairouan. The frame has a palm-leaf motif made up of stylised leaves and floral arabesques which extend to the edges of the page.","short_description":"Taken from a Qur'an written in *kufic* script, these two pages contain two Qur'anic quotations: the *suras* al-Balad (verses 10–20) and al-Shams (verses 1–6). The use of red for the orthographic symbols is typical of the Iraqi school of calligraphy, while the Andalusian school used a range of colours.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","dates":"Hegira, late 2nd–early 3rd centuries / AD 8th–9th centuries.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 35 cm, width 25 cm; 14 lines.","method_for_datation":"Compared with other Qur'ans dating from the middle of the 3rd / 9th century, the *kufic* lettering style seems more archaic, allowing us to date this Qur'an from the late 2nd to the early 3rd century (8th / 9th century). This is corroborated by the decorations found at the beginning of each *sura* in this Qur'an, which are mostly geometric and have a more naïve look about them than later Qur'ans.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an belonged to the old library of the Great Mosque. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Probably Kairouan.","obtention":"At the time of the abolition of the *habus* foundation in 1959, this Qur'an was acquired by the Bardo Museum before being transferred to the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada in 1983.","bibliography":"*Tunisia**: from Christianity to Islam* (exhibition catalogue), Lattes, 2001, p.194, plate no. 112.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","dynasty":"Aghlabid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","furnishing","geometric decoration","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Decorated parchment."]},"9245b827-e2b3-5d39-ad6f-d1f2358eaffb":{"name":"Fatwa on water management","alternate_name":"Legal opinion on water rights; Islamic jurisprudence manuscript","description":"This manuscript presents a fatwa—an Islamic legal opinion—concerning the management and distribution of water in Moroccan society. Issued by a religious jurist (*faqih*) in Marrakech during the AH mid-14th / AD mid-20th century, it reflects the pivotal role of Islamic law (*fiqh*) in regulating access to water as both a natural resource and a sacred trust. The fatwa provides guidance on conflicts between water users, allocation of irrigation turns, and the religious duty of ensuring fairness and equity in distribution. Written in Arabic script in clear, formal calligraphy, the text embodies the enduring connection among law, faith, and environmental stewardship in Morocco. Such documents illustrate how water, a scarce and precious resource, was historically governed through ethical and religious frameworks, complementing customary practices and communal agreements. Today this manuscript serves as a testimony to the moral and spiritual dimensions of water management, highlighting how Islamic scholarship reinforced the idea of water as a collective right entrusted by God. The manuscript’s presence in the museum underscores the continuity of faith-based governance and its influence on Moroccan hydraulic traditions.","type":"Manuscript: religious and legal text","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious institution / private library (later transferred to museum)","dates":"AH 1370s / AD 1950s","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx.): 30cm x 22cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on internal colophon, handwriting, and curatorial records.","method_for_provenance":"Museum documentation and historical context of religious endowments.","obtention":"Museum acquisition for permanent exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","dynasty":"Post-colonial Morocco","scriber":"Traditional Islamic scholar (anonymous copyist)","author":"MUSEUM Staff, Layan Shahin","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["fatwa","Islamic law","Marrakech","Morocco","religious manuscript","water rights"],"materials":["Arabic script in traditional calligraphy","Ink on paper"]},"92b3efa7-036f-51ea-b0de-19ce7cc1ea97":{"name":"The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II a","short_description":"The miniature painting “The Khaqan of Chin consults his advisors on the war with Iran” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. This painting is attributed to Siyavush, a Georgian slave at the court of Tahmasp who contributed an impressive total of 22 paintings to this manuscript. The scene shows the Khaqan and his advisors taking stock of the death of their champion Kamus-i Kashani in the recent battle with Rustam.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45.5 x 31.2cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["folio","manuscript","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold, silver and ink on paper"]},"93fe25c7-170f-5744-87f3-b4b4861a6ad7":{"name":"Part 15 of a 30-part Qur’an copied by Yaqut al-Musta‘simi","short_description":"Three other sections of this Qur’an survive in various libraries, but this is the only one that retains its original illumination. The frontispiece is decorated with a panel of intersecting rectangles and circles in gold with rich arabesque ornament in black, blue, white and red. The opening and closing spreads of text have three lines to the page. The heading of *sura* *al-Kahf* (XVIII) is written in white *kufic* in a decorated panel with a marginal palmette (folio 34b). The main text is in *muhaqqaq*.  \nFolio 58a bears the signature of the celebrated Baghdadi calligrapher, Yaqut al-Musta‘simi (d. 1298 AD), who gave the classical repertory of Qur’anic calligraphy known as the Six Pens its canonical form. Through his teaching and the eminent pupils who followed him, his version of the Six Pens was in use in many parts of the Islamic world from the 14th to the 17th centuries.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *muhaqqaq* script; *kufic* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hejira 681 / AD 1282–3","location":"London","dimensions":"24.5 x 17cm; 58 folios","method_for_datation":"Both date and provenance are based on the signature of the calligrapher, Yaqut al-Musta‘simi, whose work well documented.","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.11, pp.60–67.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.160, p.139.","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["gold","Ilkhanid","illumination","ink","Iraq","kufic","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","muhaqqaq script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour","Yaqut al-Musta‘simi"],"materials":["16th-century Iranian stamped and gilded leather binding and flap, with paper-filigree doublures","Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"940aec1c-3a64-5908-99a0-bb3d302b70cd":{"name":"The Noble Qur’an (single volume)","short_description":"The circle is an Islamic symbol of wholeness and unity and a quintessential element of Omani design. This is a recurrent theme throughout Islam culture as demonstrated by this example of the Noble Qur'an. Circular motifs and families of patterns are based on the mathematical division of circles into smaller geometric components. Hexagons, octagons, squares and triangles are used in combination with smaller circles and other geometric elements to form elaborate medallion-like designs known as 'roundels'. Roundels are featured in wood, plaster, copper and silver work and serve as a central motif on the *al-kummah* (men’s traditional embroidered cap). Contained entirely within a single circle, the roundel exemplifies the mathematical lucidity that characterises all Islamic art and architecture.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"Rabi al-Awwal 1295 AH / 6 March 1878 AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 33.4cm, Width: 24.3cm, Weight: 2212.7g","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","dynasty":"Al-Busaid","scriber":"Umar bin Salim bin Said al-Mahruqi","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["manuscript","Noble Qur'an"],"materials":["Ink on paper"]},"94fdd44c-a8e5-54f6-97c9-c03ca1038043":{"name":"*Shifa' al-gharam bi akhbar al-balad al-haram*","description":"A 15th-century manuscript copied in the early 18th century consisting of 247 folios, written in the Moroccan calligraphic style known as *Mujawhar*.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Al-Qarawiyyin Library","dates":"Early 18th-century copy of 15th-century original","location":"Fez","dimensions":"H: 20cm, W: 27cm","keywords":["Travel","pilgrimage","Islamic pilgrimage","Hajj","Mecca","Holy Cities","Hajj","pilgrimage account","history","journey","copy","manual copying","manuscript","calligraphy","mujawhar"],"materials":["Paper"]},"95a395e9-4f22-5c84-a839-c155ac43072c":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Two brothers pick up an elephant on the field; Farrukh-Nizhad goes, picks the elephant up, and converts them to Islam","short_description":"Great deeds, mainly lifting heavy weights, are arguments for the correctness of Islam. The text of the episode is unknown.","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Museum of Applied Arts","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","dynasty":"Mughal","catalogue_holding_link":"https://sammlung.mak.at/sammlung_online?id=collect-200239","author":"Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, Peter Klinger","keywords":["Elephant","Hamzanama","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"964a5e5c-38f2-52e1-916c-5aa787fad913":{"name":"\"How a Braggart was Drowned in a Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio 33v from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This miniature is an illustration of the most dramatic episode in the tale told by the Moorish princess in the Green Paviliion on Monday. While traversing the desert, Bashr, a good and pious man, and his bragging and evil-minded traveling companion come upon a jar filled with pure water sunk into the sand. After they have quenched their thirst, the selfish companion insists upon bathing in the water, in spite of Bashr's pleas against polluting it. The water turns out to be a deep well fed by a spring, and the heedless companion drowns. The tale ends happily for the deserving Bashr. The well is shown from two different perspectives to aid the viewer's comprehension of the scene.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"ca. AH 834 / AD 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting height: 22.5cm, width: 12.1cm; Page height: 27.9cm, width: 18.3cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in *Ars Orientalis* vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, no.62, (1989).","dynasty":"Timurids","artist_deathdate":"AH 880/1 / AD 1475/6","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455058","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"97db9709-4e82-56eb-ae90-1e74fcf69789":{"name":"Qur΄an leaf","short_description":"This vellum Qur΄an page has 13 lines in *kufic* script. The vowels are indicated by red dots. Text: *Surat al A’raf*, VII, parts of verses 77–86. Verse 80 is marked with an illuminated device in colours and gold.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira late 3rd–early 4th century / AD late 9th–early 10th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 20.5 cm","provenance":"Near East or North Africa","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["kufic","manuscript","Qur΄an","religious manuscript","Vellum"],"materials":["Vellum, ink, gold and red pigment"]},"983679b0-e53d-525c-8c34-9b140549ef18":{"name":"Fragment of a medical prescription.","description":"A fragment of a medical prescription on papyrus that consists of six lines written in simple *kufic* script in black ink. It mentions the benefits of *aloe vera* for the treatment of certain ailments such as fever, stings, gripes/colic, earaches and spleen ailments. The text may be read in the following manner:  \n'… God, most gracious and the most merciful///  \naloe … with barley water///  \nfor fever, it is drunk with coriander water… and for colic and dysentery it is drunk with lukewarm water and for the \\[bites\\] of the scorpion/// and the viper, it is drunk with cold water and for the child who complains of earaches, \\[it is drunk\\] with mother's milk/// and for the spleen \\[ailment\\] it is drunk with tamarind water and for flatus, it is drunk with the water of fenugreek/// and hummus \\[ground chick peas\\].'  \nThe healing power of plants was well-known since the early Islamic period, for they were used to produce simple drugs concocted from various ingredients. Medicines were prepared by doctors and druggists (medicinal herbal specialists or *attar*) either in a hospital setting or in small pharmacies.  \nThe *aloe* leaves were pressed and preserved until they were needed. They were used in the treatment of other illnesses, in addition to those mentioned in the prescription, such as aching joints and sore eyes. *Aloe* was also used in the production of ink.","short_description":"From the early times, simple and compound medicines using extracts from plants were prepared by physicians and druggists and were highly effective. This prescription is based on the use of the aloe plant in curing various ailments.","type":"Medical prescription, papyrus","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira beginning of the 2nd century / AD 8th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 12 cm, width 5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document has been dated by comparison with a marriage certificate and a letter, both of which are also in the Museum's collection, and the similarities with regard to the style of the *kufic* script together with the papyrus on which they are all written. The marriage certificate is dated AH 91 (AD 709), and the prescription AH 106 (AD 724). These items are preserved in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, the first bearing the registry number of 25295 and the second, 22999.","method_for_provenance":"Doctor Henry Amin 'Awad who donated this document to the museum related that he bought this piece, along with another artefact, from some collectors who gathered together archaeological finds from amongst the ruins of the city Fustat, and sold whatever they found. This was before the Egyptian law on protection of antiquities was passed.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"This piece was donated to the museum by Doctor Henry Amin 'Awad in 1974, amongst many other pieces that he donated to the museum, which included medical and surgical implements and various Islamic coinage. Henry 'Awad is considered one of the biggest collectors of artefacts in Egypt, who has also undertaken studies on branches of the Islamic arts.","bibliography":"Hammad, al-Sayyed, M., *Adawat al-Kitabamin al-Fath al-Arabi hatta al-'asr al-Mamluki \\[Writing Implements from the Arab Conquest to the Mamluk Period\\],* MA thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Sohag, 1982.  \nIbrahim, H., *Sina'atal-Alwan wa al-Asbagh wa al-Ahbar \\[Production of Colours, Dyes and Inks\\],* PhD thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Sohag, 1982.  \nIsa, A., *Mu'jamasma' al-Nabat \\[Dictionary of Plant Names\\],* Cairo, 1930.  \nal-Nuwairi, Shihab al-Din A., *Nihayat al-Irab fi Funun al-Adab \\[The Culmination of Skill in the Literary Arts\\],* Cairo, 1929.","dynasty":"Abbasid","author":"Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["inscription/writing","kufic script","medicine.","Papyrus"],"materials":["Papyrus, written in black ink."]},"984e9648-99b0-5b96-b617-3bc4c6acf1fe":{"name":"The Night of Power (*Shab-i Qadr*)  \nFolio from the *Khamsa* of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (1253–1325)","short_description":"This folio illustrates an episode from a five-part poem known as the *Khamseh* (Quintet), written in Persian between 1298 and 1305\\[1\\] by the prominent Indian poet Amir Khusraw Dihlavi. Known widely as Khusraw, he also wrote historical epics and romances, and worked under Turkish nobles in India in the late 13th century before entering the patronage of the royal court in Delhi, India.\\[2\\] Khusraw’s *Khamseh* (Quintet) evokes in its form and style a five-poem collection by the Persian poet Nizami (d. 1209). This copy of the *Khamseh* was produced near Delhi in the 15th century.\\[3\\] At some point in its history, its contents were dispersed. 'The Night of Power' (*Shab-i Qadr*) is the sole folio in the Aga Khan Museum Collection that originates from this dispersed manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.8 x 25.2cm","provenance":"India, Delhi","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"\\[1\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n\\[2\\] Welch and Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982: 146.  \n\\[3\\] Junod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia (eds), *Los Mundos del Islam en la Colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundación La Caixa, 2009: 74.  \n  \nJunod, Benoît and Ladan, Akbarnia, *Los mundos del Islam en la colección del Museo Aga Khan*, Barcelona: Fundacion La Caixa, 2009. ISBN: 9788499000138.  \nWelch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801415487.","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["folio","poem","poetry","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"99095f8b-3eac-55bd-8d83-8bd6a4a69678":{"name":"Qur’an","short_description":"This *juz'* is the final section of a 30-volume Qur’an from Morocco, written in brown ink using *maghribi* script, developed in AH 4th century / AD 10th century North Africa. Sura headings are in Kufic script, the word Allah is highlighted in gold through the text. Verses are marked by polylobed gold markers, while groups of verses are separated by teardrop and circular shapes. Copied by Ahmad ibn ‘Ali, it was dedicated to Abu Muhammad Sayyid ‘Abdallah al-Ghazwani, a Sufi saints of Marrakesh.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 1063 / AD 1653","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 25.8 cm, width: 20.5 cm, depth: 3.3 cm","provenance":"Morocco","obtention":"Bernard Quaritch Ltd, until 1999; sold to Qatar Museums via Bonham's London","bibliography":"Al Khemir, Sabiha, *From Cordoba To Samarqand, Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha*, Milan: Musée du Louvre Editions, 2006.  \nHilloowala, Franak, *Reading Qur'anic Manuscripts*, Doha: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 2011.","dynasty":"Alawite","author":"Mounia Chekhab-Abudaya","keywords":["Alawite","manuscript","Morocco"],"materials":["Illumination, Calligraphy, Bookbinding","Ink, Opaque Watercolour, Leather, Gilt Paint, Paper"]},"991ad9fb-ccb2-54f0-bbd7-d7ec9a42287a":{"name":"Khwaja Shams ad-Din Muhammad, named Hafiz, Diwan","short_description":"This manuscript is an 18th-century copy of the Diwan, a famous book of Khwaja Shams ad-Din Muhammad who was better known as Hafiz. The colophon found on the last page of the book contains the name of the scribe Muhammad Hashim as well as the date ‘AH 1202’, which corresponds to the years 1787-88 AD. The manuscript’s production itself can be traced to Iran, and a possible dedication to the Persian vizier Amir ‘Aziz Khan can be found on fol. 36b-37a. The two richly decorated opening pages consist of illuminated headings that are typical of later styles of Persian illumination. The blue and gold colour scheme with white, pink and red floral scrolls lining the page reflect a decorative abundance to the start of the book.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 1202 / 1787-88 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"229 x 145mm (178 x 98mm). ff. I, I*, 285 folios.","place_of_production":"Most likely Iran","method_for_datation":"Colophon: name of the scribe, date.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 36b-37a there is a possible dedication to the Persian vizier Amir 'Aziz Khan.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Part of the Austrian National Library since 1820/30.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 107-108.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 8, 9, 11.","dynasty":"Likely Qajar","scriber":"Muhammad Hashim","binding_desc":"This black leather binding shows damaged gold embossing on the outside, while the leather doublures are bright red. This binding was likely produced in the late 18th century in Iran.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410737","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Diwan","Hafiz","illumination","nasta’liq"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in one or two columns and 12 lines per page (Persian)."]},"996c8cbc-b4e1-51f3-8b92-38f27863f839":{"name":"Bahram Gur hunts, slaying a lion and a lioness  \nFolio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings)","short_description":"This folio from the dispersed copy of the “Freer” *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) depicts a classical Sasanian image of kingly power by illustrating an episode in the life of the Sasanian kings: Bahram Gur (r. 420­–38).  \nBahram V, “that great hunter”, is depicted in the midst of hunting lions (instead of the onagers—in Persian, gur—the source of his nickname). This adventure had begun with the king’s dispatching the male lion with an arrow to the heart; the beast roared mightily as it expired, alerting its mate. She herself lunged at Bahram, clawing him, but not preventing him from drawing his sword to slay her, too. As so often in Firdausi’s tales of Bahram, the hunt was followed by feasting and wine, and the inevitable inebriation. On this occasion, however, inebriation led to disaster and Bahram, aghast, prohibited the drinking of wine. But shortly thereafter, when wine also made possible the taming of an escaped lion, the king reversed his prohibition.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Late 13th or early 14th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"30.8 x 22.1cm","provenance":"Western Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["animals","folio","Freer","hunting","lions","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, gold, and silver on paper"]},"9a102fc6-396b-58a9-ba31-7edc20e68a04":{"name":"Report on the behaviour of Rustam Pasha","short_description":"A report on Rustem Pasha, the *mutasarrif* or governor of Mount Lebanon, and his treatment of his subjects. The report describes him as a tyrannical and unjust governor with oppressive policies, curbing the autonomy of tribunals, for example. He also imposed high taxes on the tobacco trade in Mount Lebanon and ignored many of the Sultan's decrees.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Lebanese Heritage Museum","dates":"1870s","location":"`Ayn Najm","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Marie Therese Moujabber","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Manuscript","Handwritten"]},"9a63e53d-e8cc-5b91-9223-bdcd6013b48e":{"name":"Two pages from the Qur'an","short_description":"Two folios of the Qur'an, created by Iranian masters in the AD 15th century, are of exceptional importance. The style of handwriting, as well as ornamental decoration, indicates that the manuscript could have been created in Herat, the capital of Timurid state (now the territory of Afghanistan). The pages on display include the Qur'an *Sura* chapters #87 \"The Most High\", #88 \"The Overwhelming\", #90 \"The City\", #91 \"The Sun\", #92 \"The Night\".","type":"Calligraphy; Manuscript; Miniature","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"First half of AD 15th century (?)","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 31cm, Width: 43cm (total folio, two pages attached together)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by A. Ivanov examination (1966).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","provenance":"Eastern Iran or Afghanistan","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection.","bibliography":"Baker, Colin F., *Qur'an Manuscripts: Calligraphy, Illumination, Design*, London: British Library, 2007.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nBilenko, Halyna and Vyshnevetska, Mariya, et al., *State Collections of Ukraine*, album, The Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Museum of Arts, 2009.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","dynasty":"Timurid","author":"Antonina Makarevych, Hanna Rudyk","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Iran","manuscript","Qur'an","Timurid"],"materials":["Ink, paints and gold on paper"]},"9ac5a090-8009-512f-bf82-741324800a8f":{"name":"Manuscript *Al-Nawadar al-Sultaniya wa al-Mahasin al-Yusufiya*\\[Sovereign Rarities and Yusufi Merits\\].","alternate_name":"The Biography of Salah al-Din","description":"A manuscript written in *naskhi* (cursive)script which, due to the physical condition of the paper, is not entirely legible. It consists of 412 pages, each of which contains 15 lines. The pages are yellowing due to their extremely old age, and the effects of airborne moisture in the paper.  \nThe author of the manuscript (Ibn Shaddad) joined the service of Salah al-Din Ayyubi (known as Saladin, r. AH 564–89 / AD 1169–93) who appointed him as an officer of his troops in Jerusalem. He remained a lieutenant to Saladin until his death, after which Ibn Shaddad headed to Aleppo where he built a *madrasa*. Next door to it he constructed a dar al-hadith (Hadith School). He settled in Aleppo until his death.  \nIbn Shaddad divided his manuscript into three parts: the first section covers the birth of Saladin, his creativity, characteristics, attributes, morals and nature; the second focuses on the changes in his circumstances, his wars and conquests to the end of his life; and the third revolves around the names of the cities and citadels that Saladin conquered between AH 583–86 / AD 1187–90.  \nThe author mentions that his contact with Saladin began in AH 584 / AD 1189 and he accompanied him until his death in AH 589 / AD 1193. Ibn Shaddad mentions that with regard to the history of events, some of which he was not eyewitness to, he depended on trusted sources. As for those events he did witness, he could describe what he saw himself. This biography is considered to be one of the most reliable references about him, thus historians rely on it for an accurate account of Saladin's life, especially in the final period of his life (AH 584–89 / AD 1189–93).  \nThe author gives detailed descriptions of historical events and battles as well as details of the weapons that were used by the Islamic and Crusader armies. Furthermore, the author gives many descriptions of the social and administrative situations in Islamic and Crusader societies, showing that there was communication between the Ayyubid and Crusader states.","short_description":"This is a biography of Sultan Salah al-Din Ayyubi (Saladin) written by his contemporary, Ibn Shaddad and examines his life, attributes, personality, wars and communication. This manuscript at al-Aqsa Mosque library is one of the best preserved and is accepted as the original copy scripted by the author himself.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif","initial_owner":"Baha’ Yusuf bin Rafi’, al-Shahir bi (known as Ibn Shaddad; d. AH 632 / AD 1234).","dates":"Hegira 626 / AD 1228.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 23.5 cm, width 16 cm, depth 4.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The manuscript has a date recorded on it.","method_for_provenance":"Jerusalem was narrowed down as the place of production based on what the manuscript says: that it was copied in Jerusalem and accepted as an authentic copy by the author.","provenance":"Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Conder, C. R., *The Life of Saladin* by *Beha ad-Din, compared with the Original Arabic and Annotated,* London, 1773.  \nIbn Shaddad, Biha' al-Din, Y., (d. 632 / 1234), *Nawadar al-Sultaniya wa al-Mahasin al-Yusufiya \\[Sovereign Rarities and Yusufi Merits\\],* Cairo, 1964.  \nMaalouf, A., *Crusades Through Arab Eyes,* New York, 1985.  \nSalameh, K., *Fahras Makhtutat Maktabat al-Masjid al-Aqsa \\[Catalogue of Manuscripts at the Library of al-Aqsa Mosque\\],* Jerusalem, 1983.","dynasty":"Ayyubid","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["biography","Ibn Shaddad","manuscript","naskhi script"],"materials":["Black ink on paper."]},"9b3f660e-4ffe-5386-81a6-45ee26750034":{"name":"Page of *muraqqa‘at*","short_description":"The page is made up of eight separate calligraphic pieces, seven of which are signed by some of the greatest Ottoman calligraphers. The earliest, Shaykh Hamdullah al-Amasi (d. 1520), is considered to be the founder of the Ottoman calligraphic tradition. He is represented by two pieces (last two panels), one of which is dated early *Dhu’l-Qa‘da* 901 (11–20 August 1496). Next is Hafiz ‘Uthman (1642–98), the main transmitter of Hamdullah’s practice, also represented by two pieces (top left and 2nd from the top, right). The fifth piece (3rd from the top, left) is signed by Hafiz Yusuf, a contemporary of Hafiz ‘Uthman and teacher of Mustakim-zade, the Ottoman connoisseur of calligraphy. The sixth piece (3rd from the top, right) is signed by Muhammad Rasim (1687–1755) who, in 1737, was appointed teacher of calligraphy at the Palace. Mahmud Jalaluddin (d. 1829), who signed the 7th piece (2nd from the top, left), was unique among 18th- and 19th-century Ottoman calligraphers in being virtually self-taught, mastering the art by copying the work of Shaykh Hamdullah and Hafiz ‘Uthman. The eighth piece is unsigned.","type":"Calligraphic work; *muraqqa‘*; Ottoman calligraphers","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Late 15th – late 18th century; assembled and illuminated in the 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"65.8 x 53.2cm","method_for_datation":"Seven of the eight pieces that make up the page are signed by calligraphers whose work and active years are well documented.","provenance":"Turkey; pieces signed by Shaykh Hamdullah, Hafiz ‘Uthman, Hafiz Yusuf, Muhammad","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *Empire of the Sultans. Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection*, Virginia & London, 2000: no.178, pp.248–9.  \nSafwat, N.F., *The Art of the Pen. Calligraphy of the 14th to 20th Centuries*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. 5, 1996: cat.55, pp.115–9.","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","Hafiz ‘Uthman (Osman)","Hafiz Yususf","Mahmud Jalaluddin","Muahammad Rasim","Muraqqa‘","naskh","naskhi script","Ottoman","Ottoman Calligraphy","Paper","Shaykh Hamdullah al-Amasi","thulth","Thuluth"],"materials":["Ink, gold, silver and opaque watercolour on paper","mounted on card, with framing bands of embossed paper-ribbon","text in thuluth and naskhi"]},"9b5d3d0d-e554-56aa-a4ef-440d5f3ce35d":{"name":"Calligraphy mounted as album page","short_description":"The page with calligraphy and a floral border originally belonged to one of the albums compiled for the Mughal ruler Shahjahan (r. 1627-1658). The border consists of two overlapping tendrils with reduced foliage and a few stylised flower heads (peonies, lotuses and rosettes). With their golden contour lines and colours which allude to enamel, they are reminiscent of the pietra dura inlay work characteristic of the Shahjahan period. The tendril is enlivened by pairs of naturalistically rendered birds. It is this interplay of stylisation and naturalism that is important for the aesthetic appeal and visual pleasure.  \n  \nThe four-line calligraphy is the work of Mir ʿAli Haravi. Born in Herat in 1476, he became a pupil of Sultan ʿAli Mashhadi after his basic education. After the capture of Herat in 1528 by the Uzbeks, Mir ʿAli Haravi, who had achieved renown, was brought to Bukhara, where he worked until his death in 1556.  \n  \nAmong Mir ʿAli Haravi's great admirers was Shah Tahmasp's nephew Sultan Ibrahim Mirza (1540-1577), who owned several albums of the master scribe's calligraphy. Subsequently, the other great collector was Shahjahan and it is quite conceivable that some of his own Mir ʿAli calligraphies had formally been in the possession of Ibrahim Mirza.","type":"Album page","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Around 1987 Hashem Khorovani, Geneva, 1987-2004: art market, London","dates":"Hegira 935-955 (calligraphy), 1040-1050 (border) / AD 1530-1550 (calligraphy), 1630-1640 (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Heigth: 37.6cm, Width: 25.6cm","method_for_datation":"The border is typicall for albums that once belonged to the Mughal ruler, Shajahan. Their dating was established by various scholars in the past decades.","method_for_provenance":"Information from previous owner was provided by Christie's, where the object was bought in 2004.","provenance":"Usbekistan, Bukhara (calligraphy), India (border)","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg-Kreis","dynasty":"Safavid; Mughal","artist_birthdate":"Hegira 881 / AD 1476","artist_birthplace":"Afghanistan, Herat","artist_deathdate":"Hegira 963 / AD 1556","artist_deathplace":"Usbekistan, Bukhara","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"9b7dcb90-c55f-53d3-9cfa-d242f27958bc":{"name":"Yusuf and Zulaykha of Jami'","short_description":"Chapter 12 of the Qur’an tells the well-known story of the life of the prophet Yusuf (Joseph). In the fifteenth century, the story of Yusuf’s encounter with Zulaykha (the wife of Potiphar) was retold and expanded, in verse, by the renowned Persian poet Jami’. The story is an allegory of the mystical search for union with the divine, with Zulaykha representing the longing of the imperfect human sole for the divine perfection of God, which is in turn represented by the figure of Yusuf. In the illustrations to the manuscript, produced about a century and a half after the poet’s death in AD 1492, Yusuf's status as a prophet is indicated by the flaming halo surrounding his head. The manuscript opens with an illuminated heading.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 947 / AD 1540","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"22.6 x 13.6 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_251/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["Allegory","arabesque","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"9b806efe-99d1-5b6e-913c-0ee466605547":{"name":"Letter from l’Institut d’Afrique in Paris, congratulating Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade","short_description":"This letter from August 1841 from l'Institut d'Afrique in Paris, signed by both its president and general secretary, congratulates Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade in his kingdom, and awarding the Tunisian Prince a *diplôme de protecteur*.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1841","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Err :520"]},"9b989b53-9b7d-5857-8fea-c5edf077c94a":{"name":"Marriage contract","short_description":"Many verbal agreements guide the Muslims in their daily lives. By writing down these transactions, the words are safely recorded, preserved and thus made accessible to the rest of the world. Elegant calligraphy, the illumination of folios and aesthetic layout of documents were considered essential when producing a legal contract that bound two people in marriage. This marriage certificate between Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud and Fatima bint Abdullah is dated AH Jumada al-Awwal 1240 (AD December 1824). The certificate is richly decorated with gouache heightened with gold on vellum, and inscribed with Maghribi script. Four large headings on the certificate were inscribed with *naskhi* script.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 1240 / AD 1825","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"71.2 x 50.8cm","provenance":"Tunisia","materials":["Gouache heightened with gold on vellum"]},"9c9255a5-9a88-5f13-953c-48f2830112c9":{"name":"Ottoman official document containing the *Tughra*","short_description":"The Ottoman Sultan's certificate presents an expressive, secular form of calligraphy. It is crowned by the ornate, triangular seal of the Sultan, the *tughra*. Here, it is the *tughra* of Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754). The lines are written narrowly in gold, black and, red ink and each one is written in an upward curve to prevent the possibility of forgery. Official, ornamentally decorated documents, such as this one, would hang in offices or private houses and served as status symbols.","type":"Official document","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 1150 / AD 18th century","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Length: 180cm x Width: 68cm","method_for_datation":"Inscription mentions Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754) and date Hegira 1150 / AD 1737.","method_for_provenance":"Purchased from Ms. Lienert.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Purchased in 2000.","dynasty":"Ottoman","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["calligraphy"],"materials":["Ink, paper, gold"]},"9d0fa2dd-7af5-5431-b7d1-d0b10e4e74c1":{"name":"Qur΄an section","short_description":"The manuscript on paper has 47 folios, each with five lines of *naskhi* script in black ink. There are rosettes between verses and every fifth verse there is a larger roundel in the margin. The morocco binding is original to the manuscript.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 21 cm, width 15 cm","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","dynasty":"Mamluk","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","naskhi","Qur΄an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Paper, ink, gold and pigments"]},"9e1f46e4-2853-5545-a194-7e72c163548f":{"name":"Concerning the punishment of an *Idolator* (one of the weak Muslims)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM40), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio reveals one of the abiding mysteries of the manuscript: here, similar to a group of other dispersed folios, an illustration appears in place of a block of missing text.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.8 x 22.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, watercolour, and gold pigment on paper"]},"a082fcd1-6ab8-5065-913f-e8b18e48249c":{"name":"Acte habous","alternate_name":"*Waqf* deed; water endowment document","description":"This historical and religious document, dated 1952, records the donation of a tour d’eau (water turn) as a waqf—an Islamic charitable endowment. Issued in Marrakech, it reflects a long-standing tradition in Islamic societies where essential resources like land, property, or water rights are donated for the benefit of the community or religious institutions.In this case, the water right was endowed to ensure ongoing access to irrigation or domestic water use, often for a mosque, madrasa, or a public fountain (*sabil*).  \n  \nSuch donations were considered acts of piety and social responsibility, intended to bring spiritual merit to the donor while serving the collective good. The document is not only a legal record but also a cultural artefact that illustrates how water was governed as both a sacred trust and a communal asset in Moroccan society.It highlights the intricate connection between Islamic law, environmental ethics, and local governance, where water—an essential and scarce resource—was managed through deeply rooted moral and religious frameworks. This *waqf *stands as a testament to how water endowments helped structure equitable access, social cohesion, and religious devotion in everyday life.**","type":"Legal manuscript","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious and charitable institutions of Marrakech","dates":"AH 12th / AD 18th century (copy)","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx): 35cm × 25cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on palaeographic analysis and historical references.","method_for_provenance":"Museum curatorial research.","provenance":"Archival reproduction of historical waqf document","obtention":"Museum archival acquisition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","dynasty":"Alawids","scriber":"Traditional Islamic notary (name not preserved)","author":"MUSEUM Staff, Layan Shahin","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Habous","Islamic law","Marrakech","waqf","water endowment"],"materials":["Ink on paper, Arabic calligraphy"]},"a0e649a0-0f53-5503-9c38-d0a4035fdc34":{"name":"Page of manuscript with Moses, Muhammad and the Archangel Gabriel.","description":"This single sheet from a manuscript features, between bands of script, the prophets Moses and Muhammad and the Archangel Gabriel conversing in heaven. Angels, perched on five clouds behind these three principal characters, appear to be listening. The scene portrayed is one from Muhammad’s visionary ascension to heaven. Muhammad stands on the right-hand side in a long green robe and turban, and Moses, wearing a long dark red robe, is on the left, in front of his heavenly throne, which is denoted by an inscription in Arabic lettering. Moses is gesturing his hands in speech. Muhammad, with whom he is conversing, stands on the opposite side. A white veil conceals his face, while his hands are hidden in the long sleeves of his gown. The heads of both prophets are crowned with halos, within which their names, written in a black script, can be deciphered. The Archangel Gabriel stands between Muhammad and Moses, turning towards Muhammad. He is characterised by a twin pair of multicoloured wings and a crown. Gabriel already featured in the Old Testament as the gate-keeper of Paradise. As one of two angels standing in the presence of God (Luke 1: 19), it was Gabriel who explained the story of the Messiah (Daniel 8: 16ff.). He was supposed to have announced the wording of the Qur’an to Muhammad. In Sura 2 verse 97 it is written that: Gabriel ‘has by God’s grace revealed it \\[the Qur’an\\] to you \\[Muhammad\\] to your heart’.  \nThe text above the three personages, which describes the story, is written in Ottoman Turkish. It includes the account of Muhammad discussing with God the number of daily prayers. Both eventually agreed on five daily prayers. Moses is Muhammad’s heavenly adviser and Gabriel is his companion. The direct speech of all those involved is written in Arabic. The text is taken from a biography of the prophet which had appeared from the AH 1st century / AD 7th century on. The generic term for this type of biography is *sira*, which translates as ‘life facts’ or ‘way of life’. This single sheet probably came from a handwritten work completed for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","short_description":"This painted page from a book shows the Archangel Gabriel with the Prophets Moses (left) and Muhammad (right). Surrounded by angels they discuss the question of daily prayers. This happened during Muhammad’s ascent to heaven. Because it was forbidden to show Muhammad, his face is veiled.","type":"Manuscript, miniature","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum","initial_owner":"Possibly Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982-1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira end of 10th century / AD end of 16th century; probably during the reign of Sultan Murad III (AH 982-1003 / AD 1574–95).","location":"Berlin","dimensions":"Height 31 cm, width 20.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The date has been established through the handwriting on the single manuscript page, which was transcribed for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (982–1003 / 1574–95).","method_for_provenance":"Both the text and the style of this page suggest that this consists of a single leaf written by a single writer in the same handwriting, which was made for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"From a London gallery in 1976.","bibliography":"Budde, H. and Nachama, A. (eds.), *Die Reise nach Jerusalem*, Berlin, 1995, p.180, cat. 1/121, ill. 180.  \nKalter, J. and Schönberger, I., *Der Lange Weg der Türken, 1500 Jahre Türkische Kultur*,Stuttgart, 2003, pp.138, ill. 149.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin* Catalogue,Stuttgart; Zürich, 1980, no. 40.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst Berlin* Catalogue,Berlin, 1979, no. 668.  \nPetspoulos, Yanni (ed.), *Kunst und Kunsthandwerk unter den Osmanen*. Munich, 1982, p.200, ill. no. 209.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Annette Hagedorn","translator":"Maria Vlotides, Brigitte Finkbeiner","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["ascension","miraj","prayer","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Ink, gouache on paper, gilding."]},"a0fd9b25-3128-5a5c-90c1-29e46c8df6bd":{"name":"Jami, Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ibn-Ahmad, Resaʾil-i Hazret-i Molla Jami","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of Nur ad-Din ‘Abd ar-Rahman Ibn-Ahmad Jami’s “Resaʾil-i Hazret-i Molla Jami” dated to the second half of the 16th century, and was likely produced in Istanbul. The decoration includes nine initial decorative panels that are not uniformly designed, but reflect the Ottoman style of the late 16th century. The binding, however, is of the late 17th and early 18th centuries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 957-1008 / 1550-1599 AH","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"355 x 238mm (233 x 140mm). ff. II, II*, 97 folios.","method_for_datation":"Two colophons: AH 989 / AD 1581 (fol. 22b); AH 983 / AD 1575.","method_for_provenance":"There is a seal of Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (d. 1856) on f. 96b, dated AH 1223 / AD 1808-9.","provenance":"Possibly Istanbul","obtention":"Obtained in 1842 by the Austrian National Library.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 58-59.  \nHolter, Kurt, “Hundert und eine, vorwiegend persische illuminierte Handschriften“, *Codices manuscripti*, 23/24 (1998): 16.","dynasty":"Ottoman","binding_desc":"This 17th- or 18th-century Ottoman binding is composed of dark brown leather over pressboard and includes a typical leather flap. The textured centrepiece is cut out, inlaid, and decorated with stencilled floral vines and cloud ribbon loops in two shades of gold. The flap shows a similar but smaller pointed medallion with the same decorative motifs. The medallions are surrounded by small golden rosette punches, gold outline and short golden rays. Additionally, there are gold lines and a gold-stamped lace band around the edges of the binding. The doublures are made of dark brown leather, except for golden double lines along the edges, which appear to have been redecorated.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14248604","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["illumination","nasta’liq"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta‘liq in 27 and 25 lines per page (Persian and Turkish)."]},"a12eaf5f-47ff-5d15-9ffe-37f288c5e2fd":{"name":"The Ruzbihan Qur'an","short_description":"This is one of the most magnificent Qur’ans ever produced. The text was copied by Ruzbihan Muhammad al-Tab‘i al-Shirazi. It opens with facing *shamsa*s inscribed with verse 17:88 of the Qur’an, followed by a superb double-page frontispiece containing *al-Fatiha* (the Opening), the first *sura* (chapter) of the Qur’an. The beginning of the next *sura*, *al-Baqara* (the Cow), is indicated by an elaborately illuminated heading. Surrounding the final *sura*s of the text is another double-page illuminated opening, from the border of which emerge long, sun-like rays. Text pages consist of blocks of lines of black *naskhi* script set between longer lines of large *thuluth* or *muhaqqaq* script in blue or gold ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira mid 10th century / AD mid 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"42.7 x 29 cm","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","dynasty":"Safavid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1558/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","border decoration","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"a2b8f43a-d5fd-57c1-a88e-b1fc3a6097b2":{"name":"*Laylā visits Majnūn in the Wilderness*","description":"Majnūn, emaciated and clad only in loincloth, is seated in the wilderness under a large tree. Reclining about him are wild beasts and waterfowl along the stream. On the further bank facing Majnūn sits Laylā, four maids standing behind her. The nearer one salutes Majnūn, her hand raised to her forehead, the second carries a large peacock plume, and the third holds a scarf in her hands, while the fourth (dark-skinned), whose head only is seen, stands behind the other two. Laylā is wearing a *coli* (tight fitting bodice) and a figured skirt. On her head is a large conical-shaped *mukuta* (crown) with *sarpes* (plume). She also wears a *keyura* (armlet), and a *mala* (necklace). In the foreground, where Majnūn sits, recline a gazelle, a tiger and a lion; on the other side of the stream recline an antelope and its mate. Along the bank are herons, cranes and ducks. In the background are high rocky hills and a large river seen to the right with a heavily forested bank. Cranes fly across the sky and songbirds can be seen in the tree above Majnūn. The sky is dark.","type":"Painting","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 1070 / AD c. 1660","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Length: 30.5cm, width: 19.9cm","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift of J. Lionberger Davis.","bibliography":"*The Arts of Persia: Ceramics, Textiles, Bronzes, Rugs, Jewelry, Miniatures of Persia from the 9th to the 19th Century with Selected Examples from Moslem India*, New London, Connecticut: Lyman Allyn Museum, 1955","dynasty":"Mughal","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"a3577379-4a3e-5997-913a-756fad78ca88":{"name":"List of 15 'Tunisian Turks' captured by corsair captain Giuseppe Diano from the Kingdom of Sicily and sold in Palermo","short_description":"The documents explain that the captain corsair Giuseppe Diano plundered a Tunisian galliot and captured 15 “Tunisian Turks”. The captives’ names and ages (ranging from 15 to 55 years old) are listed. The document further explain that three out of such 15 captives had been sold to private individuals, while the remaining 12 had been bought by the Commissioner of the Committee for the Redemption of Captives (Deputazione della redenzione de’ cattivi); inferring that they were to be exchanged for Italian captives held in Tunisia. The Committee for the Redemption of Captives’ mission, in fact, was to negotiate the liberation of the subjects from the Kingdom of Sicily held as slaves.","type":"Archival document","holder":"State Archives of Palermo","dates":"1808–11","location":"Palermo","author":"Renata De Simone","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"a507b49f-de2b-5383-b587-8eef58a18a27":{"name":"\"Amr has the Infidels Thrown into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khavarannama (The Book of the East) of ibn Husam al-Din","description":"This painting, with its vibrant color palette and lively action, is taken from a manuscript of the Khavarannama (Book of the East), a gathering of tales relating the adventures of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. These mostly imaginary accounts of the exploits of 'Ali and his companions against demons, dragons, and kings were composed in emulation of the great Persian poet Firdausi’s Shahnama, but have the important religious figure of 'Ali as their main protagonist.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Hassan Khan Monif, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH ca. 881-891 / AD ca. 1476–86","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 39.8 cm, width: 28.6 cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Sachau, H., Ed; Ethe, ed. \"Part I: The Persian Manuscripts.\" In *Catalogue of Persian, Turkish, Hindustani, and Pushtu Manuscripts.* Oxford: Bodleian Libraries, (1889).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *A Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian Paintings in the Bodleain Library.*, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, no.47, (1962).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *Persian Miniature Painting : from collections in the British Isles.*, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., *Imperial Images in Persian Painting.*, Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council Gallery, 1977.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","dynasty":"Aq Qoyunlus","artist_birthplace":"Iran","artist_deathdate":"1470","artist_deathplace":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451324","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper"]},"a51d8bae-57d0-5565-9480-72d8b94775ba":{"name":"'The Paths of Paradise'","description":"The miniature, which like 13/2012 and 14/2012 comes from a manuscript describing Muhammad’s mystical ascension to heaven (*miraj*), shows the Prophet and the Archangel Gabriel (*Jibril*) at the pond of al-Kawthar before one of Paradise’s richly ornamented gates. Both the ribbed domes and tiled walls are covered with rich vegetal ornamentation of various types, in keeping with contemporary architecture from Central Asia. Beside the pond are countless vessels of gold and jade and celadon-glazed ceramics from which the believer can quench his thirst after the tribulations of the Day of Judgment.  \n  \nThe Garden of Paradise itself, with its many spiritual and sensual delights, is not depicted in this beautiful painting, and no artist would probably have been able to describe it to the believer as intensely as accounts in the Koran and later writings.  \n  \nOf the museum’s seven paintings from this manuscript, the refined ‘Gates of Paradise’ is the one that most clearly points toward the artistic zenith of Timurid painting at the end of the AH 9th / AD 15th century.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 860 / AD 1465","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 41.2cm × 29.8cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Boehm, B. D. and Holcomb, M., (eds.): *Jerusalem, 1000-1400: Every people under heaven*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2016: fig. 149e, 295 and 299.  \n  \nFolsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: fig. 1, pp. 184-185, 187.  \n  \nMeyer, J., *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat. 77, 224--225.  \n  \nSims, E.,“The Nahj al-Faradis of Sultan Abu Sa’id ibn Sultan Muhammad ibn Mirranshah: an illustrated Timurid ascension text of the “Interim” period”, *The Journal of the David Collection*, 4 (2014): cat. 9, fig. 27, 132--133.","dynasty":"Timurids","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["folio","Herat","miniature","Timurids","water"],"materials":["Pigments"]},"a87439ea-aee1-50f5-a0b5-501d95e7044f":{"name":"*Divan-i Shahi* (Collection of Poems by Shahi)","short_description":"This manuscript is a *divan*, a collection of poems, by Amir Shahi Sabzavari. Amir Shahi Sabzavari, also called Shahi, was a poet and calligrapher at the court of Prince Baysunghur in Herat. Shahi died in 857 AH / 1453 AD.  \nThe manuscript contains 60 folios in total, of which five are illustrated. According to the colophon the scribe of this manuscript was Abd al-Wahid. Some of the folios are signed by their painter Abd al-Gani, who is also responsible for the astonishing lacquer binding.  \nJudging by a portrait on the frontispiece that looks like Sultan Suleiman I. , the manuscript must have been finished during his reign between 926-936 AH /1520-30 AD. The manuscript was part of the collection of Polish orientalist Waclaw Rzewuski until his death in 1831 AD, when the manuscript was bought for the Imperial Court Library in Vienna.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Around 926-936 AH / 1520-30 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"204 x 128mm (120 x 60mm), 60 folios","method_for_datation":"Dorothea Duda recognizes portraits of Sultan Selim I. on the binding of the manuscript. She suggests that the manuscript might have been started during the reign of Sultan Selim I. but finished during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I., who succeeded his father in 1520. This is supported by the presence of an additional portrait of a man on the frontispice that looks like Sultan Suleiman I. The inclusion of both rulers therefore indicates a probable date of production somewhere between 926-936 AH /1520-30 AD.","method_for_provenance":"The provenance was established through documentation in the inventory book of the Imperial Court Library by Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Following the death of  the explorer and orientalist Waclaw Seweryn Rzewuski in 1831 AD, the manuscript was bought directly from his collection for the Imperial Court Library in the same year.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 185-187.  \nDuda, Dorothea, \"Islamische Lackeinbände - ihre künstlerische Entwicklung und ihr Verhältnis zum Buch als Gesamtkunstwerk\", *Journal of Turkish Studies* , 26 : I (2002), 163-203.","dynasty":"Ottoman","scriber":"'Abd al-Wahid","binding_desc":"The richly decorated lacquer binding on this manuscript is an artwork in itself. Executed in the Shirazi style, this binding has courtly scenes painted on its front and back cover. The doublures of the manuscript are decorated with a medallion surrounded by floral ornaments, painted in two kinds of gold on a black background.  \nThe front cover depicts a group of men set in an outdoor scene. The men in the upper half of the painting are wearing Ottoman turbans, while some men on the lower half are wearing head gear that look like a mixture of the hats the *Janissaries* wore and those the *silahdars* wore. As the *Janissaries* were part of the elite infantry of the Ottoman army and *silahdars* were close aides of the Ottoman sultans it can be assumed that the binding was in fact manufactured within the realms of the Ottoman Empire.  \nAdditionally, Duda notes that the man in the middle of the front cover and the man sitting on a throne on the back cover have similarities with formal portraits of Sultan Selim I. She consequently advocates that at least the binding must have been commissioned during the reign of Selim I.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14410969","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Divan","Shahi"],"materials":["Blue, green and gold ink on thin, white paper. Calligraphic Nasta'liq script of 11 lines per page. 2 decorative pages, 5 miniature paintings."]},"a8b1900c-9427-5c3f-8152-c6361cbe0b53":{"name":"Calligrapher’s license","short_description":"This licence, written in black *naskhi*, follows at the end of a manuscript that also contains two chapters of the Holy Qur’an, *Al-Buruj* (\"The Big Stars\") and *Al-Tariq* (\"The Night-Comer\"). It is contained within a triangular cartouche with gilt borders, flanked by flower sprays. The licence is issued to Hafiz Abdallah Hilmi by Salih Nahif.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 1282 / AD 1865","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","Hafiz Abdallah Hilmi","Ottoman legal document"]},"a909a05f-2311-5dcb-acdb-59719da1889b":{"name":"Rustam Slaying the White Div","short_description":"Rustam is one of the most popular heroes of the *Shahnama*, the Book of Kings. In it, Ferdausi tells how Rustam must perform seven heroic deeds, the last of which is to kill the White Div and cut his liver out of his body to heal the blind Shah Kai Kavus. Rustam receives help from his hostage Olad, whom Rustam has tied to a tree, revealing to Rustam the appropriate time to defeat the White Div.  \n  \nThe iconography of the scene has remained more or less the same over the centuries, it is also one of the most frequently illustrated episodes from the *Shahnama*.  \n  \nSeveral characteristic features of this page speak for its origin in Shiraz. Attributes, such as the extension of the illustration beyond the type area, the nebulous outline of the lines of text in interspersed flowers on gold, as well as the inclusion of other figures not mentioned in the text, all strongly indicate that its provenance was the Shiraz School.  \n  \nIn the Safavid period, Shiraz could already look back on a long tradition of painting. This creative cultural heritage was reinforced in the late 1560's by a commercial boom in manuscript production, resulting in illustrations visibly gaining in quality and converging with courtly painting in Qazvin and Mashhad. The development of the Schiraz School specifically, which expanded so magnificently in the period from 1570 to 1590, is probably also connected with Prince Muhammad, who was governor of Shiraz from 1572 to 1578 before ascending to the Persian throne as Ismaʿil II.","type":"Illustrated page of a manuscript","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Until 2008, private collection, Japan","dates":"Hegira 983-993 / AD 1575-85","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Length: 42.4cm, Width: 28.2cm","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar works from Shiraz whose time of production could be established through historical facts and stylistic features.","method_for_provenance":"Information obtained from previous owner was provided by the gallery where the object was sold in 2008.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","obtention":"Acquisition with funds of the Rietberg Kreis","bibliography":"Lale, Uluç, “Selling to the Court: Late Sixteenth-Century Manuscript Production in Shiraz”, *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 73-96.","workshop":"Shiraz","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"a9ca7e9d-4c7b-5b08-a2ab-9b56d4a9868f":{"name":"Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Ismail II","short_description":"The miniature painting “Isfandiyar kills the Simurgh” is from a dispersed illustrated manuscript of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed by the Persian poet Firdausi ca. 1010. Shah Ismail II (r. 1576–77) commissioned the manuscript, following the examples of his grandfather, Ismail I, and father Shah Tahmasp, both of whom showed interest in Firdausi’s epic at one time during their reigns. Ismail II’s *Shahnameh* can be seen as a link in the chain of royal copies of the Book of Kings, after Shah Tahmasp’s spectacular manuscript and forming a bridge to the next period of royal patronage of the epic under Shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). The manuscript was left unfinished upon Ismail II’s death. However, for a brief period, Ismail II’s atelier employed a number of artists who contributed to the illustration of the *Shahnameh*, including Siyavush, Sadiqi Beg, Naqdi, Murad Dailami and Mihrab. These artists did not sign their work, and attributions were probably made by the contemporary royal librarian. In its bottom left-hand corner, this painting is attributed to Siyavush.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1576–77","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"40.4 x 29.8cm","provenance":"Iran, Qazvin","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["folio","manuscript","minature-painting","miniature","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold, silver and ink on paper"]},"ab9dbdc1-5022-5a92-be31-a76cf3b05af7":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an with lacquer-painted binding signed by Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi","short_description":"The first two of the three illuminated opening spreads bear an index of *sura* headings and a prayer. The main text begins on the third and is written in a fine, clear *naskhi* which compares well to that of Visal, the pen-name of one of the most highly esteemed calligraphers and poets of 19th-century Iran. The marginal commentaries are signed by Visal’s second son, Mirza Mahmud, pen-named *hakim* (’the physician’), who enjoyed a considerable reputation as a *nasta‘liq* scribe.  \nThe lacquer covers are the work of Lutf ‘Ali Shirazi, who had close associations with the Visal family. The outer covers are variations on the so-called *gul-u bulbul* (‘flower-and-bird’) theme, with two birds in a rose bush on a sparkling dark-brown ground. The doublures have a superb composition of an iris and other flowers on an imitation tortoise-shell ground. The borders have quotations from *sura* *al-Baqara*, II, verses 255–7 on the front and verse 201, with other religious phrases, on the back.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; binding; lacquer-painting","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Main text: c. 1844; Persian translation dated AH 25 Sha‘ban 1272 / AD 2 May 1856; binding dated Hejira 1269 / AD 1852–3","location":"London","dimensions":"289 folios; 34.7 x 22.7cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance based on information provided in the colophon.","provenance":"Iran, Shiraz","bibliography":"Bayani, M., Stanley, T., and Rogers, J.M., *The Decorated Word. Qur’ans of the 17th to 19th Centuries*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 4, Part Two, 2009: cat.22, pp.116–25.  \nKhalili, N.D., Robinson, B.W., and Stanley, T., *Lacquer of the Islamic Lands*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 22, Part One, 1996: cat.156, pp.208–10.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.261, p.226.  \nVernoit, S., *Occidentalism. Islamic Art in the 19th Century*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 23, 1997: cat.4, pp.20–21.","dynasty":"Qajar","keywords":["binding","ink","Iran","lacquerwork","Paper","Qajar","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","lacquer-painted binding","main text in naskhi","Persian translation and commentaries in nasta‘liq"]},"accd0163-3954-552c-88bd-3170ae13d17a":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This fragment of the Qur’an includes a *sura* (chapter) heading marking the beginning of chapter 32 of the Qur’an, which is most often known by the title *al-Sajda* (Prostration), but in this heading the alternate title *al-Tanzil* (Revelation) is given. The heading also states that the chapter contains twenty-nine verses. The text of the manuscript is written in black ink in *kufic* script on vellum. Also included in this fragment of the Qur’an are full-page frontis- and end-pieces, executed mainly in gold with individual motifs delineated in brown.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 3rd century / AD 9th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"21.8 x 32.3 cm","provenance":"Near East, probably Iran or Iraq","dynasty":"Abbasid","keywords":["geometric decoration","illumination","koran, calligraphy","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Gold pigment and black ink on vellum"]},"ad9d8415-0b17-5ab2-bb81-d214aedc3c9e":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"The binding of this Qur'an is composed of a two-page (back and front) cover of light-brown leather. The right-hand side of the binding is decorated with a cartouche that has faded and now has unclear remains of a stamped design on it. This was a well-known style of ornamentation for leather bindings of books and manuscripts.  \nThe volume opens on to a frontispiece embellished with a decorative cartouche. The cartouche is filled with illuminated vegetal motifs against a background of dark-blue. An inscription written in Mamluk *thuluth* script adorns the frontispiece, the text reads: 'Intended for al-Maqam al-Sharif al-Sultan al-Malik al-Zahir abu Sa'id Jaqmaq, May his triumph be glorious'. The frontispiece is followed by five folios containing prayers and commentaries on the fundamentals of *al-Tajwid* (the art of reciting the Qur'an). These pages are also written in *thuluth* script. This is followed by pages that contain chapters from the Qur'an. The first of these is a double-page spread where, set in the right hand page, is a rectangular area framed with blue marginal lines; within this zone is the title, *Surat al-Fatiha (The Opening Chapter)*, written in *thuluth* script. Vegetal decorations adorn this area from above and below. The *sura* (chapter) itself is written within a rectangular frame, whose edges on three sides are ornamented with colourful vegetal motifs. The facing page has the same layout and decoration but it bears the title of *Surat al-Baqara (The Chapter of the Cow)* and the first verses of the chapter. The right-hand border of the first page and the left-hand border of the second page are decorated with three ornamental shapes, two of which are circular medallions filled with illuminated vegetal decorations. The centre shape assumes the form of a polychrome lotus blossom.  \nThe first of the 114 chapters of this Qur'an are written in *thuluth* script and illuminated and written against a blue background, embellished with vegetal motifs and set within a rectangular frame. Each verse is separated from the next by a decorative motif in the form of a golden tri-petalled flower. Each petal is separated from the other by a single dot. On the left and right sides of some pages in this volume there are decorated roundels filled with illuminated vegetal motifs. The number of lines on each page of this manuscript is 13.","short_description":"Mamluk Sultans and amirs endowed their religious establishments with copies of the Qur'an as a demonstration of piety. Being the holy book of the Muslim belief, the calligrapher, illuminator and binder vied to show their skill in executing these Qur'ans as we see in this copy commissioned by Sultan Jaqmaq.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Sultan al-Zahir Sayf al-Din Jaqmaq (r. AH 842–57 / AD 1438–53).","dates":"Hegira 842–57 / AD 1438–53.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Length 40 cm, width: 30 cm.","method_for_datation":"This manuscript is dated based on the inscription written in the beginning of the volume: 'Intended for al-Maqam al-Sharif al-Zahir Jaqmaq', who reigned 842–57 / 1438–53).","method_for_provenance":"In the beginning of this Qur'an, there is an indication that it was a work commissioned for Sultan Jaqmaq. It is probable that the work was commissioned in Cairo the Capital of the Egyptian State, for Egypt was famous at that time for the proliferation of its manuscripts, especially of the Qur'an. The Mamluk sultans were also known for their great personal interest in the Qur'an, and for their patronage of calligraphers. These precious Qur'anic manuscripts were often made part of a *waqf* (endowment) to mosques.","provenance":"Cairo.","obtention":"This Qur'an was donated to the Museum in 1956. The manuscript had been part of the collection in the private library of King Faruq – the last of the Egyptian Kings who was descended from the family of Muhammad Ali and who ruled from 1936–52 – in the Qasr al-Quba, one of the palaces of the royal family before the Revolution.","bibliography":"Al-Alfi, Abu S., *Al-Fan al-Islami \\[Islamic Art\\],* Cairo, 1984.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1987.  \nJa'id, N., “Fan Kitabat al-Mushaf al-Sharif wa Tajmilahu \\[The Art of Writing and Decorating the Holy Qur'an\\]”, in *Huda al-Islam \\[Guide to Islam\\],* No. 6, 1984, pp.43–50.  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988.  \nSalama, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Mathaf al-Islami fi al-haram al-Sharif* \\[*Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in the Haram al-Sharif\\],* Lebanon, 2003.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin, A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York. 1997.  \nAl-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din Abd al-Rahman (d. 911 / 1505), *Tarikh al-Khulafa' \\[History of the Caliphs\\],* Beirut, 1980.  \nZain al-Din, N., *Musawwar al-Khat al-Arabi \\[Illustrated Arabic Calligraphy\\],* Baghdad, 1980.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["binding","illumination","ink","manuscript","Paper","patronage","Qur’an","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vegetal motifs"],"materials":["On paper, the text written in thuluth script in black and red ink with gold illumination","the binding, stamped leather."]},"aea9b65b-d732-5c4b-ab3b-e64e9ba4e216":{"name":"Dhu’l-Nun Prays for Rain for the Egyptians","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"This is the seventh painting to appear in the Bustan, and it is marked as page 124 in the manuscript. It represents the story of Dhu’l-Nun, an Egyptian mystic who died in 861 CE.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan* , London: British Museum Press, 1998.","dynasty":"Mughals","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/dhul-nun-prays-for-rain-for-the-egyptians-akm284.9","keywords":["Bustan","Egyptian","folio","India","Iran","Mughal","mystic","painting","Persian","pray","rain","Sa‘di","Sadi","water","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"af93fac1-5782-5f52-9b88-3b5082b80012":{"name":"Automata","short_description":"Folio from *The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by Isma\\`il ibn ar-Razzaz al-Jazari, illustrating the water-powered mechanism for a \"perpetual flute\", the text in elegant *naskhi* script; signed by the calligrapher Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif.","type":"Scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira end of Ramadan 715 / AD end of Dicember 1315","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Syria; Iraq","dynasty":"Ayyubid","keywords":["Artuqid","calligraphy","engineering","inscription","naskhi script","science","scientific manuscript"]},"afa75823-03d1-5b8b-9466-52bd507fdea6":{"name":"*al-azīzi falaj* log","description":"This manuscript, completed in February 1891 CE by the skilled Omani scribe Rabiʿah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi, offers a vivid glimpse into the life and rhythms of Seiq Town, in the Jabal Bani Riyam range of al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate). Written in a clear and confident hand, it records the intricate water-sharing system of the ʿFalaj al-ʿAzīzī, a vital lifeline for the community.  \n  \nUnlike most *falaj* logs in Oman, this copy replaces common distribution units with the ṭāsah, a pierced copper vessel whose draining time measured each turn of irrigation. Within its pages are the names of landowners, gardens, mosques, and endowments, each evoking the people and places that shaped this mountain community. Sixty-two irrigation cycles, alternating between day and night, are marked with care, the beginnings signalled by graceful elongated letters.  \n  \nIts final section sets out the rules for calculating the *falaj*’s rotation, preserving the knowledge and order on which the community’s survival depended, a timeless record of both master engineering skills and human cooperation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 8 Rajab 1308 / AD 16 February 1891","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 58cm, width: 32cm","place_of_production":"Seiq Town, al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah)","provenance":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism)","obtention":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism).","dynasty":"al-Busaid","scriber":"Sheikh Rabi’ah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink on paper"]},"afb1004b-ee97-5abe-bea3-b81b89002821":{"name":"Manuscript, collection of Hadith.","description":"The text of the Hadith compiled by Abu al-Hasan ibn al-Hajjaj, known as Muslim, is traced with black and red inks, in Maghrebi cursive script, with diacritic points and orthoepic symbols. The pages from the frontispiece and the colophon are decorated with illuminations.  \nA frame on the colophon page divides the space into three: two rectangular bands and a square containing a circle.  \nThe top band contains the last three lines of the text. The lower band is decorated with a frieze of overlapping concentric circles and scattered rosettes along with double *boteh* or paisley motifs. In the circle the text from the colophon is written in a golden cursive script, which stands out against a red background. The circle is embellished with a wide frieze with alternating fleurons and lotus flowers painted in red and yellow on a blue background. The spandrels are decorated with foliage and varied bouquets of yellow and red flowers of Eastern inspiration on a green background.  \nThe lower margin of the frame contains a poly-lobed arch and the date of the copy: Thursday of the month Shawwal 1284 (January–February 1868) and by a floral motif on a blue background of Eastern inspiration. The decoration of this colophon reveals the Eastern artistic influences (Chinese and Iranian) that penetrated Morocco from the end of the AH 12th / AD 18th century.","short_description":"Two pages of this collection of Hadiths have been illuminated. The decoration on the colophon, or last page, gives the date and the name of the scribe, revealing the Chinese and Iranian artistic influences that penetrated Morocco from the late AH 12th / AD 18th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Royal Library.","dates":"Hegira 1284 / AD 1868.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 29.5 cm, length 23 cm.","method_for_datation":"Date written on the colophon.","provenance":"Morocco.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Arabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Faharis al-Khizana* *al-Hassaniyya*, Vols. III, IV, V, VI, Rabat, 1983–7.  \nArabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Faharis al-Khizana* *al-Malakiyya*, Vol. II, Rabat, 1982.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","dynasty":"Alawid","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","geometrical decoration","Hadith","religious manuscript","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["black, red and blue ink","gilding.","Paper"]},"b14f5d5c-36fc-5ea7-b766-849a10ee521d":{"name":"Two Mughal miniatures without text","short_description":"These two paintings are individual pages that likely stem from a 17th-century Mughal album. As such, they are pasted on decorated frames, which in turn are glued to European cardboard and bound in an album-like manner. Illegible red stamps of the same collection are found at the back of both miniatures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 12th century / 17th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"310 x 225mm, 4 folios.","place_of_production":"India","method_for_provenance":"The first miniature seems to have an oriental customs stamp and an illegible oriental signature in the lower right corner. An illegible red stamp is also situated on the back of both miniature.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Obtained by the Austrian National Library in 1937.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 216-217. Pfaffenbichler, Matthias (ed), *Das Indien der Maharadschas. Ausstellungskatalog Schallaburg, 23. März bis 10. November 2013*, Schallaburg: Schallaburg Kulturbetriebsgesellschaft, 2013: 204.","dynasty":"Mughal","binding_desc":"This half-leather binding is made of dark green paper and leather corners. It was likely produced in 20th-century Europe.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14018804","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Album","miniature","Portrait"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper."]},"b1caaa98-898d-5835-84d6-2569546ecf1d":{"name":"Document attesting to the 'Telegraph Crisis' between Morocco and Great Britain","description":"A letter from Sultan al-Hasan I to his Minister of Foreign Affairs and representative in Tangier, Muhammad ibn al-‘Arabi al-Torres, ordering the immediate cessation of work on installation of the telegraph system between Gibraltar and Tangier, which the British had undertaken without negotiating with Morocco, thereby causing a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.","type":"Historical document","holder":"General Library and Archives","dates":"1887","location":"Tetouan","keywords":["Communication","technical innovation","telegraph","telegraph installation","Telegraph Crisis","foreign companies","British in Morocco","diplomacy","Moroccan-British relations"],"materials":["Paper"]},"b2321553-5c91-5213-acee-6a0d551d3c53":{"name":"Double page from a manuscript of the Qur’an (9:126-129; 10:9-12)","short_description":"Although parchment had already begun to pass out of vogue elsewhere in the Islamic world, this bifolium, copied in gold ink on parchment, reflects the conservative nature of Spain in the 7th/13th century, as does its distinctive script. Known as *Maghribi*, after the region of North Africa that roughly encompasses modern Morocco, this cursive script is a direct descendant of *kufic*. While retaining some of the solemnity and grandeur of the earlier rectilinear script, *Maghribi* incorporates graceful, deeply curved lines. It developed in the early 6th/12th century in both Spain and North Africa, and its use is restricted to these regions. This bifolium comes from a dispersed manuscript of the Qur’an with pages in numerous museum and library collections worldwide.","type":"Manuscripts","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira late 7th century / AD late 13th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"27.5 x 44.8cm","method_for_datation":"The style of the *Maghrabi* script suggests a late 7th/ late 13th century date and an attribution to Spain or possibly Morocco.","method_for_provenance":"The text is written in *Maghrabi* script; other pages from the same dispersed Qur’an have been ascribed to either Spain or North Africa.","provenance":"Spain","obtention":"Collection of Maan Z. Madina (1926-2013), New York, until 2002 (sold to); LACMA, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Islamic Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Museum Associates, 2005: 24, fig. 19.","dynasty":"Almohad","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["calligraphy","Maghrebi script","Muslim Spain","Parchment","Qur’an","Reconquista","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Ink, colours, and gold on parchment"]},"b25ced0a-8fbc-5812-85b3-eb1df7ad87a4":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (The third day of entertainment) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","short_description":"The image at the left shows an earlier stage of the flotilla. A long raft in the foreground carries a huge structure shaped like a cypress tree from which strings of fireworks are suspended along with two Catherine wheels. Rockets and projectiles hurtle about. On the basis of Vehbi’s account, this is the float prepared by the artillerymen’s corps. A two-story structure set on a pair of caiques carries a troupe of dancers and musicians on the lower floor while pyrotechnicists are busy at work on the upper one.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"The book's dimension: 20x38 cm","provenance":"Istanbul","artist_birthdate":"Late 17th century","artist_birthplace":"Edirne","artist_deathdate":"1732","artist_deathplace":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Levni","miniature","entertainment","Dance"],"materials":["Miniature; illustrated"]},"b2ae47d0-404c-5df9-b57d-fd46c3ad1864":{"name":"Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar of Jajarmi","alternate_name":"(The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems)","description":"This page from an anthology of Persian poetry illustrates a poem about the moon entering the houses of the twelve zodiac signs. In the three scenes illustrated here, the moon is shown visiting the Sagittarius, depicted as an archer who shoots an arrow against his own dragonlike tail, Capricorn, and finally the planet Saturn (the water carrier, or Aquarius) lifting a bucket from a well.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ, until 1956","dates":"AH 741 / AD 1341","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 16,8cm; width: 23,2cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S. \"New York, October 9 through January 7, 1933–1934.\" In *A Guide to an Exhibition of Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1933.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. XXVIII, no. 10.  \n  \nAckerman, P., \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art.*, 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, 1962.  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *The Islamic World.*, vol. 11. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., S. Carboni, T. Masuya, and A. H. Morton., *Illustrated Poetry and Epic Images : Persian Painting of the 1330s and 1340s.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994.  \n  \nRossabi, M., C. Melville, J. C. Y. Watt, T. Masuya, S. Blair, R. Hillenbrand, L. Komaroff, S. Carboni, S. Bertelan, and J. Hirx., *The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353* , New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","dynasty":"Ilkhanids","artist_birthplace":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451404","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"b3139452-a18c-5578-a8f9-65f5a88d9fe0":{"name":"A treaty between the Regency of Tunis and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, concerning the jurisdiction over Tuscan Jews who migrated to Tunisia","short_description":"Treaty of one article, in Italian and Arabic, signed by the Tuscan Consul Enrico Nyssen and by the Bey Ahmed Bascià, sealed with a wax seal of the Consulate General of Tuscany, and ratified by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold the II on 29 January 1847.  \nThis treaty modified the 1822 treaty between the two countries which had given to the Jews from Livorno the same status of Tunisian Jews (placing them under the Beys' jurisdiction). According to this new treaty, the Tuscan Jews who had moved to Tunisia (or would move to Tunisia in the future) and registered in the Tuscan Consulate, were placed under Tuscan jurisdiction and protection. Such provision did not apply to the so-called “Grana” Jews who had moved to Tunisia from Livorno (Tuscany) in the late 17th century.","type":"Treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"Tunis, 2 November 1846","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"b3ad190f-fed9-546e-924a-e3b7f2699f23":{"name":"*The Ka'ba in Mecca*","short_description":"Émile Prisse d'Avennes (1807–1879) drew this plan of the Ka'aba in Mecca, a detailed view of the place of pilgrimage which had so fascinated Europeans.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Library of France","dates":"1858–1859","location":"Paris","artist_birthdate":"1807","artist_deathdate":"1879","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Mecca","pilgrimage","buildings of worship","plan"]},"b446feeb-3505-58d3-be81-c30f25be28fc":{"name":"Peace Treaty of Campo Formio, 17 October 1797, between the French Republic and the Austrian Empire","short_description":"With the Peace of Campo Formio in October 1797, Napoleon confirmed the conditions of the armistice at Leoben, which was signed in April 1797. Austria had to cede Belgium and Lombardy to France and was compensated with the eastern part of the Venetian Republic.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"1797","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"60 x 46 cm","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"b4f079f1-9f1d-5622-ac99-7add9077bf23":{"name":"A single-volume Qur’an with depictions of Mecca and Medina","short_description":"An unusual feature of this Qur’an is the inclusion of two small depictions of Mecca and Medina within the illuminated opening spread (folios 1b–2a). Such depictions in Qur’ans is very rare.  \nThe colophon is signed by the calligrapher Muhammad Amin al-Salahi.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; manuscript illumination; Mecca; Medina","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"Dated Hejira 1211 / AD 1796–7","location":"London","dimensions":"305 folios; 15.6 x 11cm","method_for_datation":"The Qur’an is dated. The attribution to Turkey is based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 7 October 2015, lot 241.","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["European influence","geography","hajj","Hijaz","Holy place","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","naskh","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Qur'an","Religion","tulth"],"materials":["brown morocco binding","incidentals in thuluth","Ink, gold and watercolour on paper","text in naskhi"]},"b53b54bc-9b3e-5bed-8d47-cbb1205c84bc":{"name":"*Kitab al-diryaq* (Book of Antidotes)","short_description":"This 13th-century manuscript copy referred to as the *Kitab al-diryaq* (‘Book of the Theriac’) is also named ‘Book of Antidotes’, as the word ‘theriac’ was originally the term for the remedy of bites of poisonous animals. Its introduction states that the text is the summary of the first part of Galen’s (born 129 AD) book on the Latwerges, in which he discusses theriac practices in particular: *Jawami' al-maqala al-ula min kitab Jalinus fi'l-ma'junat*. The essential components were compiled into this pseudo-scientific work by an unknown Alexandrian physician and later attributed to the scholar Yahya an-Nahwi, also called John Philoponos or Grammatikos (c. 490 – c. 565). However, the text is an Arabic adoption of the ancient concept of theriac, likely originating from the 10th century, and based on the Arabic literary tradition of the biographical lexicon combined with a scientific treatise. Nine famous doctors of antiquity, who have worked with theriac, are presented with their portraits in the beginning, and their biographies form the basic structure of the text. Information and descriptions relating to the practice of theriac are further expanded on by listing the ingredients of the medical concoction as well as areas of application. By including a three-part treatise on snakes, as they are the main component of the antidote. Chapters on the selection, trapping, and preparing snakes for medicinal purposes are also incorporated. This richly decorated manuscript is believed to have been made around 1220-40 in Mosul, a city in modern-day Iraq, which was part of the al-Jazira region that had a culturally diverse population and rulers interested in science and medicine. It may potentially be related to the courtly milieu of Badr ad-Din Lu’lu’ (died 1259), successor to the Zengid emirs of Mosul, who is known to have commissioned other manuscripts. The 16 paintings include rather unscientific depictions of various doctors and snakes, doctors preparing the theriac, and the discovery and further development of the remedy. It is unclear how the manuscript came to the Austrian National Library but it is mentioned in the records of Hugo Blotius (1533-1608), the first librarian of the court library, as being in 1576.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 1220-40 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"365 x 280 mm (320 x 255 mm), ff. I, I*, 31 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Mosul","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and 31b, an old inscription: *Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi*. On fol. 1b and 31b, a red stamp of the Bibliothèque Impériale, therefore it was temporarily in Paris form 1809-15.","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library since 1576.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 46-69.  \nKerner, Jaclynne J., *Art in the name of science: the Kitab al-diryaq in text and image*, in Anna Contadini (ed), *Arab painting. Text and image in illustrated Arabic manuscripts (Handbook of Oriental Studies 1/90)*, Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2010: 23-39.","dynasty":"Seljuq","binding_desc":"Before the folios’ conservation as loose pages, the old binding consisted of white parchment with gold print on its spine: *Jahiae de Theria, Cod. Ms. Orient. N. IX.*. On the covers, the imperial double eagle is visible as the supralibros, and on the back cover, the following abbreviations are stated: *E.A.B.C.V.* (*Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi*) and *17.G.L.B.V.S.B.55* (1755 Guilielmus Liber Baro van Swieten Bibliothecarius). According to the latter inscription, it was bound in this form in Vienna in 1755.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10E11226","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Doctor","medicine","painting","poison","snake"],"materials":["Ink on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 15 lines per page."]},"b5774f3e-8016-55ca-9542-099e3ef271b9":{"name":"Portrait of Akbar in old age","short_description":"This posthumous portrait of the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE) was probably commissioned by his grandson Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 CE), who was thirteen when the emperor died. The aged Akbar is depicted in three-quarter profile, a view reserved for figures of lesser rank but perhaps accepted for posthumous emperor portraits. Mughal conventions such as the golden halo and the fact that the emperor stands upon the orb of the world signify Akbar’s power as a ruler. The intricate details of his embroidered robe and sash, the pearls around his neck, and the bejewelled dagger hilt emphasize his royal standing and are complemented by a scrolling vegetal border rendered in gold. On the border of the album page, believed to be contemporary with the portrait, three of the emperor’s attendants stand symbolically (and literally) behind him, respectively holding his umbrella, standard, and shield. Two puttis, winged angelic figures derived from European models, hold a golden canopy protectively over Akbar’s portrait, while the antelope and deer depicted below, also on the earthly orb, associate the reign of the late emperor with a peaceful era. This portrait is believed to come from Shah Jahan’s last album, the compilation of which began around 1650 CE, and may never have been completed. Its paintings include several single-figure portraits that acted as models for future albums (Canby 1998, p. 151). The numerous border paintings are extremely developed and skilful works of art in their own right. In the early twentieth century, the “Late Shah Jahan Album” was unfortunately dispersed, and the pages, often split into two, were sold separately.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1645","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.1 x 26cm","provenance":"Agra, India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Canby, Sheila R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian paintings from the collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan*, London: Trustees of the British Museum, 1998. ISBN: 9780714114835.","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["Album","figure","folio","human-figure","Portrait","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"b5822b19-0bac-505f-bb0c-be6490cc1dc6":{"name":"List of the Christian captives of Italian origin, written by Mariano Stinca, a Neapolitan captive","short_description":"This list of the Chrsitian captives of Italian origin (Calabria Crotone, Catanzaro, Borgia, Palermo, etc.) was written by Mariano Stinca, a former Neapolitan captive who had become the secretary and head of protocol for Hammouda Pacha Bey.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1800","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Christian captives","Mariano Stinca"]},"b891c040-ed12-5331-bbcb-c0107a795fd7":{"name":"Letter from the British residents of Gibraltar, congratulating Ahmed Bey for having closed the slave markets","short_description":"This letter signed by approximately 30 British residents of Gibraltar, congratulates Ahmed Bey for having abolished the slave trade and closed the slave markets in the Tunisian regency.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1841","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Err :520"]},"b8b74d6c-8bd5-5f15-9490-e1dfa1ca07b9":{"name":"\"Firdausi's Parable of the Ship of Shi'ism\"","alternate_name":"Folio 18v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","description":"In the introduction to the Shahnama, God launched seventy ships, bearing adherents to the religions of mankind, into a stormy sea. Clearly depicted on the central ship are the Prophet and his son‑in‑law and successor 'Ali sitting beneath the red canopy, while 'Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husain, stand nearby. Details such as the inlaid stars and figures with very small elliptical pupils are characteristic of works attributed to Mirza 'Ali, the son of the master painter Sultan Muhammad.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Tahmasp, Iran (until AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim II, Turkey (from AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim III, Turkey (by AH 1214 / AD 1800); Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, France (by 1903); his son, Baron Maurice de Rothschild; France and Switzerland (from 1934); his son, Baron Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris and Switzerland(1957–59); Stiebel Ltd., New York, in 1959; Arthur A. Houghton Jr., New York","dates":"AH ca. 937-42 / AD ca. 1530-35","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 31.7 cm, width: 22.7 cm; Page: height: 47 cm, width: 31.8 cm","place_of_production":"Tabriz","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Arthur A. Houghton Jr. in 1970","bibliography":"Migeon, G., \"Exposition des Arts Musulmans au Musee des Arts Decoratifs.\" *Les Arts* no. 16 (1903).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *A King's Book of Kings: the Shah-nameh of Shah Tahmasp.* , New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M, and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975* (1975).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., S. R. Canby, and N. M. Titley. \"Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501–1576.\" *In Wonders of the Age.* , Cambridge, MA: Fogg Museum, Harvard Art Museums, no. 7, (1979).  \n  \nDickson, M., and S. C. Welch., *The Houghton Shahnameh.* Vol. vols. I & II. Cambridge, Mass. and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Persian Painting.*, London: British Museum Press, 1993.  \n  \nGruber, C., \"The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images.\" In *The Praiseworthy One.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.  \n  \nKomaroff, L, ed. \"The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.\" In *In the Fields of Empty Days.*, Los Angeles, CA,. no. 83, (2018).  \n  \nBahari, E., and A. Schimmel., *Bihzad, Master of Persian Painting.*, London, New York: I.B.Tauris Publishers, 1996.  \n  \nMelville, C., ed. *Safavid Persia : The History and Politics of an Islamic Society.*, Pembroke Persian papers. London - New York: I. B. Tauris, 1996.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, Madrid, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* , 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nRüstem, Ü., \"The Afterlife of a Royal Gift: The Ottoman Inserts of the Shahnama-i Shahi.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 29 (2012).  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \n  \nBlair, S. S., and J. Bloom. *By the Pen and What they Write.* New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015.  \n  \n\"Inscriptions on Architecture in Early Safavid Paintings of the Metropolitan Museum.\" *Metropolitan Museum Journal* vol. 53 (2018).  \n  \nKhafipour, H., ed. \"Source Studies of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Literate Communities.\" In *The Empires of the Near East and India.*, New York: Columbia University Press, 2019.","dynasty":"Safavids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452110","materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, silver, and gold on paper"]},"b92b2e17-256a-5653-8c8d-8f4555614e91":{"name":"Letter of Sultan Mehmet V to Emperor Karl I","short_description":"In this letter, Sultan Mehmet V thanks Austrian Emperor Karl I for the conferment of the \"Austrian Military Cross\" and congratulates him for his succession to the throne. In the same writing, he expresses his condolences for the death of Emperor Franz Joseph.","type":"Document","holder":"Austrian State Archives","dates":"9 February 1917","location":"Vienna","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Sultan Mehmet V","Karl I","Emperor Franz Joseph"]},"ba1c6502-ece8-50c7-a051-8ccb55d13f84":{"name":"Letter from the Tunisian merchants of Egypt to the Bey of Tunis","short_description":"This letter from the Tunisian merchants of Egypt to the Bey of Tunis thanks him for nominating a new representative in Alexandria. The letter is signed by over one hundred merchants in both Cairo and Alexandria","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1820","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Err :520"]},"ba7672c4-fed6-5ce8-8f1d-ccd9a7e359e4":{"name":"Marriage document.","description":"A document relating to a marriage and a divorce written on the back and the front of the scroll. The document refers to the marriage of a resident of Jerusalem on the front, and on the back, deals with the divorce of this same individual from his wife. Vermin have eaten away at part of the document, making it difficult to read.  \nThe marriage document occupies seven lines. It begins with a *Basmala* (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) on a line by itself, followed by the marriage contract. The contract warrants that Sheikh Sharaf al-Din Ya'qub bin al-Hajj Yusuf bin Ya'qub of Jerusalem gave his first born, a mature, free Muslim woman from Hebron, in marriage; she was said to be free from any legal impediment. It is notable that the name of the bride is not given in the contract; the information is limited to the mention of the place she is associated with, which is Hebron. We know that her name is Fatima from the divorce document, which is written on the back of the scroll. The contract mentions that the *mahr* (dowery), paid in advance was 450 *dirham*s, and that the deferred *mahr* was 150 *dirham*s. The contract also mentions that the representative of the bride in the marriage was Sheikh Qasim bin Musa bin ‘Umar al-Ghazzi. And the contract was completed by the attendance of two witnesses, one of which was al-Sayyid Sharaf al-Din Hamza bin al-Sayyid Abd al-Rahman Ali al-Mughrabi. The name of the second witness is barely legible, but the family name “al-Asti” is readable. At the bottom of the contract is the signature of the witness. And on the left side of the text is written: “her husband, her representative has legally presided, registered by Ahmad bin al-Naqib al-Hanbali”.  \nOn the back of the scroll are two other documents. Each document is five lines long and at the end of each one are the names of two witnesses. The first document reads: “Praise Be to God, on the 5th of Muharram in the year 795 \\[21st November 1392\\], to bear witness that the aforementioned Ya'qub divorced his wife, the aforementioned Fatima the day before this date. Then he recanted his divorce and took her back into his protection and marriage contract, a legal revision, attended by witnesses and witnessed on the date above.” The second document on the back of the paper is distinguished by a settlement between the husband and wife on her return to his protection. This was to take place on the condition that he gave her the deferred *mahr*. The document records the confirmation of two witnesses, that he had given the deferred *mahr* on the basis that she would not demand the *mahr* again in the event of another divorce or the death of her husband.","short_description":"Curiously, this mariage contract from Jerusalem has a document on its reverse relating to the divorce of the same couple. The document bears all the conditions and rights pertaining to marriage or divorce. It contains the names of the married couple, the judge and the witnesses. There is little fundamental difference from a contemporary Islamic marriage contract.","type":"Document, marriage, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The Islamic Religious Court (al-Mahkama al-Shar’iyya), Jerusalem.","dates":"Hegira 5th of Muharram 795 (AD 21st November 1392).","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 43.5 cm, width 28 cm.","method_for_datation":"The documents are dated.","method_for_provenance":"Jerusalem was narrowed down as the place of issue for this document supported by the text itself.","provenance":"Jerusalem.","obtention":"This document was found in the mid-1970s amongst a collection of Mamluk papers stored in a box at the Islamic Museum. The documents are likely to have been in the archive of one of the Shari'a judges practicing in Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Little, D. P., *A Catalogue of the Islamic Documents from al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem.* Beirut, 1984.  \nLutfi, H., *Al-Quds al-Mamlukiyya: A History of Mamluk Jerusalem Based on al-Haram Documents,* Berlin, 1985.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["divorce","mahr","marriage","Paper","wedding"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"bca9a195-0769-5794-865b-e5e0b784277a":{"name":"Italian police record of Romualdo Peppini (b. Turin 1863, d. Casablanca 1912), an Italian anarchist worker who immigrated to Morocco in 1901","short_description":"In the 19th century and for the first half of the 20th century political migration streamed from Italy to North Africa. Supporters of Italian unification, and especially the supporters of Republican nationalist ideologue Giuseppe Mazzini, were among the first migrants. After the Italian unification, some anarchists migrated, while under Fascism several antifascists took refuge in North Africa.","type":"Archival document","holder":"Central State Archives of Italy","dates":"1894–1901","location":"Rome","author":"Giulia Barrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"bcc67bdc-c7be-5340-9052-eebc133a1ba7":{"name":"Prayer Book","description":"This small prayer book, or du'anama, belongs to a corpus of illustrated devotional texts produced in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike most prayer books created at the time, this one contains twenty-nine drawings of traditional Islamic themes and subjects, which are outlined in gold and filled with prayers in ghubar naskh, an especially fine or \"dust-like\" variety of the naskh script. These include representations of the Ka'ba, the footprints (kadem) of the Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of Solomon, the bifurcated sword of 'Ali (zu'l fiqar), Noah's Ark, the lamp of the Prophet, the trumpet of the Archangel Israfil, and the cave from the story of the Seven Sleepers in the Qur'an, among others. The manuscript is signed and dated by the calligrapher, a prominent mid-eighteenth-century master known for his calligrams and pictorial calligraphic compositions, such as the galleon with inscriptions referring to the story of the Seven Sleepers also in the Metropolitan's collection (2003.241). It also contains collectors' stamps dating to the first half of the nineteenth century. The leather binding is decorated with stamped and gilded medallions within a simple border. Prayer manuals enjoyed wide popularity in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a time of political reform and religious revivalism. Used for individual prayer, they also served as mediational devices to protect, comfort, and heal their owners.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[ Art market, Nairobi, Kenya, until 1973]; Steve Cammann, Philadelphia (until 2013); [ Bauman Rare Books, New York, (until 2013)","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 15.2 cm, width: 10.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","provenance":"Kenya","obtention":"Gift from The Friends of Islamic Art Gifts in 2014","bibliography":"James Cummins Bookseller. *Catalogue 120, Fall Arrivals.* New York, no. 43, (2013)  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"Including Fine Rugs and Carpets, London, 1 May, 2019.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, London: Sotheby's, no. 43, (2019)","dynasty":"Ottoman","artist_birthplace":"Turkey","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/629452","materials":["Manuscript: ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper Binding: leather and gold"]},"bceaff57-522d-535e-a0c3-944479903843":{"name":"*Tughra* of Süleyman the Magnificent","short_description":"The *tughra* was the personal and official Imperial symbol of the Ottoman sultans. Each Sultan had his own design.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 47.5 cm, width 59 cm","provenance":"Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","manuscript","Ottoman","Süleyman","tughra","tuğra"],"materials":["Paper, gold, lapis lazuli pigments"]},"bde9764b-0319-5fdd-a563-cd0ba01a6ea4":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"This is an incomplete volume from a Qur'an that would originally have consisted of 12 volumes. Each page contains seven lines of text written with liquid silver on green paper, in Maghrebi cursive script. The vocalisation and the orthoepic signs (*suqun* and *hamza*) are in gold, red and blue. The titles of the suras, along with the verse numbers, are written with golden ink. Each verse *aya* is separated by a golden eight-petal rosette, circled by a border topped by eight series of small golden dots assembled in groups of three. The group of five verses is indicated with a stylised *kufic* *hâ* in a shape of golden tear and repeated in the margin by a larger design in the shape of an illuminated droplet (gold on a red background).  \nThis manuscript is a beautiful example of a Qur'an written on paper instead of parchment. It represents the new writing trends that appeared at the end of the Marinid dynasty. Before the AH 8th / AD 14th century, all Qur'ans were transcribed on parchment, considered until then as the only noble material worthy of bearing Qur'anic texts. Although made in Morocco from the AH 9th / AD 15th century, paper was not considered a noble material and it was only used for non-sacred texts. It was not until the Marinid period that the use of paper became widespread for the transcriptions of the Qur'an and the Hadith.","short_description":"This Qur'an, written in liquid silver on green paper using Maghrebi characters, is a good example of the new writing trends of the age. The vocalisations of the symbols are coloured, while the titles of the suras, the rosettes and the teardrops between verses are in gold.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Library.","dates":"Hegira 9th / AD 15th-16th centuries.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 22 cm , length 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"From the use of paper, which only became widespread for the transcriptions of the Qur'an from the 8th / 14th century, and from the writing style.","provenance":"Morocco.","bibliography":"Allouche, I. S., and Al-Rajraji, A., *Majmoua moukhtara li makhtoutât arabiya nâdira min mâktabat âmma fi al-Maghrib*, 1986.  \nAllouche, I. S. and Al-Rajraji, A., *Fahras al-makhtoutât al-arabiyya al-mahfouza fi al-khizâna al-Amma bi Ribat al-Fath,* Vol. I, Paris 1954.  \nAl-Razi, J., and Varichon, A., *6000 ans d'art au Maroc*, catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","dynasty":"Wattasid","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","Religion","religious manuscript","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Green paper, liquid silver."]},"be16f668-8f93-5fa4-976a-635754278a7f":{"name":"The Combat of Khusraw Parviz and Bahram Chubina (Page from a Manuscript of the Shahnama (Book of Kings))","short_description":"The illustrated page from a manuscript of the Iranian national epic, the Shahnama, depicts a contest between the Sasanian monarch Shah Khusraw Parviz (Khusraw II, r. AD 590–628) and a would-be usurper, Bahram Chubina. The protagonists, who competed for the Iranian throne, are both crowned. Bahram, the superior warrior, advances on foot toward a group of archers directed by Khusraw. This depiction of an epic battle cheekily includes, at the center of the page, a figure who has fallen, leaving his buttocks exposed. The humiliated man perhaps can be understood as representing an out-of-favor courtier, thereby drawing the centuries-old battle into the contemporary world of the manuscript’s creation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira c. 983-987 / AD c. 1576-1577","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"45.4 x 32cm","method_for_datation":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama produced for Shah Isma‘il II (Hegira 984-985/ AD 1576-77), of which there are fifty-five known surviving paintings, including the present example. The painting bears an ascription to the artist ‘Ali Asghar, who began his career at the court of Shah Tahmasp, in Tabriz. He subsequently entered the service of Sultan Ibrahim Mirza, nephew of Tahmasp and governor of Mashhad. Ibrahim Mirza was executed by order of his cousin, the newly installed Shah Isma‘il, and ‘Ali Asghar went to work in the atelier of yet another royal patron, this time in Qazwin—the new capital.","method_for_provenance":"The page is from manuscript of the Shahnama, the Iranian national epic. The large size of the painting and the lavish use of costly pigments suggest a royal patron. Stylistic considerations suggest a date of 983-987/1575-80. Shah Tahmasp died in 984/1576 and was succeeded by his son Isma’il, who ruled for less than two years. He was followed by his brother, the nearly blind Muhammad Khudabanda whose own inglorious reign came to an end in 996/1588 with the accession of Shah ‘Abbas the Great. Shah Isma‘il, who is in fact known to have employed a coterie of distinguished artists, is then the likely patron of the book, which can be dated with some confidence to Hegira 984-985/1576-77 AD.","provenance":"Iran, Qazwin","obtention":"The Isma’il II Shahnama was in Paris at the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in 1912. Sold by Georges Demotte (1877-1923), Paris, 1916 or 1918 (sold to). Collection of M. Millon (life dates unknown). Private collection, until 2005; Sam Fogg, London, until 2006 (sold to); LACMA, purchased with funds provided by H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer, Christopher V. Walker, Carolyn and Bill Powers, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, Kathrine and Frank Baxter, Caron and Steven D. Broidy, John and Leslie Dorman, the Kayne Foundation, Ric and Suzanne Kayne, Jerry D. Kayne, Myron Laskin, Camilla Chandler Frost, and Ellen and Michael Korney through the 2006 Collectors Committee.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles*, Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 184.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018: 7, 107, plate 7.  \nRobinson, B. W., \"Shah Isma'il II's Copy of the Shah-Nama: Additional Material,\" *Iran*, 43 (2005): 291-299, no. 6.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["figural motifs","gold","Illustration","ink","Iran","manuscript","painting","Safavid","silver","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolor, gold and silver on paper"]},"bebf4772-4e04-58b4-aec3-822a7e9990cc":{"name":"Miniature Qur’an","short_description":"This miniature Qur’an was copied in 1758 in Iran, likely in the city of Isfahan under the Zand dynasty, by the scribe Muhammad Hashim al-Isfahani. A densely decorated double page in a blue, gold and red colour scheme introduces the text. The calligraphic small *naskh* script is vocalised in red, while golden rosettes signal the end of each verse. The text block is framed by a gold border with golden diamond-, palmette-, and bud-shaped medallions in the margins containing the verse count. While text and illumination in this popular small format were created in the 18th century, the extant lacquer binding can be dated to the early 19th century. This Qur’an was enfolded in a white sewn cotton cloth with a hand-printed red and blue floral design fastened with a gold filigree hook clasp. The cotton case gives an indication of how these manuscripts might have been stored or how their covers could be protected during travel.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"AH 1172 / 1758 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"81 x 48mm (59 x 35mm), 231 folios.","place_of_production":"Iran, likely Isfahan","method_for_datation":"One colophon: AH 1172 / AD 1758","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased from the Mechitarist Order in Vienna in 1940.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 248-249.","dynasty":"Likely Zand","scriber":"Muhammad Hashim al-Isfahani","binding_desc":"This lacquer binding with a brown leather spine is made of cardboard with leather edges. Despite its small dimensions, the binding corresponds to larger formats of Persian lacquer bindings from the early 19th century; since the marginal decoration of fol. 1b-2a is trimmed, it is apparent that the binding was produced later than the manuscript itself. The outer covers are symmetrically painted with naturalistic, bright flower compositions on a black ground within a gold leaf border before a green background. Orange-red and pink roses, yellow jasmine-like flowers, reddish-violet irises, red-yellow carnations and primroses within green foliage are depicted. The lacquered doublures are also symmetrically decorated with a grey-violet-yellow tinted iris containing a bud and stylised green leaves. The black border decorated with small three-dot motifs surrounds the large flower before a reddish-golden ground.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14420187","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","naskh","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic small naskh script of 20 lines per page."]},"c13e5170-d59e-5b16-9738-396df09125ea":{"name":"Single-volume Qur’an","short_description":"The text is written in a fine *andalusi* hand with 25 lines to the page. *Sura* headings are in single-line gold *kufic*, except for the headings to *sura*s I and II, which are written in a different *kufic* in white in illuminated panels. The two-page colophon (folios 121b–122a), which is written in gold *naskhi*, states that the manuscript is the work of a hitherto unknown scribe, Yusuf ibn ‘Abdallah ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Yusuf ibn Khaldun, and that it was copied for Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Biyatush al-Makhzumi. To judge from his great grandfather’s Christian name Beatus, the patron was of Spanish stock.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on vellum; text in *andalusi* script, incidentals in *kufic* and *naskhi*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Dated Hijra 596 / AD 1199–1200","location":"London","dimensions":"122 folios; 17 x 16cm","method_for_datation":"The date is given in the two-page colophon, which also gives the names of the calligrapher and the patron. Provenance is based on stylistic comparisons and the name of the patron, which suggests a Spanish origin.","provenance":"Spain, Valencia","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.20, pp.92–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.64, pp.74–5.","dynasty":"Spanish Umayyads (Umayyads of al-Andalus)","keywords":["andalusi script","Andalusia","gold","ink","kufic","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","naskh","naskh script","Qur’an","Umayyads of al-Andalus","Vellum","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on vellum","modern leather binding"]},"c147d8a2-97a3-5021-88ab-e73c8c00b9c1":{"name":"Traveller's Qur’an Scroll","short_description":"This parchment encapsulates the entire Qur’an. Tear-shaped leaf-patterns frame the holy book, which stretches across five showcases. The 114 chapters are written with horsehair with scripts illegible to the naked eye.  \n  \nDue to its shape and weight, Muslim travellers, in particular pilgrims, would carry this type of Qur’an, ensuring lighter luggage than traditional books. However, it is believed that Qur’an scrolls like this sample would function as a talisman or good-luck charm on long journeys rather than a book for reading.  \n  \nToday, smartphone applications make holy books accessible at your fingertips, while many global hotels provide religious texts for their guests.","type":"Book; Manuscript","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"17th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 890cm, Width: 4.5cm","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were derived from an examination of material and technique in a research comparison with similar scrolls.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were derived from an examination of material and technique in a research comparison with similar scrolls.","provenance":"India, Jaipur","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Nünlist, T., \"Devotion and protection: Amuletic scrolls dating from the 14th century\", in Bethany J. Walker and Abdelkader Al Ghouz (eds), *Living with Nature and Things: Contributions to a New Social History of the Middle Islamic Periods*, Göttingen: V&R unipress, 2020: 475-533.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Kashmir","Manuscripts","Quran"],"materials":["handwriting","Paper"]},"c17d584d-4511-5578-a953-fcd5eb632aeb":{"name":"Jami, Maulana Nur ad-Din 'Abd ar-Rahman, *Yusuf u Zulaikha* (Yusuf und Zuleikha)","short_description":"The most famous romantic epic version of the story *Yusuf u Zulaikha* was written by Maulana Nur ad-Din 'Abd ar-Rahman called Jami (died 898 AH /1492 AD) in his *Haft Awrang*. According to the colophon, this copy was penned in calligraphic *nasta’liq* by the scribe Sharaf ad-Din ash-Sharif al-Khwarazmi in 982 AH/1574 AD in Yazd, Iran. It was likely purchased with a group of other manuscripts for 20 gold ducats by Peter Lambeck in 1677 in Constantinople and then transferred to the Austrian National Library. It includes seven full-page paintings that are modelled on the *Shirazi* and *Qazwini* schools of painting. However, an Ottoman illuminator added elaborate marginal decoration at the end of the 16th or the early 17th century.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"982 AH / 1574 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"248 x 150 mm (130 x 60 mm), 143 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: scribe's name mentioned, 982 AH / 1574 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a: *N. 4. Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca CAESARE(A) Vindobonensi*, and on the lower right: *20 auriis*. It also mentions: 'Restored in July 1921' in the National Library.","provenance":"Yazd","obtention":"Probably purchased with a group of other manuscripts under Peter Lambeck in Constantinople in 1677 for 20 ducats.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 40-42.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Sharaf ad-Din ash-Sharif al-Khwarazmi","binding_desc":"The dark brown, gold-stamped leather binding on vellum has the following inscribed on the spine: *Histor. Fabulos. - Cod. Ms. Persic. N. LV*. On the front cover, the imperial coat of arms with the crowned double eagle holds a banded shield with the inscription in gold print: *E.A.B.C.V. (Ex Augustissima Bibliotheca Caesarea Vindobonensi)* and *17.G.L.B.V.S.S. (!) B.54* (*Gerardus Liber Baro Van Swieten Bibliothecarius 1754*). The central field of the binding, pressed from a large matrix, contains diamond latticework formed from intertwined ribbons and Chinese-style cloud bands. Delicate spirals of flowers are visible in the background. A delicate crossbar with wavy tendrils is placed at the top and bottom. The frame is formed by stamped elongated shield medallions with floral vines. The binding was made in 17th-century Persia or Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10FD8784","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["painting","Safavid","Yusuf","Zulaikha"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 15 lines per page."]},"c1a3ba49-902b-5949-8d97-4621638aa6cb":{"name":"Inheritance document.","description":"An inheritance document written on paper in a script that is difficult to read. It consists of 15 lines, some parts of which are worn away in the middle of the first and second lines, resulting in the loss of the first name of the owner. The subject of the document is an inventory of inheritance (property) belonging to an invalid on his death-bed. The document details the possessions of the owner whose name is “\\[…\\] bin Husayn al-Mas'udi”, it includes a description of his possessions: a shirt, an old mattress, old outer garments (open in front) and a woollen head covering. The owner of the document worked as an attendant at the Madrasa Tankaziyya in Jerusalem. He also worked as a glazier, cutting glass and fitting it in houses. There are also details of a shop he was leasing out. The name of his wife was Zaynab, daughter of Muhammad bin Abd Allah Al-Iskankari, and he had three daughters: Fatima, Khatun and Rahma and one son, Muhammad. The document enumerates what is due to his wife with regard to the balance of the bridal dowry and what is due in terms of the shop lease. The owner of the document had relinquished his position in the Madrasa Tankaziyya to his son, Muhammad, on the basis of an agreement that the *madrasa* would oversee.  \nThe owner of the document was probably conveying his instructions to Ahmad bin ‘Uthman bin Sayf al-'Attal and al-Hajj Ali bin Musa bin Ali al-Nahhas. The document was registered by the Right Honourable Judge *(Qadi)*, al-Ansari al-Shafi'i, who practiced Islamic law in Jerusalem. It was signed by four witnesses; the names of each are recorded at the end of the document after the text of the statement which reads: “The aforementioned has been comprehended and witnessed accordingly”.  \nThe document offers an important insight into the social and economic life in the city of Jerusalem during the Mamluk period. It illustrates the ways in which positions were exchanged and transferred from one person to the next; it details names and types of garments that were widespread among different social classes, as well as informing us about people's professions; it gives some indication of the costs of rents, and the general cost of living in Jerusalem at the time. Such documents reveal the workings of the court as an institution with a basic role in every aspect of life, and allow exploration of the administrative system of the city at that time.","short_description":"Usually the will is enumerated after death; this one, however, was written in the presence of the owner on his death bed. He was a custodian at the Madrasa Tankiziyya and a glazier. It lists what the man will leave and to whom. It also includes instructions. The document bears a great deal of social and economic information about Mamluk Jerusalem.","type":"Document, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"The Islamic Religious Court (al-Mahkama al-Shar’iyya), Jerusalem.","dates":"Hegira 793 Dhu al-Qaeda (AD October 1st 1391).","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 27 cm, width 17.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document is dated.","method_for_provenance":"The document's place of issue is narrowed down to Jerusalem, suggested by the text.","provenance":"Jerusalem","obtention":"This document was found among a collection of Mamluk documents stored in a box at the Islamic Museum in the mid-1970s. The documents are likely to have been in the archive of one of the Shari'a judges practicing in Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Little, D. P., *A Catalogue of the Islamic Documents from al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem.* Beirut, 1984.  \nLutfi, H., *Al-Quds al-Mamlukiyya: A History of Mamluk Jerusalem Based on Al-Haram Documents,* Berlin, 1985.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Inheritance","Paper"],"materials":["Ink on paper."]},"c2ef4889-9f51-575f-8794-b1fe85502111":{"name":"An Entertainment Scene (Evening entertainment in the Golden Horn) from *Surname-i Vehbi*","short_description":"In this miniature we see an evening of rafts and fireworks on the Golden Horn. The grand vizier is seated on the Aynalıkavak quayside in the right frame and the sultan on the palace balcony. On the first of the two rafts in this procession, dancers and musicians perform in a garden of blazing cypress tree and Solomon’s seal fireworks. On the second is a revolving fortress stuffed with fireworks that have been set off while the military band at the stern of the raft plays.","type":"Book","holder":"Topkapı Palace Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"The book's dimension: 20x38 cm","provenance":"Istanbul","artist_birthdate":"Late 17th century","artist_birthplace":"Edirne","artist_deathdate":"1732","artist_deathplace":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Levni","miniature","entertainment","Dance"],"materials":["Miniature; illustrated"]},"c4e64021-9ff6-5ec2-8f32-519ced69b6f6":{"name":"Indigo-died parchment page from a Holy Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This horizontal Qur’an page of indigo-died parchment was executed in golden *kufic* script without any auxiliary vowel markers or diacritics. It is assumed to have formed part of a manuscript made in North Africa, possibly Kairouan, during the AH 4th century / AD 10th century. The page gives verses 135-137 from chapter 4 \"*Al-Nisa’* (The Women)\".","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"North Africa, probably Kairouan","dynasty":"Abbasid / Fatimid?","keywords":["Al-Nisa","Blue Qur'an","calligraphy","kufic","religious manuscript"]},"c7491ee6-13a8-5366-b740-046d09dd4772":{"name":"*Khamsa* by Nizami","short_description":"This is a lavishly illustrated and illuminated manuscript of Nizami’s *Khamsa* in a painterly Turkoman style that was produced in Iran in AH 904-5 (AD 1498-99). The *Khamsa* is a quintet book composed by Abu Muhammad Ilyas ibn Yusuf ibn Mu’ayyad (AH 535–605 / AD 1141–1209) known as Nizami, who is one of the greatest romantic poets of Persian literature. It is written in rhyming couplets known as *masnavi*. Nizami’s quintet consists of didactic work and four romances, whose heroes have a historical origin. The stories are as follow: *Makhzan al-Asrar* (The Treasury of Secrets), *Khusraw va Shirin* (Khusraw and Shirin), *Layla va Majnun* (Layla and Majnun), *Haft Paykar* (The Seven Beauties) and *Iskandarnama* (The Story of Iskandar).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 904-5 / AD 1498-9","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"27.6 x 16cm","provenance":"Persia","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Symbols Of Power And Beauty: The collection of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2015: 18-19, 162-163.  \nIslamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 104–107. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 32.","dynasty":"Turkoman","materials":["Paper bound in leather with gilt-stamping"]},"c766ed2c-4a3f-5af1-a216-8416ad33c1ad":{"name":"The thorny plant that grows in mountains  \nFolio from *Khawass al-Ashjar* (*De Materia Medica*)","short_description":"One of the earliest scientific manuscripts to be translated from Greek into Arabic was Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, as it is called in Latin. Pedanius Dioscorides, a Greek physician, wrote his treatise on medicinal plants in the first century CE. The manuscript was initially translated into Syriac and then into Arabic in Baghdad in the 9th century (Guesdon and Nouri 2001, p. 118). It became the foundation for Islamic pharmacology and was copied widely. The present folio is from a rare dispersed 13th-century Arabic copy of the text, in which are depicted various medicinal herbs and roots with an accuracy characteristic of Arab scientific texts produced during this period. The illustrations follow the Greek model closely. The paintings do not lack artistic sensibility and, for accuracy, each specimen is depicted in its entirety from tip to root against the plain paper ground. The recto side of this page depicts a large red bramble plant with five thorned branches arranged symmetrically. A mass of green shoots, topped with red flowers, clusters at the base of the plant, which has a red root. The text identifies the plant as rasiyun, “the thorny plant that grows in the mountains.” The verso side of the page shows a single-stemmed plant with red spiky blossoms, and the text states that this medicinal plant is used in the treatment of skin disorders, including pustules, itching and ulcers.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1200","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24 x 16.8cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Guesdon, Marie-Geneviève and Vernay-Nouri, Annie, *L’Art du livre arabe: Du manuscript au livre d’artiste*, Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, 2001.","dynasty":"Great Seljuq","keywords":["folio","plants","science","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, paper"]},"c8b1da8f-0004-5eab-99c4-f873364fde03":{"name":"Part 28 of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"Four other sections of this Qur’an survive, but this is the only one to retain a commissioning certificate, which was revealed during conservation work done on the manuscript since it entered the Collection. It had been covered by red paint and concealed beneath a piece of paper. It records that the Qur’an was copied for the library (*khizana*) of the Zangid prince Qutb al-Din Abu’l-Muzaffar Muhammad ibn Zangi ibn Mawdud ibn Zangi, who ruled over Sinjar, Khabur and Nisibin in northern Mesopotamia between AD 1198 and 1219.  \nThe text is copied in a black-outlined gold *thuluth*, which is the most unusual in Qur’anic manuscripts. *Sura* headings are in gold *kufic*. The double-page frontispiece is illluminated in gold, lapis blue and white. The use of lapis blue, one of the most expensive of medieval pigments, was to become standard in the illumination of Qur’ans, and the use of a translucent red wash to enhance the gold was to become a feature of 14th- and 15th-century illumination in Mamluk Egypt and Syria.","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; *thuluth* script; incidentals in *kufic*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AD 1198–1219","location":"London","dimensions":"50 folios; 22 x 15.6cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on the commissioning certificate, which survives on folio 1a of the Khalili manuscript.","provenance":"Northern Mesopotamia (the Jazira), Sinjar or Nisibin","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 10 April 1989, lot 184.","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992, cat.7, pp.44–9.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.67, p.79.","dynasty":"Zangid","keywords":["gold","ink","Jazira","kufic","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","Mesopotamia","Paper","Qur’an","thulth","watercolour","zangids"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"c8dcb99a-4981-58af-a357-22664ca7f472":{"name":"Trade agreement between the Sublime Porte and the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Annexed to the treaty, a booklet with the duties that the merchants from the Grand Duke of Tuscany had to pay in Turkey","short_description":"With this treaty, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II and the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Megid Han intended to encourage economic exchanges between the countries. Tuscan citizens and ships were accorded the same privileges that those from other countries had received. The treaty also provided for some tax reduction in favour of Tuscan merchants.","type":"Treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"Constantinople, 7 June 1841","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"c9b1b21a-3afb-57cb-86e1-8e151adf4e75":{"name":"Haftvad and the Worm  \nFolio from the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","short_description":"The vast historical scope, imaginative power, and national importance of the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), an epic poem completed by Firdausi in 1010, have inspired countless works of art in all media. This folio AKM164 (folio 521 verso) from the *Shahnameh* produced for Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (r. 1524–76) centres around Haftvad, a modest man with seven sons and one daughter whose fate is entwined with the rise of the Sasanian dynasty (224–651).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1540","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"45 x 30cm","provenance":"Iran, Tabriz","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["book-of-kings","folio","kings","painting","Shahnameh","Shanama","work-on-paper","works-on-paper","Zahhak"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper"]},"c9cb37fe-33b7-5284-b925-1f2ddb485073":{"name":"Album of calligraphic specimens","short_description":"The calligraphic panels, which are copied in *naskhi*, *thuluth* and *riqa‘*, are arranged in matching pairs with identical illumination, and mounted on double-page spreads splendidly decorated with patterns drawn from Mughal enamels or pietra dura work. The album bears a note to the effect that it is to calligraphy what the albums of Jahangir, the greatest connoisseur of the Mughal emperors, were to painting. It was very likely put together for Awrangzeb (r. 1658–1707), the first Mughal emperor of unimpeachable Muslim orthodoxy, who favoured calligraphy rather than painting. This magnificent presentation of the work of Indian scribes active in his reign gives a vivid impression of the restrained elegance of his court.  \nOriginally bound as a concertina album in lacquer-painted covers, the album was rebound as a codex in Europe, sometime in the early 20th century.","type":"Album; calligraphy album; *naskhi* script; *thuluth* script; *riqa‘* script","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"17th – early 18th century","location":"London","dimensions":"60 folios; 40.5 x 32cm (folio)","method_for_datation":"Many of the individual panels are signed by or attributed to calligraphers active during the reign of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, and the album was most likely put together for him.","provenance":"India; some specimens signed by various calligraphers; others with later attributions","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.270, pp.234–5.","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["Awrangzeb","Calligraphy album","illumination","India","ink","manuscript","Mughal","naskh","naskhi script","Riqa‘ script","thulth"],"materials":["bound in lacquer-painted covers","folios edged and backed with yellow silk","Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"ca166fd8-40d8-5568-b817-4999a1ea04de":{"name":"\"The Eavesdropper\"","alternate_name":"Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This folio once illustrated a magnificent manuscript of Nizami’s Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits). The story of the Seven Portraits comprises a series of moralizing tales as told to the Persian hero Bahram Gur by seven princesses. This lively and lyrical scene illustrates a story in which a youth spies upon maidens swimming in a garden pool by moonlight. The voyeur is barely visible here, peering out of the shuttered window, unbeknownst to the playful bathers below.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"AH ca. 833 / AD ca. 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 22.5 cm, width: 12.4 cm; Page: height: 27.9 cm, width: 18.3 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nLukens, M. G. \"The Language of the Birds: The Fifteenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in Ars Orientalis vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.* , (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision.*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, no.62, (1989).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch. \"et l'Enigme de Behzad de Herat (1465–1535).\" In *L'Art Figuratif en Islam Medieval.*, Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","dynasty":"Timurids","artist_deathdate":"AH 879-80 / AD 1475-76","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455059","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, silver, and gold on paper"]},"cbb84bd3-d79a-57ce-bfe6-bc286288c0a2":{"name":"*Khamsa* of Nizami","short_description":"Early sixteenth-century copies of the Nizami’s *Khamsa* often begin, as does this manuscript, with a double-page painting depicting, on the right, the Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) and, on the left, Bilqis (the Queen of Sheeba), seated on gold thrones supported by *jinn* and surrounded by various worldly and other-worldly creatures. (Sulayman is said to have understood the speech of the birds.) The other paintings included here depict the Abbasid caliph Ma’mun at the *hammam*, the Persian prince Khusraw hunting, and the story of Iskandar (Alexander) attacked by giant birds.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 936 / AD 1529","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"29.7 x 18 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["calligraphy","hamam","hunt","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"cbe9cbbe-7273-52d1-8920-45ea27d852f8":{"name":"Rustam shooting Ashkabus and his horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio, which depicts one of the hero Rustam’s more unusual victories in single combat, was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.3 x 24.5cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Aq Qoyunlu","keywords":["Big-Head","figure","folio","human-figure","poem","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold, and ink on paper"]},"cbf85605-4ba0-5a95-83bb-a01c29a67fc3":{"name":"The Rosetta Stone","short_description":"A letter from General Lord Hely Hutchinson, Commander of the British army in Alexandria, Egypt, to the traveller and scientist Edward Daniel Clarke. Clarke is to ensure the security of the Rosetta Stone which he, W.R. Hamilton and Colonel Turner are acquiring from the French army under the terms of the Capitulation of Alexandria. The letter also asks Clarke to copy the inscription from the Stone. It is dated September 13, 1801.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1801","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt","keywords":["archaeology","Egyptomania","exploration","collection","collecting","inscription","museums","travel","traveller","historical document"]},"ccc2770b-0e12-5f13-ae15-4f9ed65ca7cb":{"name":"A list showing the names of some individuals deemed eligible to be awarded nickel medals","description":"A list showing the names of some individuals deemed eligible to be awarded nickel medals for their donations toward the construction expenses of the Hamidiye Hejaz Railway. Some of the names included in the list are as follows:  \nMünshi Feth Muhammad Sahib, residing in the city of Batala in the Punjab Province of India; Münshi Amiruddin Sahib, residing in the city of Batala in the Punjab Province of India; Habib bin Muhammad Efendi, residing in the city of Shahabad under Karnal in the Punjab Province; Rahmat Khan from the people of India, and others.","type":"Archival Document","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 12 September 1904 / AH 2nd Rajab 1322h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 24 cm; width: 14,5 cm","provenance":"Hamidiye Hijaz Railway High Commission","dynasty":"Ottoman - Sultan Abdulhamid II Period","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["awards","donations","Hejaz Railway","medals","railway employees"],"materials":["Paper"]},"ce0fc758-0578-5c82-a0bf-76b98283bf9c":{"name":"\"The Concourse of the Birds\"","alternate_name":"Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)","description":"The illustration on this folio depicts a scene from a mystical poem, Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), written by a twelfth-century Iranian, Farid al-Din 'Attar. The birds, which symbolize individual souls in search of the simurgh (a mystical bird representing ultimate spiritual unity), are assembled in an idyllic landscape to begin their pilgrimage under the leadership of a hoopoe (perched on a rock at center right). The careful, harmonious composition is consistent with that of the late fifteenth-century Timurid miniatures also in the manuscript, but three factors indicate that this image is later: the presence of the hunter, who has no place in the narrative; his firearm, a weapon that gained currency in Iran after the mid-sixteenth century; and the signature of the late sixteenth- to early seventeenth-century artist Habiballah.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Abbas I, Isfahan, Iran (ca. 1600–1609); Shrine of Shaikh Safi Al-Din, Ardabil, Iran(ca. 1609–sack of Ardebil, 1826); M. Farid Parbanta(until 1963)","dates":"AH ca. 1000 / AD ca. 1600","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: Height: 25.4 cm, width: 11.4cm; Page: Height: 33 cm , width: 20.8 cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1963","bibliography":"\"Sufi Narratives.\" in *Hali* vol. 191.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Language of the Birds: The Seventeenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries: the Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1970.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen, ed., \"The Historical Background and Illustrative Character of the Metropolitan Museum's Mantiq al-Tayr of 1483.\" In *Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nFerrier, R. W., ed., *The Arts of Persia.*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.  \n  \nde Montebello, P., and K. Howard, ed., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, 6th ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \n  \nAlexander, D., M. al-Malik Abd al-Aziz al-Ammah, D. S. Walker, and H. Nickel., *Furusiyya. The Horse in the Art of the Near East.*, vol. 1. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 1996.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., ed. \"Studies in Honour of Basil W. Robinson.\" In *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars.*, Pembroke Persian papers, vol. 3. London and New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.  \n  \nSims, E., B. Marshak, and E.J. Grube. \"Persian Painting and its Sources.\" In *Peerless Images.*, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nBabaie, S., K. Babayan, I. Baghdiantz-McCabe, and M. Farhad. \"New Elites of Safavid Iran.\" In *Slaves of the Shah.*, Library of Middle East history, vol. 3. London; New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nKia, C., \"Is the Bearded Man Drowning? Picturing the Figurative in a Late-Fifteenth-Century Painting from Herat.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 23 (2006).  \n  \nLewisohn, L., and C. Shackle, ed. \"The art of spiritual flight.\" In *Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition.*, London; New York: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2006.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \n  \nKamada, Y.. \"An Illustrated Manuscript of Mantiq al-Tayr in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.\" in *Orient*, vol. XLV (2010).  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nMumtaz, M., *Faces of God : Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500–1800.*, Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section II South Asia, vol. 39. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023.","dynasty":"Safavids","artist_birthplace":"Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451725","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, gold, and silver on paper"]},"ce5ecdb3-7e4c-5b16-9a02-9a178b2075cb":{"name":"A detailed statistical report showing the general operating transactions of the Hejaz Railway for the year 1912","description":"The report includes income and expenditure tables, the quantities of passengers and goods transported, a comparison of the number of trains arriving and departing and the kilometres covered during the years 1911 and 1912, as well as information on the capital of the Hejaz Railway and other related data.","type":"Archival Register","holder":"Turkish State Archives","owner":"Turkish State Archives","dates":"AD 1912 / AH 1330/31 h","location":"Ankara","dimensions":"Height: 34 cm; width: 24,5 cm; depth: 1 cm","provenance":"Imperial Treasury (Hazine-i Hassa)","dynasty":"Ottoman","copy_editor":"Danielle Morcom","keywords":["archival register","Hejaz Railway","ottoman empire","Railway","Transportation"],"materials":["Paper","with textile hardcover"]},"ce6b5f80-a107-594c-bbad-ab4c10e5f9d0":{"name":"Bifolium from the 'Nurse's Qur'an' (*Mushaf al-Hadina*)","short_description":"The *Mushaf al-hadina* was commissioned for donation to the Great Mosque of Qayrawan by the nursemaid of the Zirid ruler Abu-Manad Badis ibn al-Mansur (r. A.D. 996–1016). Written in a form of *kufic* script that was unique to North Africa, it is remarkable not only for its calligraphy but also for two inscriptions providing documentary evidence it was commissioned by a female servant of a royal medieval household. Female patrons associated with the Zirid court, whether princesses or in royal service, were not uncommon. They commissioned Qur’ans to demonstrate their wealth and piety. The manuscript was copied on animal-derived parchment, which remained in use in this region long after a shift to paper took place in Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 410 / AD 1019–20","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 44.5cm, W: 60cm","provenance":"Probably Qayrawan, Tunisia","obtention":"Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Fatima al-Hadina, Tunisia (until about 1019–20)  \nFormer owner: Great Mosque of Qairawan, Tunisia (from about 1019–20)  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Charif Fine Arts, Dubai, sold to Fogg\\]  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, by 2006–7; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Campbell, Thomas P. (ed), *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 126, ill. (colour).  \nFraser, Marcus and Kwiatkowski, Will, *Ink and Gold: Masterpieces of Islamic Calligraphy London*, London: Sam Fogg 2006: 58–61, no. 15, ill.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 40–41, 146, no. 4, ill. 41, 146.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (ed), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 60–61, no. 31, ill. 60 (colour).  \nRoxburgh, David J., *Writing the Word of God. Calligraphy and the Qur'an*, Houston: Museum of Fine Arts, 2007.","dynasty":"Zirid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007","keywords":["Arabic inscription","calligrapher","calligraphy","Dedicatory inscription","female patronage","gold","ink","kufic","opaque watercolor","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qairawan","Qur'an","religious object","Tunisia","writing","Zirid"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on parchment"]},"cf106c3f-4539-5afa-9774-85924fe852cf":{"name":"Book of patterns","short_description":"Most of the folios are divided into square or rectangular compartments filled with drawings of a wide variety of repeating patterns, often with figural motifs but most with stylised floral elements. There are also rubbings, woodblock prints and a few drawings, mostly of objects and sprays of flowers, some coloured and some occupying a full page. Many patterns were drawn directly on the pages but others were pasted in.  \nThe designs based on human figures – including dancers, acrobats and mounted riders – are among the most creative. But of greater complexity are some with animals; fish, cobras, birds, elephants, squirrels, lions, tigers, camels and deer are represented. Some of the patterns are inspired by traditional Mughal decorative motifs, while others are European in taste.  \nThe pattern book had the potential to be of great use to jewellers and enamellers as well craftsmen working in textiles, manuscript illumination, bidri-ware and other metalwork, ceramic paving and marquetry work.","type":"Manuscript; pattern book; pattern; drawings; rubbings","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Folios: 24.5 x 15.2cm; drawn area: 20.2 x 11.2cm; 108 folios","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"North India, possibly Lucknow","obtention":"Sotheby’s, London, sale of 30 April 2003, lot 22.","bibliography":"Moura Carvalho, P., *Gems and Jewels of Mughal India*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 18, 2010: cat.169, pp.290–97.","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["bird","camel","dance","Elephant","India","lion","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","Mughal"],"materials":["Black ink and wash and/or pasted with drawings, patterns, rubbings, or wood-block prints, some coloured","original brown morocco covers, now removed"]},"cf2da5c2-0d20-5dbf-a2aa-c9244ad7d708":{"name":"Half of the Holy Qur’an.","description":"A large manuscript containing half of the Qur'an. It includes 325 pages written in *thuluth* script. The first page is decorated with coloured and gilded geometric and stylised vegetal motifs showing very high levels of precision and skill. Surrounding the basic text of the Qur'an are marginal notes recorded in blue, red, and black ink addressing Qur'anic recitation, interpretation, and grammar.  \nThe verses of the Qur'an are underlined by threads of wavy blue and separated by small golden circles that number the holy phrases. The entire text is surrounded by a thick, opulent frame of geometric and astral tessellations outlined in blue and abundantly gilded. Three large gilded circular and triangular medallions branch out beyond the gilded frame towards the edge of the page.  \nAn Arabic text dealing with the dedication of this copy of the Qur'an is found on the third page. It may be translated as follows: “This is a *waqf* to al-Amir al-Kabir al-Sarim Ibrahim bin al-Amir al-Nasari Muhammad bin al-Amir al-Sarimi Ibrahim bin al-Sayfi Manjak, may God grant them shelter in his mercy and contentedness, and settle them in his paradises, Amen, and has made the dwelling of this Qur'an in the mosque of his father, the Aqsab Mosque, outside Damascus the Protected, praise be to God only”.  \nThe text specifies that the person who established this Qur'an as a charitable endowment is the Mamluk Prince Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Sayfi Manjak. He was one of the grandchildren of Prince Manjak, who twice served as the Mamluk governor of Damascus.","short_description":"The abundance and intricacy of gold-leaf decoration found on this illuminated Qur'an is typical of the Mamluks' patronage of religious arts. The use of gold was also popular on Mamluk mosque lamps and was usually symbolic of 'divine light'.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","initial_owner":"Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ibrahim al-Saifi Manjak (d. AH 9th / AD 15th century), grandson of the Mamluk Ibrahim Manjak who was twice governor of Damascus during the second half of the AH 8th / AD 14th century.","dates":"Hegira 8th–9th century / AD 14th–15th century.","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 50 cm, width 35 cm, depth 7 cm.","method_for_datation":"The donor is the grandson of the Mamluk Prince Manjak, who served his first term as ruler of Damascus in 759 / 1357, and his second in 770 / 1368. It is possible that this Qur'an dates generally to this period. However, his grandson Ibrahim may also have endowed the Qur'an to the mosque at a later date, during the 9th / 15th century.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was dedicated to a mosque in Damascus, and was commissioned by the grandson of a Mamluk governor of Damascus. Though it was in all likelihood copied in Damascus, the text does not specifically state this, so it is possible that it was copied elsewhere, for example in Cairo.","provenance":"Damascus, Syria.","obtention":"The piece was confiscated by security forces in the year 1959.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969.  \nCluzan, S. et al (eds), *Syrie: Mémoire et Civilisation*, Paris, 1994, pp.410–12.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Damascus","gilding","Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ibrahim bin Manjak","ink","manuscript","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Ink on paper, gilded."]},"d1bf9339-5f6b-5368-a2c4-65e31939f9a9":{"name":"*Kitab al-Tasrif li-man 'ajiza 'an al-ta'lif fi al-tibb* (The arrangement of manifold medical knowledge for one who is not able to compile a book for himself: on surgery and instruments)","alternate_name":"The method of medicine","short_description":"Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-'Abbas al-Zahrawi al-Ansari, more commonly referred to as Al-Zahrawi, made a name for himself through the discoveries he made in the fields of surgery. This manuscript is the last volume of Al-Zahrawi's 30-part encyclopaedia on medicine and the human body that he compiled over the course of 50 years. In this volume the Arab-Andalusian surgeon goes into great detail about the techniques of surgery and the suitable instruments to perform various medical interventions, many of which he invented himself.  \nThis particular manuscript contains some 158 illustrations of surgical equipment whose purpose seems to have been demonstrative in nature. Such an interpretation can be made due to the way in which these images were executed, suggesting that the motive for their inclusion had a more practical approach than an artistic one. Even so, despite this apparent lack of attention to technical drawing, this manuscript is of immeasurable value because of the impact its text had on the history of medicine as a whole. Al-Zahrawi was a pioneer in his field and paved the way for modern day surgery.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Late 11th century AH / late 17th century AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"300 x 210mm (220 x 145mm), 116 folios","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established based on the style of the binding and the script of the manuscript.","provenance":"Most likely Morocco","obtention":"It is noted on fol. II that the manuscript was bought for the Imperial Court Library in Paris, for 15 guilders in 1860.","bibliography":"Al Samman, Tarif, \"Medizin\" in O. Mazal (ed), *Kultur des Islam: Orientalische Handschriften der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, Vienna: Österrichische Nationalbibliothek, 1980: 152-153.  \nDuda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/1. Die Handschriften in arabischer Sprache, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/1, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 139-141.","binding_desc":"Both front and back cover of this brown, Moroccan leather binding are decorated with an intricately cut out oval medallion that is embossed with floral ornaments. Further to this is a flap that also has an embossed medallion with floral ornaments on it, albeit a bit smaller and rounder than the ones on the covers.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14422207","author":"Leonie Fernsebner","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Al-Zahrawi","Kitab al-Tasrif","medicine"],"materials":["Red, purple and black ink on paper. Calligraphic maghrebi script of 20 lines per page."]},"d4fac3f2-aef5-5d9c-92ce-6e04c206f021":{"name":"Manuscript on geography.","description":"This geographical manuscript *Taqwim al-Buldan* (“The Almanac of Countries”) is a well-known medieval Muslim work on geography written by an Ayyubid prince by the name of Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331). The text is systematically descriptive. It is supported by information in tables based on rational and scientific observation in a manner similar to modern studies. The information used to compile the tables is judged to have come mostly from the Arabic translations and modifications of Ptolemy written by al-Biruni and Ibn Sa'id al-Maghrebi and other scientists. The manuscript was completed in AH 721 / AD 1321, and, upon publication, it superseded all previous geographical texts. This copy was made a generation later, during the Mamluk period, by Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qirsh. The frontispiece was painted by Muhammad al-'Arari.  \nThe frontispiece is highly ornamented, with a gilded frame surrounding the opening text of the book. The title and the name of the ruler who sponsored it are written in white letters on an intricate blue and gold background. Vegetal patterns cover both the frame and the area surrounding the text. There is a line of text in gold above the frame, as well as a delicate, but slightly smudged, note in the bottom margin.  \nAlso pictured is an example of one of the book's tables. It is arranged into simple, plain boxes filled with small, black handwriting and large, red labelling.  \nThe author, Abu'l Fida, was an Ayyubid prince and scholar who was born in Damascus in 1273 and died in Hama in AH 732 / AD 1331. He is also famous for writing *Mukhtasar ta'rikh al-bashar* (“A Summary of Human History”) a complied history of the pre-Islamic and Islamic periods up to AH 729 / AD 1329 that was popular in his time and later with the 18th-century European Orientalists.","short_description":"This important manuscript is a work of encyclopaedic scope and includes a highly ornate frontispiece typical of the Mamluk period. It was composed by the Damascene Ayyubid Prince al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331) and this copy was made a generation later.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","initial_owner":"Written by al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida (d. AH 732 / AD 1331).","dates":"Hegira 741 / AD 1340.","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Length 33 cm, width 23 cm, depth 3.6 cm.","method_for_datation":"The manuscript specifies that this copy was completed on Friday 3 Jamada al-Akhar 741 (24 November 1340).","method_for_provenance":"It is possible that the manuscript was produced in Hama, an assertion based on the text at the beginning of the book that reads: “Sultan 'Imad al-Din Isma'il, Sahib Hama Abu al-Fida, who thought up [the idea for] this book. This geographical book relies on compilation of ideas and copying like an almanac of countries. It divides the ancient world into regions.” This does not establish provenance for certain, for it is possible that the copying and frontispiece painting took place in Damascus or Aleppo in the name of the ruler of Hama.","provenance":"Possibly Hama, Syria.","obtention":"Purchased in 1961.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969.  \nCahen, C., “Ayyubids”, *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, Vol. I, Leiden, 1979, p.804.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["“Taqwim al-Buldan”","al-Malik al-Mu'ayyad 'Imad al-Din Isma'il Abu'l Fida","geography","Hama","manuscript","Muhammad al-'Arari","Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qirsh"],"materials":["Ink on paper, gilded frontispiece."]},"d668ed4d-2ede-5e5c-8317-ab16ddbceaab":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This fine Qur’an was produced for Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, who served as Grand Vizier for two Ottoman sultans, Süleyman I (the ‘Magnificent’, r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) and his successor Selim II (r. AH 974–82 / AD 1566–74). It was copied in a fine *rayhan* script by the renowned calligrapher Hasan Chelebi, who was the slave, and then adopted son, of the equally renowned calligrapher Ahmad Karahisari. The manuscript is beautifully illuminated and bound in a fine pressure-moulded binding decorated with cloud scrolls and blossoms.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 977 / AD 1570","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"20 x 13.3 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["arabesque","Bookbinding","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","Mehmet Sokolovitsch","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"d72b69f9-a4da-50e3-9f8d-3294ff84d9e9":{"name":"The 1861 constitution","short_description":"Despite the promulgation of the fundamental pact, the new reforms did not, in practice, take effect. The French and English consuls therefore continued to remind the Tunisian sovereign of the importance of judiciary reform in particular and offered to create a senate to assist him in this. Mohamed Bey's successor, Sadok Bey, promised to complete his predecessor's work and create a deliberative assembly. On 1 July 1860, the completion of the new reforms was announced. On 17 September 1860 in Algiers, the bey solemnly handed Napoléon III a copy of the richly bound text. Proclaimed in January 1861, the constitution was put to effect the following 23 April.","type":"Manuscript; historical document","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1861","location":"Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Reform movement","Tanzimat"],"materials":["Paper"]},"d7624db0-56ea-5f6c-a4ec-671242a3d4eb":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"This 19th-century Qur'an manuscript opens with an elaborately decorated and gilt double page giving the first chapter 'Al-Fatiha' on the right and the beginning of chapter 2 'Al-Baqara' on the right. The text, disposed in 15 lines on each page and framed by gold margins, is executed in black naskhi script, with red detailing. The chapter headings are executed in white riqa' script against a solid golden cartouche with blue floral detailing. The verse dividers are rendered as small gold discs. major subdivisions in the text are marked by small red inscriptions or elaborate, colourful medallions in the margins. The last double-page has elaborately coloured and gilt cartouches, the right giving the name of the calligrapher Hashim al-Kashafi, one of the students of Abd al Qader al-Rasmi, in the year 1286 H/ 1865 CE.","type":"Illuminated Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1869","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"115 mm x 170 mm (closed)","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["naskhi","riqa'"],"materials":["European paper, black ink, pigments, gilding, pasteboard, leather"]},"d804899b-9769-5c70-a8ff-438b6dcac6e8":{"name":"*Hamzanama*: Mahlaj shows his skill to Zumurrud Shah and runs a spear through a tree","short_description":"\"Mahlaj mounted a horse and began to exhibit his skill in spear-throwing. A camel stuffed with sand was brought, and Mahlaj charged it and planted his spear into its side in such a way that it passed straight through. Then he picked up the camel and its load and hurled it over his head. A cheer arose from the people. Next he speared the tree so hard that it split in two. 'My Lord,' said Mahlaj, 'if anyone can pull this spear out of the tree, he will have performed a real feat.' This he said, and he dismounted.\"","type":"Painting, manuscript, folio, miniature","holder":"MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art","dates":"AD 1557–1577","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, Width: 55cm","method_for_datation":"Document","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"India","obtention":"Vienna World Exhibition 1873","bibliography":"Noever, Peter (ed), *Global:Lab: Kunst als Botschaft. Asien und Europa 1500-1700, Exh. cat. Museum of Applied Arts Vienna*, Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2009.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Johannes Wieninger, Mio Wakita-Elis","keywords":["Hamzanama","Mahlaj","painting"],"materials":["Painting on cotton"]},"d8d5a5cd-689f-5f68-bcf7-940b003039aa":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"The work in all its aspects reflects the full maturity of the style for its time. It was produced as 265 folios of finished (*aharli*) paper with 14 lines per page of *naskhi* script in black ink. The book's introduction features a double-page illumination. The chapter title frames, marginal rosettes and the colophon page are also illuminated. The illumination includes freely brushed cloud compositions placed side by side with traditional motifs like Chinese-inspired floral motifs (e.g. peonies), arabesques, palmettes and spiralling tendrils. The attempt to reach beyond traditional compositional formulas continues in the illumination, placed in between letters and in the flower and leaf compositions springing from the frames or letters.  \n  \nThe leather binding is dark-red on the outside and dark-green on the inside. The symmetrical layout on both the inner (doublures) and outer covers comprises an oval medallion ending in palmette-shaped pendants and half-pendant corner-pieces within a wide border. The medallion, corner-pieces and pendants are outlined in gold and filled with vegetal compositions in the *hatayi* (*chinoiserie*) style. The decoration on the binding is tooled to a depth of 2 mm on the outer covers and to 1 mm on the inner covers. The balance between decorated and undecorated surfaces, and the surface difference in the decoration, makes for incredible depth. In contrast to the other parts of the binding, the flap is inscribed with Qur'anic verses (56: 77–9).  \n  \nSheikh Hamdullah established a school in Ottoman calligraphy that was known by his name. He was also a teacher of Sultan Bayezid II (r. AH 886–918 / AD 1481–1512). This work, transcribed by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah) in Rajab 899 (AD April 1494), is noteworthy for its surpassing of traditional models of illumination and especially for its masterful tooled binding and superb calligraphy. Thus, it is one of the most important works from the reign of Bayezid II, when Ottoman book arts started to assume their own identity.","short_description":"This Qur'an was copied by Sheikh Hamdullah, who established a school of Ottoman calligraphy. Its calligraphy, illumination and exquisite binding make it a masterpiece of Early Ottoman period book arts.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The name of the original owner is not known. However, the work bears the seals of both Sultan Mahmud I (r. AH 1143–68 / AD 1730–54), and the inspector of pious foundations (waqf), Derviş Mustafa, (in office during the first quarter of the AH 12th / AD 18th century). Although these seals do not identify the actual structure to which this Qur’an was dedicated, it is inferred that it was dedicated to a mosque or a tomb.","dates":"Hegira Rajab 899 / AD April 1494.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul","dimensions":"Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The colophon states that it was written in Rajab 899 / April 1494.","method_for_provenance":"The high-quality calligraphy, illumination and binding of the work all suggest that it was produced in the Topkapı Palace workshops in Istanbul. Sultan Bayezid II was quite passionate about the art of calligraphy. When he was a prince governing Amasya, he was tutored in calligraphy by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah). When he ascended the throne, he invited his tutor to teach calligraphy in Topkapı Palace. Thus, it is highly likely that this Qur'an was prepared for Sultan Bayezid II in the workshops of Topkapı Palace.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The book was transferred to the Museum from the Library of the Ayasofya Mosque in Istanbul in 1914.","bibliography":"Çığ, K., *Türk Kitap Kapları* (*Turkish Book Bindings*), Istanbul, 1971, Fig. IV.  \n  \nLevenson, J. A. (ed), *Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration*, Washington D.C., 1991, no. 81.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.250–1.  \n  \nRaby, J. and Tanındı, Z., *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century*, London, 1993, pp.196–9.  \n  \nRoxburgh, D. .J. (ed), *Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600*, London, 2005, p.441.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","gold (gilding)","ink","leather","leather binding","painting","religious manuscript","tooling","vegetal decoration","watercolours"],"materials":["Finished (aharlı) paper, leather, ink, watercolour, gilding, tooling on the leather binding."]},"d94abca0-07a0-5504-8f9e-843ed2f954ce":{"name":"Two *Sura*s of the Qur'an","short_description":"What were originally two separate volumes are now bound together to form this small manuscript. The first half of the manuscript consists of *sura* (chapter) VI of the Qur’an, copied in a black *naskhi* script, while the second half consists of sura LXXIII, copied in a large *thuluth* script, alternately in lines of black and gold ink, and signed by the calligrapher Yusuf ibn ‘Abdallah. The fine leather binding of the manuscript is protected by being placed in a red velvet satchel adorned with patterns and inscriptions embroidered in metal threads.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 976 / AD 1568","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"14 x 9.8 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["arabesque","Bookbinding","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Koran","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"da6f318d-80ce-5330-b287-e6ae140c2ff0":{"name":"Frontispiece of a Qur’an.","description":"The first page is decorated with a particularly brilliant illumination. It consists of a rectangular field gilded and stippled with red and black dots and framed by two plaited strips. In the axial plane is a central circle equidistant from two semi-circles. The whole is separated by four half-lozenges. Each one of these contains a stylised, five-lobed, vine-leaf motif inscribed in a circle from which two half-leaves emerge. A palm-leaf motif with abundant floral decoration projects towards the edge of the page.  \nThese different motifs come from the Ifriqiyan decorative repertoire of the classical period: AH 3rd–5th centuries / AD 9th–11th.  \nThe second page contains a Qur'anic text taken from the tenth *sura*, Yunis (Jonas, verses 70-1). The lively gilded *kufic* script is framed in brown. The vowels are indicated by red dot diacritics, with two vertically arranged dots for the *tanwin* and green and blue dots respectively for the *hamza* and the *shadda*, after the method established by Abi al-Aswad. Short diagonal lines are also used for the vowel points.  \nThe divisions between the verses are marked by gilt rosettes inside blue circles. The fifth verse is marked by a gilded roundel with a blue centre and a red circumference. The tenth verse is marked in the margin by a roundel covered with gilded petals. An ornate inner circle contains a gilded inscription on a red background.","short_description":"The first page bears an uncommonly bright illumination. The second page contains a Qur'anic text taken from the *sura* Yunis. The *kufic* script is gold and outlined in brown.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century (second half).","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 21 cm, width 15 cm.","method_for_datation":"Palaeographic study reveals that the lettering is identical to that of Qur'ans belonging to the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan and dated thanks to their deed of gift (*habus*) from the 4th / 10th century. Furthermore, a *fatwa* issued by the great Maliki jurist of Kairouan, Abdullah ibn Abi Zayd (d. 386 / 996) (d. 386 / 996) appears to mention this gilt-inscribed Qur'an, thus narrowing the dating to the second half of the 4th / 10th century.","provenance":"Probably Kairouan.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, this Qur'an was obtained by the National Library in 1967, and transferred in 1983 to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*30 ans au service du patrimoine* (exhibition catalogue), 1986, p.209.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.219.  \n*Tunisie: du christianisme a l'islam* (exhibition catalogue), Lattes, 2001, p.193.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62 and 182–3.","dynasty":"Fatimid–Zirid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Illuminated and decorated parchment."]},"db7e26a4-3251-5466-8971-8209285633d5":{"name":"\"Alexander and the Circle of Seven Sages\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"9th century AH / 15th Century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting and Text Block: Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 14.3 cm; Page: Height: 27.8 cm, Width 19.7 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships*. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nCasagrande-Kim, R., ed. \"Islamic Transformations of the Classical Past.\" In *Romance and Reason*. Princeton and Oxford: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, no. 26, (2018).","dynasty":"Timurids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455025","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"db8efe20-85f0-56b3-9f4f-d965040ce729":{"name":"A treaty of peace and trade between the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regency of Tripoli, written in French, Italian and Arabic","short_description":"In order to avoid misunderstandings that could negatively affect the peace and goodwill between the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regence of Tripoli, the two countries signed this treaty, with the French chargé d'affaires acting as mediator.  \nThe treaty confirmed other treaties along the same lines previously signed by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and the Regence of Tripoli. Moreover, the treaty committed the Grand Duke of Tuscany to grant the Regent a lump sum payment (6,000 piastre), providing that the Regent not expect further payments or presents from Tuscan consuls.","type":"International treaty (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Florence","dates":"5 March 1829","location":"Florence","author":"Loredana Maccabruni","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"dbb2810b-2201-5ec0-9c74-15bdbff69f28":{"name":"Koran page","short_description":"This leaf is from one of the oldest extant copies of the Koran. It is a palimpsest: the original text was scraped off and a new one was written on the parchment. The original text reemerged and can be read as a shadow under the later one. Both are transcripts of the Koran’s *sura* 2, “The Cow.”  \nBoth texts were written in *Hijazi*, the earliest Arabic script used for Korans.","type":"Parchment leaf from a Qur'an written in *Hijazi*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 1st half of the 1th century / AD 2nd half of the 7th century","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Hijaz Province, the Arabian Peninsula, or Syria","dynasty":"Early Islamic period","keywords":["Parchment","Qur'an","religious manuscript","The Cow"]},"dc5f0937-d5aa-54f6-ab26-c328b079d9bf":{"name":"*Mashaf* (Qur’anic manuscript) of Barsbay.","description":"A copy of the second half of the Holy Qur'an. It was an endowment (*waqf*) to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem by Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay. This *mashaf* was given to him by the city of Damascus during his stop-over there part-way on a journey to a final destination in AH 836 / AD 1432. He sent it to al-Aqsa Mosque and made the *sheikh* of the Madrasa Salihiyya its custodian. He appointed Sheikh Shams al-Din Muhammad bin Qatlubga al-Ramli who was a famous orator in Jerusalem, to read this *mashaf*.  \nThe *mashaf* has been rebound and restored. During this process, a number of torn pages have been removed and replaced by others. This process has led to the loss of the front of the *mashaf* and the end, which would typically have borne the name of the calligrapher, the illuminator and the date the *mashaf* was copied. The folios of the *mashaf* had been trimmed on three sides at the time of restoration, since the dimensions of the original were approximately 120 cm x 95 cm. At the bottom of the *mashaf* is a statement that it was restored: “This was repaired by the humble Ibrahim Ahmad al-Salfayni al-‘Abbasi in the latter half of the month of Jumada II in the year 1292 \\[1875\\]”.  \nThe text begins with *Surat “al-Kahf”* (“the Cave”), written in thick, dark-black ink in skilful *thuluth* script. The pauses are indicated by six-leafed and illuminated blossoms. The names of “Allah” and the “Prophet Muhammad” are illuminated everywhere they appear in the text. The beginning of each new chapter, the chapter heading, the verse number, and the area where they are placed, is written in white ink and surrounded by vegetal decoration within a rectangular frame. The scribe distinguishes the elongated letters in some of the words by writing them in red. Furthermore, he elongates the two letters “Nun” and “Ta”, as well as any letters resembling these in form when they reach the end of the line, to the end of the margin.  \nSome of the chapter headings have been intentionally ripped out, and the gap they have left covered over with white paper with the name of the chapter written on it. The substitute white paper is distinctive from the thick paper of the *mashaf*, which perhaps was composed of more than one layer.","short_description":"This is the second half of a Qur’anic manuscript endowed to al-Aqsa Mosque by Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay. It is the biggest Qur’an in Palestine (110 cm x 170 cm when open). It is written in beautiful *thuluth* script in black ink on a thick, strong paper and has many decorations. The name *al-Jalala* (Majesty) and the name of the Prophet are illuminated wherever they appear.","type":"Qur'an, paper, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Sultan al-Ashraf Sayf al-Din Barsbay (r. AH 825–41 / AD 1422–37).","dates":"Hegira 825–41 / AD 1422–37.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 110 cm, width 85 cm, depth 13 cm.","method_for_datation":"The dates established for the *mashaf* is supported by historical sources, such as a passage in the book of historian, Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali.","method_for_provenance":"It is probable that the *mashaf* was produced in Damascus where it was given to Sultan al-Ashraf Barsbay.","provenance":"Probably Damascus, Syria.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was transferred at an unknown date from al-Aqsa Mosque to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), *Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Significant Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\]*, Amman, 1973.  \nSalameh, K., *The Qur'anic Manuscripts in al-Haram al-Sharif Islamic Museum*, Paris, 2001.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["illumination","mashaf","Qur’an","Thuluth"],"materials":["Coloured ink on paper, decorated and illuminated","the binding of leather."]},"dc96172a-d522-545b-a1c3-052bebfe5e6c":{"name":"\"Device for Raising Water\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the AH 7th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"Ah Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.4cm × 27.6cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","dynasty":"Mamluks","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13824/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=960a2c37-a27f-436d-9ac0-f9aed7bd2418&idx=0","keywords":["folio","Mamluks","Technical Manuscript","water"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"dccc8b0a-bc31-5963-9d01-c749feb6d5e5":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"In this Qur’an, the beginning of each *sura* (chapter) is indicated by a line of gold script giving the title of the chapter and the number of verses it contains. Extending from each of these titles is a highly stylized palmette element, executed in a palette of burgundy, blue, green and gold. These folios are from what was the final volume of a sixty-part Qur’an. Each of the original sixty volumes would have begun with an illuminated double-page frontispiece similar to the (now only single-page) frontispiece included in this volume.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th century / AD 9th–10th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"12.8 x 20.2 cm","provenance":"North Africa or Spain","dynasty":"Abbasid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Is_1411/13/LOG_0000/","keywords":["geometric decoration","illumination","koran, calligraphy","Parchment","religious manuscript","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on vellum"]},"dd7c1d21-573b-5dd3-8f6f-94141d1320e3":{"name":"Safi ibn Vali’s Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’)","short_description":"Written during the year-long pilgrimage undertaken by the author, Safi ibn Vali, in 1676–77, the Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’) gives advice to prospective pilgrims on every aspect of the journey: which ships to choose, how to stay healthy, the places to visit, the rituals to be observed and the people one is likely to encounter. Safi ibn Vali’s own pilgrimage (he commenced his journey on 12 Rajab 1087/ 20 September 1676) was made possible through the financial help of Zib al-Nisa, a daughter of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, for whom he had written a commentary on the Qur’an.  \n  \nThis manuscript belongs to a long-established tradition of guides to the Holy Places (see MSS 1038), although the illustrations here differ in that they combine the diagrammatic views normally found in such guides with vivid and colourful scenes of the pilgrims and their caravans. The illustrations are simple in their conception yet their attention to detail is acute. They provide a cogent picture of camp life of pilgrims in the late 17th century.  \n  \nThe illustrations:  \n  \nView of the port of Surat and the ships carrying pilgrims (folio 2b). Surat, on the Western coast of India, north of Bombay, was one of the main points of departure to Arabia. The view is oriented to the south.  \nThe pilgrims’ ships crossing the Sea of Oman (folio 3b). The two larger ships carry pilgrims; one, on the right, appears to be casting (or raising) anchor. The smaller vessels may be fishing boats.  \nThe mish‘ar al-haram and the ritual of collecting pebbles (folio 10a). The painting shows the pilgrims in the region of Muzdalifa, in a state of ihram (ritual purity), collecting pebbles.  \nThe pilgrims in the town of Mina, being shaved, making sacrifices and casting pebbles at the Devil (folio 10b). This day corresponds to ‘Id al-Adha on 10 dhu’l-Hijjah, the feast commemorating the Sacrifice of Abraham. By this stage, the pilgrims, who are in a full state of ihram indicated by their white garments, have already completed their initial circumambulation of the Ka‘bah (the welcome tawaf); the ritual of running between the hills of Safa and Marwa (sa‘iyy) recalling Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Isma‘il; the day of prayer at ‘Arafat – a most holy time when every pilgrim stands alone with God; and the gathering of pebbles at Muzdalifa in preparation for the stoning of the Devil at Mina. This recalls yet another chapter in the Abrahamic narrative in which Isma‘il stones the Devil seven times (the ritual is illustrated in the upper right-hand corner of the painting). After this a sacrifice is made. The pilgrims are released from most of the restrictions imposed by the state of ihram; men shave their heads and beards; women have their hair clipped. Pilgrims can now wear their normal clothes and leave for Mecca, where they perform another essential rite, a further circumambulation of the Ka‘bah known as the tawaf al-ifadah, which takes place on the same day.  \nThe birthplaces of the Prophet Muhammad; Fatimah; Abu Bak al-Siddiq; as well as the Madrasah of Sultan Sulayman, and a Bektashi lodge (folio 11b). These are shrines to visit in the vicinity of Mecca, which are not part of the hajj rituals.  \nPlan of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca with the Ka‘bah (folio 12a).  \nThe camp of North African caravan of pilgrims (folio 15a).  \nThe camp of Egyptian caravan of pilgrims (folio 15b).  \nThe camp of the Syrian caravan of pilgrims (folio 16a). Unlike the pilgrims from North Africa and Egypt, the Syrian pilgrims are richly dressed and carry swords and gold daggers. Ahmad Pasha, the Syrian Amir al-Hajj, is identified by a caption (top left).  \nThe camp of the desert Arabs and the people of Najd (folio 16b).  \nThe camp of the caravans of the Indian (top) and Iranian pilgrims (folio 17a).  \nOfficials, scribes and secretaries (folio 17b). This is a small illustration, which is not captioned.  \nSharif Barakat, hakim haramayn sharifayn (‘Governor of the two Holy Sanctuaries’), riding to meet the envoy of Sultan Mehmed \\[IV\\], the Emperor of Rum (folio 18a).  \n‘Abdi Pasha, the Amir al-Hajj of the Egyptian caravan, on his way from Mecca to Medina (folio 18b).  \nThe port of Mucha, in the Yemen (folio 21a). The illustration shows the pilgrims’ ships departing from the port as well as Sayyid Husayn, the Governor of Mucha, riding his horse (bottom right).  \nThe port of Jeddah (folio 22b). This view is very similar to that of Mucha (folio 21a) in that it combines views of the city and the pilgrims’ ships with one of the Governor of the city, Sunjuq.  \nMan attacked by a lion (folio 21b); Man saved from the jaws of a lion (folio 23a); A feast (folio 23b). The three small-scale paintings are illustrations to a parable about a very poor woman taking pity on some beggars passing by and feeding them; her act of generosity was rewarded when a stranger saved her son from being eaten by a lion. The feast is probably in celebration of the son’s safe return to his mother.  \nScript:  \n  \nPersian text copied in nasta‘liq; with 23 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Princess Zeb un-Nisa (AH 1047-1113 / AD 1638–1702)","dates":"*circa* 1677–80 AD","location":"London","dimensions":"23 folios, with 11 full-page and 9 half-page illustrations. 33 x 23.2cm (page); 27.4 x 14.7cm (text panels, and full-page illustrations)","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"The text states the dates of travel and compilation as AH 1087 / AD 1676–7.","provenance":"India, possibly Gujarat","bibliography":"Khan, Q.M., *The Pilgrim’s Companion: The Khalili Anis al-Hujjaj*, London: Kulturalis, 2025.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames and Hudson, 2010: cat. 332–41, pp. 284–7.  \n  \nYork Leach, L., *Paintings from India, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume VIII; London: The Nour Foundation, 1998: cat. 34, pp. 124-9.*","dynasty":"Mughal","artist_birthdate":"AH 1029 (AD 1619 / 20)","artist_birthplace":"Qazvin (Iran)","artist_deathdate":"c. AH 1092 (AD 1681 / 82)","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Hijaz","Holy place","India","Ka'ba","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Muhammad","Mukha","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Manuscript","Religion","ship","travel"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","modern leather binding"]},"ddff3430-26f0-5eab-9cc1-197b9177efbc":{"name":"Qur’an *Mushaf*","short_description":"This Qur’an has visibly undergone successive stages of rewriting and redecoration, and there are inscriptions which provide dates for some of these. The earliest and the most important inscription in the Qur’an is the one-line colophon, dated Hegira 690/ AD 1291, stating that it was copied by Yaqut al-Musta’simi (d. 1298 AD), one of the most renowned of all Muslim calligraphers. At that time, Yaqut was working for the Mongol Ilkhanid Sultan. Unfortunately, few of the original folios have survived; but, the restoration work, undertaken at the later stage, is beautiful and was executed with great skill. In this *mushaf*, the opening, middle and end double-page openings are illuminated. The use of bold blue and red pigments on the gold ground continued for centuries, even into the late Qajar period (AH early 14th century / AD 20th century). The wide margins are decorated with stencilled flower and foliage scrolls in gold. The beginning of each *juz’* and *hizb* is marked by a decorative device. The rectangular panels of the Sura headings contain small polychrome lobed arches, which extend into the margin.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 690 / AD 1291","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"25.2 x 17cm","provenance":"Iran","bibliography":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *Al-Quran: The Sacred Art of Revelation*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2004: 104 – 107.  \nIslamic Arts Museum Malaysia, *IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 32.","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","materials":["Paper bound in leather and gold stamping"]},"df000137-0b7e-5018-bea4-3f10c1f9ba95":{"name":"The Canon of Medicine","short_description":"Published almost 1000 years ago, this book depicts the Canon of Medicine originally written in Arabic by Ibn Sina, also known as Avicenna. At the age of 57, the physician and Islamic philosopher surpassed Hippocrates and Galen’s theories on medicine, opening a new chapter in the field. This encyclopaedia on the body and soul revolutionizes medicine by introducing the concept of clinical trials. Ibn Sina’s study of the brain, emotions, and interpretation of dreams paved the way for many future studies, such as the effects of saffron in treating melancholy and depression.  \n  \nWith remarkable contributions to public health, pharmacology, and psychology, this book remains the most famous medicine textbook across history, impressing contemporary researchers.","type":"Books; Manuscripts","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"1477-1478","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 47cm, Width: 24cm","place_of_production":"Iran, Tabriz","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written in the book.","method_for_provenance":"Date and origin are written in the book.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Auction","bibliography":"Adler, A., \"The Views of Abu-Ali Ibn-Sina (Avizenna) in the Field of Neuropsychiatry\", *American Journal of Psychotherapy*, 7 : 4 (1953): 829-831.  \nAwaad, R., Mohammad, A., Elzamzamy, K., Fereydooni, S., and Gamar, M., \"Mental Health in the Islamic Golden Era: The Historical Roots of Modern Psychiatry\", in H. Steven Moffic et al. (eds), *Islamophobia and Psychiatry*, Cham: Springer, 2018: 3–17.  \nHosseinzadeh, H., and Nassiri‐Asl, M., \"Avicenna's (Ibn Sina) the Canon of Medicine and Saffron (Crocus Sativus): A Review\", *Phytotherapy Research*, 27 : 4 (2013): 475-483.  \nKhan, M. A., Raza, F., and Khan, I. A., \"Ibn Sina and the Roots of The Seven Doctrines of Preservation of Health\", *AMHA-Acta Medico-Historica Adriatica*, 13 (2015): 87-102.  \nMoffic, H., Peetet, J., Hankir A. and Awaad R. (eds), *Islamophobia and Psychiatry*, Cham: Springer, 2018.  \nSajadi, M. M., and Mansouri, D., \"Ibn Sina and the Clinical Trial\", *Ann Intern Med.*, 150 (2009): 640-643.","dynasty":"Timurid","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Avicenna","Books","Ibn Sina","Manuscripts","medicine"],"materials":["handwritten","Rice paper, ink"]},"df4c4b4c-9266-5a46-8ca0-f6f3ce0dfda5":{"name":"Opening folio of the 26th volume of the 'Anonymous Baghdad Qur'an'","short_description":"This superbly illuminated page originally formed the right half of a double-page frontispiece to the 26th volume of a Qur’an. Its patron is unknown, but the calligrapher was Ahmad ibn al‑Suhrawardi, a famous student of the master scribe Yaqut al‑Musta‘simi, and the illuminator was Muhammad ibn Aybak, who collaborated with the calligrapher on several outstanding Qur’ans. From the surviving parts of this manuscript, it appears that the illuminator created a different geometric scheme to preface each volume.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 706 / AD 1306–7","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 43.2cm, W: 35.2cm; Mat: H: 55.9cm, W: 40.6cm; Frame: H: 58.4cm, W: 43.2cm","provenance":"Baghdad, Iraq","obtention":"Rogers Fund, 1950  \nCalligrapher: Ahmad ibn al-Suhrawardi al-Bakri, d. 1320–21  \nIlluminator: Muhammad ibn Aibak ibn 'Abdallah  \nVendor: J. Acheroff, Paris  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[J. Acheroff, Paris, until 1950; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Ekhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 92-93, no. 54A, ill. 93 (colour).  \nEttinghausen, Richard, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 33/1 (Spring 1975): ill. 27 (b/w).  \nJames, David, *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, New York: Thames and Hudson, 1988: 78-92, 235, no. 39, ill. 235 (b/w), figs. 49-52 (colour); figs. 57-60 (b/w).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992).","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund, 1950","keywords":["Baghdad","calligrapher","calligraphy","foliated","gold","Ilkhanid","illumination","ink","Iraq","opaque watercolour","Paper","Qur'an","religious object","vegetal motifs","vine scrolls"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"df881eea-95c8-5db6-825d-d04360d53ffd":{"name":"Mamluk *mashaf*","alternate_name":"Qur’anic manuscript, No. 16.","description":"A *mashaf* (Qur'anic manuscript) bound in deep-brown leather, made up of two covers (front and back) and a library marker. The ornamentation on this binding is reminiscent of Mamluk *mashafs* in that the intertwining geometric lines, by intersecting with each other, create fields of different sizes that are filled with embossed details. The margins of both sides of the binding are delineated with different decorative frames. The inside of the binding is also decorated with an embossed medium-sized circle surrounded by semi-circles.  \nFolio 1b–2a is composed of two pages written in *thuluth* script in black ink; the lettering branching out into illumination. There are 10 lines to each page; each line is surrounded by strokes that encircle the text. Folio 2b–3a forms the frontispiece of the *mashaf.* It comprises two pages that contain two identical panels covering most of the spread, and is composed of decoration made up of intersecting geometric lines. The lines encompass between them fields of varying sizes, and each field holds a golden blossom within it. Each blossom varies in size to fit the geometric zone that contains it. The decorative panels finish at the top and bottom with illuminated bands that include text from the Qur'an “al-Waqi'ah” (“The Event, The Inevitable” 56: 76–82). Vegetal decoration surrounds the bands and panels in gold and blue, framing all four sides of the pages.  \nFolio 3b–4a contains the opening pages of the *mashaf*. Both pages are identically decorated and are written in illuminated *thuluth* script composed of five lines. Ornamentation of climbing vegetal motifs, framing broad rectangular areas, is placed above and below the text as well as on the sides. On the remaining pages the text is written in *thuluth* script in black ink. The pause marks assume the shape of flowers in gold, blue and brown. The name “Majesty” (*al-Jalala)* and the *Basmala* (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) are written in gold. The chapter and verse number is white outlined in black; it sits on a wavy gold background on blue, or occasionally red, within a wide gold strip that forms a rectangular frame. The last two pages of the *mashaf*, which contain the last three chapters of the Qur'an, are written in gold.","short_description":"A complete Mamluk Qur’an in two covers of leather with intertwining geometric lines. At the beginning are two identical decorative panels with two blossoms. The text is written in *thuluth* script in black ink. The pause marks assume the shape of flowers in gold, blue and brown. Illumination is used especially in chapter names, a number of verses and where the word ‘Majesty’ appears.","type":"Mashaf, paper, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"*Qadi* (Judge) Taj al-Din Abi Ishaq al-Maliki (d. AH 771 / AD 1369).","dates":"Before hegira 771 / AD 1369; during the lifetime of the original owner.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 47 cm, width 32 cm, depth 11 cm.","method_for_datation":"The dating of this *mashaf* is supported by the knowledge of the life-span of the original owner, *Qadi* (Judge) Taj al-Din Abi Ishaq al-Maliki (d. 771 / 1369).","method_for_provenance":"Egypt was narrowed down as the place where the *mashaf* was copied due to the style of the script, the decoration used, as well as the leather binding. The *mashaf* is fairly typical of Egyptian manuscripts of this sort produced in the same period.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"The *mashaf* was transferred from al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (the Ibrahimi Mosque) in Hebron (al-Khalil) where it had been endowed by its owner for recitation, to the Islamic Museum in 1927.","bibliography":"Al-'Asqalani, Ahmad bin 'Ali bin Hajar (d. 852 / 1448), *Al-Durar al-Kamina fi al-A'yan al-Mi'a al-Thamina \\[The Valuable Jewellery of the Personalities of the Eighth Century\\],* Vols. 1 and 6, Hyderabad, 1972.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islamu fi al-Haram al-Sharif \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif\\],* Paris, 2003.  \nAl-Maqrizi, Taqi al-Din, A., (d. 845 / 1442), *Al-Suluk li Marifat Duwal al-Muluk \\[The Right Ways to Know the Lands of the Rulers\\],* Vols. 2 and 3, Cairo, 1970.  \nal-Shaja'i, Shams al-Din, *Al-Malik al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun Salihi wa Awladahu \\[The Ruler, al-Nasir Muhammad bin Qalawun Salihi and his Sons\\],* Fisbadan, 1978.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["embossed decoration","geometric decoration","illumination","leather binding","mashaf","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured inks on paper with gilding","the binding, embossed leather."]},"e1a252df-9eac-5352-962a-9d3fc2c41c8c":{"name":"Hulagu Enthroned","short_description":"Hulagu, the Ilkhanid ruler of Iran (r. 1256–1265) and an ancestor of the Mughal rulers of India, is shown seated cross-legged on a gold throne, the back of which encircles his head like a glowing halo. A man is seated in front of the throne and on the carpet before him are two books and an astrolabe, a scientific instrument used for computing various astronomical problems, such as telling time. This individual is thought to be the Persian theologian and astronomer Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274). The painting is probably the surviving half of a double-page frontispiece to a now-lost manuscript made in the imperial Mughal atelier, perhaps an historical or scientific text. The painting is the work of the artist Manohar.","type":"Single-page painting","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"AD 1550-1600","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"34.3cm x 23.3cm","provenance":"India","dynasty":"Mughal","keywords":["astronomy","court","Il Khanid","Illustration","miniature painting","science"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"e1eb944d-493e-5695-ab8f-d78784aef708":{"name":"\"Elias and Khizr at the Fountain of Life\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"Alexander the Great figures prominently in Persian literature and histories, including in both the Shahnama and the Khamsa of Nizami. This scene, which occurs in both texts, depicts Alexander and the Prophet Khizr’s search for the Fountain of Life. Although they begin the journey together, they are separated and only Khizr is successful. Here, he appears with the Prophet Elias at the Fountain, while Alexander continues his search in the background.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ","dates":"Late 9th century AH / Late 15th century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Overall: Height: 22.9 cm Width: 9 cm; Painting: Height: 15.5 cm Width: 14.9 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Ackerman, P. \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art*. 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, no. 93, (1940).  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nDenny, W.r B. \"Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style.\" in *Muqarnas* vol. 1 (1983).  \n  \nDaniel, Elton L., ed. *Encyclopaedia Iranica*, vol. XVI, (2017).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451407","materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"e249d142-ee34-5f84-8b9c-0144ff7e19d8":{"name":"*Shahnameh by Firdowsi* (Social Gathering for Entertainment)","description":"The Persian text was composed in verse and prose, divided into four columns, and written in black ink and *taliq* calligraphy on pale paper. The work comprises a total of 202 miniature scenes, which collectively represent the pinnacle of miniature art. The vast majority of these miniatures depict scenes from the *Shahnameh*, making this a work of great importance.  \nThe circular medallion on the *Zahriye* (titular inscription) page of the work is decorated with a profusion of richly coloured floral, leaf and branch motifs, and Chinese clouds. The medallion is inscribed at its centre in black ink script on a gilt background. The inscription states that it was prepared for Sultan Ali Mirza, (ruled 1478–1505) of the Karkiya Dynasty, one of the most important dynasties of the Timurid Period.  \nThe binding is leather affixed to cardboard, typical of this period. The exterior covers are crafted from black leather embellished with a variety of animal figures, including birds, sheep, foxes, gazelles, deer, and floral motifs. The inner covers are burgundy leather featuring intricate floral and animal motifs on a green, blue, and gilt background.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"AH 9th century/AD 15th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"35cm x 24cm","place_of_production":"Gilan/Iran","obtention":"The item was brought to the Museum from the Hâlet Efendi Library on 28 May 1917.","dynasty":"Timurids (AH 771-911 / AD 1370-1505)","materials":["Finished (aharli) paper, ink, gilding, leather binding"]},"e24c667e-3e74-52ad-9357-51224ea2c3d0":{"name":"A letter from the Hashemite court","description":"A letter from the Hashemite court signed by al-Hussein bin 'Ali, the king of Arab countries and Sharif of Mecca. The letter was sent to the princes Faisal and al-Aziz al-Jarba, from Umm al-Qura (Mecca) in Rajab, 18th, AH 1336 / AD 1917 asking them to take care of Jacobean Armenian confession and to help them and to protect them as they protect themselves, their fortune and their sons. It says also to facilitate what they need either in their stay or travel, because they are free non-Muslims enjoying Muslim protection. Those are people who prophet Muhammad makes his will to take care of, and the one who doesn’t do so will be his (Muhammad's) adversary till Judgment Day. King Hussein says: this is one of the most important orders we ask you to do. He ends his letter by praying to God to grant the Emirs to do what he asks them.","type":"Diplomatic correspondance; historical document","holder":"Numismatic Museum (Ahli Bank)","dates":"1917","location":"Amman","provenance":"Mecca","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["Hussein bin Ali","king of Arab countries","Sharif of Mecca","Jacobean Armenian","free non-Muslims","Muslim protection"],"materials":["Paper"]},"e2526f37-9579-5a9c-8408-10b325e053a5":{"name":"Astrological Almanac","short_description":"The material included in this astrological almanac was presumably gathered together from various sources by the calligrapher himself, one Muhammad al-Uskadari. On the first page is an illuminated heading and the text of a *ghurra-nama*, instructions for determining on which day of the week the first day of each month of any year occurs. Some pages (yellow flowers in margin) consist of auguries connected with natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and thunder. On others are tables for determining matters such as the mansions of the moon according to the months and days of the week (pink cyclamen in margin) and the Persian New Year (pink rose in margin). On yet other pages are illustrations of the Angels belonging to the Seven Skies.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 1029 / AD 1620","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"20 x 15.9 cm","provenance":"Turkey","dynasty":"Ottoman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_434/16/LOG_0000/","keywords":["arabesque","astrology","astronomy","calligraphy","floral decoration","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","science","script"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"e39d2fbb-2774-52a9-868e-e26f46c215f7":{"name":"*Preparing Medicine from Honey*, folio from a dispersed manuscript of an Arabic translation of the *Materia Medica* of Dioscorides","short_description":"This scene from a translation of *De Materia Medica* by Dioscorides is typical of the Baghdad School of illustration, which employed bold colors and symmetrical compositions to depict urban life. The use of an architectural structure to divide the painting into six sections is typical of the period, as is the fact that the oatmeal-coloured paper remains visible. This folio, which comes from volume 5, chapter 9 of the work, depicts a pharmacist preparing a honey‑based medicine in a cauldron while an assistant upstairs distributes it into jars.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Dated Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 31.4cm, W: 22.9cm","provenance":"Possibly Baghdad, Iraq or Northern Jazira","obtention":"Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956  \nCalligrapher: 'Abdullah ibn al-Fadl  \nFormer owner: F. R. Martin, Stockholm (by 1910–at least 1912)  \nFormer owner: V. Everit Macy, New York (by 1922–at least 1927)  \nFormer owner: Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ (until d. 1956; bequeathed to MMA)","bibliography":"Ackerman, Phyllis, *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art. The Iranian Institute, New York*, New York: The Iranian Institute, 1940: 189, no. case 72F.  \nAnet, Claude, \"Exhibition of Persian Miniatures at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris\", *Burlington Magazine*, 22 (1912): 15–16, ill. pl. I, A (b/w).  \nBuchthal, Hugo, Kurz, Otto and Ettinghausen, Richard, \"Supplementary Notes to K. Holter's checklist of Islamic Ill. Mss. before 1350.\" Ars Islamica vol. 7 (1940): 151–52, no. 27.  \nBuchthal, Hugo, \"Early Islamic Miniatures from Baghdad\", *Journal of the Walters Art Gallery*, V. (1942): 10, 15, 19–39, 20, no. 9, ill. fig. 12, 13, 17. Leaves from MS now in Top Kapu Saray, Istanbul, which has colophon giving name of copyist and date Rajab AH 621. No. 9, fig. 12 illustrates 56.20; no. 10, fig. 13 illustrates 57.51.21; no. 15, fig. 17 illustrates 13.152.6.  \nCanby, Sheila R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \nCanby, Sheila R., Beyazit, Deniz and Rugiadi, Martina, *Court and Cosmos. The Great Age of the Seljuqs*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016: 178–79, no. 107a, ill. 178 (colour).  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"A loan of Near Eastern Miniature Paintings\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 22 (1927): 127.  \nDimand, Maurice S. (ed), \"Dated Specimens of Mohammedan Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art\", *MMA Studies 1* 2 (1929): 208.  \nDimand, Maurice S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 16 (April 1958): 229, ill. 229 (b/w).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina, and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 6, 87, 94, no. 55, ill. 94 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam and Moore, Claire (ed), *Art of the Islamic World. A Resource for Educators*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 100–01, ill. pl. 18 (colour).  \nGluck, Heinrich and Diez, Ernst, *Die Kunst des Islam. Propylaen Kunstgeschichte, Vol. 5*, Berlin: Propylaen-Verlag, 1925: 95, 502, ill. (b/w).  \nKirketerp-Moller, Hertha, *Det Islamiske Bogmaleri*, Copenhagen: Nyt Nordisk Forlag, 1974: 5, ill. fig. 6.  \nKühnel, Ernst, *Miniaturmalerei im Islamischen Orient*, Berlin: Bruno Cassirer Verlag, 1922: ill. pl. 5.  \nKurz, Otto, \"Folding chairs and Koran stands\", in Richard Ettinghausen (ed), *Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972: 302, ill. fig. 5  \nMartin, F. R., *The Miniature Painting and Painters of Persia, India and Turkey from the 8th to the 18th century. Vol. 1*, London: Bernard Quaritch, 1912: no. volume 2, 7, ill. pl. 5b.  \nRicci, Seymour, *Catalogue d'une Collection de Miniatures Gothiques et Persanes appartenant à Léonce Rosenberg*, Paris: Montassier et Odend'hal, 1913: 36–37, ill. pl. XVIII.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, \"Illustrated Books May be Hazardous to your Health\", *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2005): 30–31, ill. fig. 10 (b/w).  \nSarre, Friedrich and Martin, F. R., *Die Ausstellung von Meisterwerken Muhammedanischer Kunst in Munchen 1910. Die Stoffe, die Waffen, Holz und Elfenbein*, Munich: F. Bruckmann A.-G., 1912: no. 583, vol. 1, ill. pl. 5b.  \nStchoukine, Ivan, *La Peinture Iranienne sous les derniers 'Abbasides et les Il-Khans*, Bruges: Imprimerie Sainte Catharine, 1936 : no. II.  \nVever, Marteau, *Miniatures Persanes. Volumes 1-2*, Paris: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1913: ill. pl. 1 XXXVIII. Illustrated another leaf from this manuscript, dated here 1222, entitled \"Le chien enrage\", in Mutiaux collection (same leaf illustration in Anet reference), pl. XXXVIII (ill. another leaf, in Sambon collection (same leaf illustrated in Rosenberg collecti.  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 34–35, ill. fig. 22 (colour).  \nKunsthaus Zürich (ed), *Kunstschätze aus Iran von der prähistorischen bis zur islamischen Zeit. 27. Mai bis 5. August 1962*, Zürich: Kunsthaus Zürich, 1962: no. 556, ill. pl. 82.","dynasty":"Abbasid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Cora Timken Burnett, 1956","keywords":["Abbasid","Arab literature","Arabic inscription","Baghdad","gold","ink","Iraq","medical plant","medicine","nashki","opaque watercolour","Paper","science","scientific manuscript","treatise"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper"]},"e4921c14-8d40-54c3-8c3f-a824cbf0cac3":{"name":"Diwan Muhibbi","short_description":"This precious and richly decorated divan is a manuscript by the poet and Sultan, Süleyman I, whose pen name, Muhibbi, literally translates to “lover\" or God lover.\" The divan contains 213 folios with 614 poems written in *ta’liq* script. Each poem is framed by naturalistic, gilded floral illuminations. The leather binding is also decorated with gilded floral ornaments and bears the following inscription: “This is the Third Diwan from the speech of the sultan of sultans of the rime, from Ghazi Sultan Suleyman Khan may his rule last until Judgement Day”. Other known divans by Süleyman are held at the Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul (Inv. No. T 3873) and in the University of Istanbul.  \nThe calligrapher and illuminator can also be identified through a colophon which reads: “Haci Mehmmed has finished this whilst praying wholeheartedly for lasting conquests and victories at the last ten days of the month Rabi as-sani in the year 961 (March 25-April 4, 1154).” The illuminator, Kara Memi, worked in the court of Süleyman and is well-known for his innovative floral ornaments which replaced the Safavid tradition of book illumination. A unique example of Ottoman book decoration, each of Memi's folios has an individual, unrepeated design. Each realistically-depicted plant can be individually identified through their precise botanical rendering, giving the illuminations a nearly encyclopaedical character.  \nIn 1886, the divan was purchased from the art dealer Franz Bock by the founder and initial director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, Justus Brinckmann.","type":"Book","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 961-962 / AD 1554","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Height: 23.6cm, Length: 15.8cm; Pages: 213","method_for_datation":"Manuscript of Sultan Suleiman I.","method_for_provenance":"Purchased by Franz Bock (1823-1899), clergyman and art historian. He traveled to Syria and Egypt and owned a large textile collection which he started to sell in 1850 to major museums in Europe (Paris, Berlin and the South Kensinton Museum (now V&A, London).","provenance":"Turkey, Court workshop Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased in 1886.","bibliography":"Czygan, C., \"A Device of Communication: The Third Divan of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and its Political Context\", *Islamic Perspective Journal of the Islamic Studies and Humanities*, 15 (2016): 77-90.  \nCzygan, C., “Was Sultan Süleymān Colour-Blind? Sensuality, Power and the Unpublished Poems in the Third Dīvān (1554) of Sultan Süleymān I.” in Stephan Conermann and Christiane Czygan (eds), *An Iridescent Device: Premodern Ottoman Poetry*, Bonn: Bonn University Press 2018: 190 (translation); 183–206.  \nCzygan, C., \"Zur Ghazelkultur in der Zeit Sultan Süleymâns des Prächtigen: Der Herrscher als Liebender,\" in E. Ragagnin and J. Wilkens (eds), *Kutadgu Nom Bitig Festschrift für Jens Peter Laut zum 60 Geburtstag*, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag in Kommission, 2015.  \nHaase, P., \"Der dritte Divan Sultan Süleymans des Prächtigen,\" *Jahrbuch des Museums für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg*, 5 (1986): 27-39. Karolewski, J. and Köse, Y., \"Wunder der erschaffenen Dinge: Osmanische Manuskripte in Hamburger Sammlunge,\" *Manuscript Cultures*, 9 (2016): 175-190.  \nKohlhausen, H., *Islamische Kleinkunst, Führer durch das Hamburgische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe*, vol. 12, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1930.  \nSchimmel, A. et al., *Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \nSchönberger, I. and Kalter, J., *Der lange Weg der Türken*, Stuttgart: Linden Museum, 2003.","dynasty":"Ottoman","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Ottoman manuscripts","Süleyman"],"materials":["Coloured and gold ink on paper","leather binding with triple-layered gold tooling"]},"e499d19d-1cd3-574e-b40c-b7a8dc83a218":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"This Qur’an is written in Mamluk *naskhi* script on sheets of finished (*aharli*) paper with gilding outlined in black. The pages do not have any marginal lines. The leather binding has a flap. The Qur’an opens with an illuminated double-page spread plate, laid out in geometric fashion, in the centre of which is an eight-pointed star containing a Qur’anic verse (*sura* 41, verse 42). All the polygons formed by the geometric decoration are filled with arabesque motifs. The background of the border framing the geometric decoration is painted in black. The border is filled with arabesques and palmettes containing rosebud-like motifs in fading shades of pink, green and blue. This style of painting is known in Mamluk illumination as the 'Sandal style'.  \n  \nThe beginning of each chapter (*sura*) is written in *kufic* calligraphy, while the ends of verses are separated with interlacing rosettes in gold and blue. Every five and ten verses there appear illuminated medallions containing *kufic* script on the margin of the page. This Qur'an was prepared for the Treasury of the Mamluk Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad, who ruled three times AH 692–4, 698–708, 709–42 / AD 1293–4, 1299–1309, 1310–41).  \n  \nThe Qur'an was transcribed by the calligrapher Shadi bin Muhammad bin Shadi bin Dawud bin Isa bin Abu Bakr bin Ayyub, a descendent of Saladin (Salah al-Din), founder of the Ayyubid state, in Ramadan 713 / December 1313. The illumination was done by Aydoğdu bin Abdullah al-Badri and Ali bin Muhammad al-Rassam.  \n  \nThis Qur’an is a work of art of the highest quality, produced for presentation to the sultan at a time when the most exquisite and refined works were being produced in all branches of art, a period which may even be called the Renaissance of Islamic art in Egypt.","short_description":"The names of its calligrapher, its illuminator and the person it was presented to make up three important features that stress the artistic value of a Qur’an. A masterpiece of Mamluk book arts, this Qur’an was written in gold with an illumination establishing a school and it bears the name of the sultan it was presented to.","type":"Manuscript, paper","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"The Mamluk Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad, (he ascended the throne three times: AH 692–4, 698–708, 709–42 / AD 1293–4, 1299–1309, 1310–41).","dates":"Hegira Ramadan 713 / AD December 1313.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 35 cm, width 26.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The colophon gives the date as Ramadan 713 / December 1313.","method_for_provenance":"The work bears the hallmarks of the Mamluk style and was produced by court masters of the Mamluk palace in Cairo; therefore, it is highly likely that it was produced in Cairo.","provenance":"Cairo, Egypt.","obtention":"The work was transferred to the Museum in 1914 from the tomb of Sultan Selim II (974–82 / 1566–74) in the Ayasofya Mosque, Istanbul.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “Der Prachtkoran”, *Die Koranbestände des Museums für Türkische Kunst in Istanbul*, Berlin, 1999, pp.111–23.  \n  \nJames, D., “Some Observation on the Calligrapher and Illuminators of the Koran of Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Jashnagir”, *Muqarnas*, 3, 1984, pp.147–57.  \n  \nJames, D., *Qur'ans of the Mamluks*, London, 1988, pp.58–63.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.176–9.","dynasty":"Mamluk","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","geometric decoration","leather (binding) religious objects","religious manuscript."],"materials":["finished (aharlı) paper, ink, gilding, leather (binding)."]},"e53bb5a4-b7fc-5802-a8fd-9ee4197aa491":{"name":"Illuminated Qur’an manuscript","short_description":"19th-century Qur’an manuscripts produced in Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire continued many Islamic art traditions, but could not entirely escape the increasing taste for Western aesthetics.The exquisite execution of this manuscript suggests a wealthy patron. The opening double page is set within an elaborate framework of floral and geometric arabesque cartouches, executed in gold, blue and other colours. The design recalls those of early Ottoman manuscripts, which - in turn - took their artistic inspiration from Iranian Qur’an production. The remainder of this Qur’an is executed in black naskhi on 390 gilt-edged folios, with 15 lines to each page. As a rule, Ottoman calligraphers preferred an odd number of lines to each page, be it 11, 13 or 15. The script is enhanced with red detailing, and the verse dividers are gilt. The chapter headings are executed in white riqa' on a golden ground enhanced by delicate floral ornament. Large coloured medallions in the page margins mark important sub-divisions of the text. The signature of the calligrapher – set into an elaborate gold rosette – appears on the last page.","type":"Illuminated manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira 1239 / AD 1823","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"185 mm x 115 mm (closed)","provenance":"Ottoman Turkey","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis","keywords":["naskhi","riqa'"],"materials":["European paper, black ink, pigments, gilding, pasteboard, leather"]},"e722241c-4515-59f7-bedf-15c25aea04a3":{"name":"Qur’an.","description":"Written in *naskhi* script in black ink on delicate finished (*aharlı)* paper, the pages have thick gilded marginal lines and 13 lines of text per page. There are 346 pages in all. The first *sura* (*al-Fatiha*) and the first four verses of the second (*al-Baqara*) are illuminated with gilding between the lines of text. The chapter headings on the two facing pages on which these verses are written, as well as the areas outside the marginal lines, are covered with leaves of gilding and very colourful illumination in the Turkish Baroque-Rococo style. All the chapter headings are written in white *tawqi'* script on top of gilded illumination. Individual verses are separated by individuated gold rosettes, and rose motifs of various forms in the page margins mark the end of every five and 10 verses. The leather binding is brown on the outside and green on the inside. The exterior of the binding has floral designs rendered freely and naturalistically in green and yellow gilding.  \n  \nThe calligrapher of this Qur'an, Mustafa Izzet Efendi (AH 1215–92 / AD 1801–76), was born in Tosya and came to Istanbul for his education. He learned calligraphy from Mustafa Vasıf and Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi. His most famous works are *hilya*s (prose descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad) and sheets with calligraphic exercises called *istif.* The inscriptions on the drum of the dome of Ayasofya, among the Islamic world's most famous, are by him.  \n  \nTwo different artists worked on this Qur'an's decoration. They are Mehmet Salih, who was chief bookbinder at the Ottoman court in the time of Sultan Abdülmecid \\['Abd al-Majid\\], and his apprentice Rashid Effendi.  \n  \nBeginning in the 12th / 18th century, Turkish art experienced change under the influence of European art. This style, known as Turkish Baroque-Rococo, is reflected in the arts of the book. This Qur'an is the most beautiful example of its application to book decoration.","short_description":"Illumination is a natural part of Qur'ans. Illuminators used naturalistic floral motifs influenced by Europe alongside classical elements to illuminate the Qur'ans during the AH 12th–13th / AD 18th–19th centuries.","type":"Manuscript, paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; wife of Sultan Mahmud II and mother of Sultan Abdülaziz (‘Abd al-‘Aziz) I; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","dates":"Hegira Safar 1259 / AD March 1843.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 28 cm, width 19 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the date found on the manuscript it was written in Safar 1259 (AD March 1843).","method_for_provenance":"The manuscript was found at the tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, who donated it to be read at the complex bearing her name in AH 1284 / AD 1868. The work's calligrapher and illuminators were court artists. For this reason it is almost certain to have been made in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Transferred to the Museum from the tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan in 1926.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş. “Kitap Sanatlarında Türk-Barok-Rokoko üslubu”, *Sanat* 6 (July 1977), pp.126–36.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, pp.62–5.  \n  \nÖlçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.326–27.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","Ottoman Baroque","Qur’an","religious manuscript","religious objects","waqf"],"materials":["Finished (aharlı) paper, written using black ink and illuminated with gilding and various colours","leather (binding)."]},"e76ff42a-8d69-50d8-ac1f-2bbd53a08547":{"name":"Bijan takes the reins of Gushtaham’s horse  \nFolio detached from a *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings) by Abu’l-Qasim Firdausi (d. 1010)","short_description":"Recounting the legendary history of Iran’s shahs (kings) up to the Arab conquest in 642 AD and the country’s adoption of Islam, Firdausi’s epic poem the *Shahnameh* (Book of Kings), completed in 1010, inspired many illustrated copies. The present folio was detached from a copy that is known as the “Big Head” *Shahnameh*. This name refers to the characteristic feature of the majority of its paintings: the large heads of its human figures.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1494","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"34.4 × 24.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Lahijan","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Aq Qoyunlu","keywords":["Big-Head","folio","human","human-figure","painting","Shahnama","Shahnameh","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold and ink on paper"]},"e88ac084-acaa-583b-abc2-fa8a32e7027e":{"name":"Qur’anic manuscript of Sultan Bayazid.","description":"A Qur'anic manuscript with an embossed and gilded binding made up of two covers (front and back) and a library marker. In the centre of each cover is a long medallion with palmette shaped extensions. Surrounding the medallion, in all four corners of the cover, are four cornerpieces. The bands create a broad frame that encompasses within it decorative cartouches. The library marker has part of the same decoration of the covers. The decorative motifs on the bands of the cover, as well as the medallion, are composed of gilded vegetal stems and blossoms. The inside cover is framed by an illuminated spiral decoration and, inside the frame, by decorative forms in the shape of cartouches surrounding a medallion.  \nFolio 1b is the *waqf* charter of the Qur'anic manuscript. Folio 3b–4a forms the frontispiece composed of two identically decorated pages that form the axial junction of the volume. The margins of the spread are decorated with depictions of vegetal stems and blossoms as well as geometric lines, all of which are gilded. Following the margins on the inside, are decorative bands that surround each page on three sides, and which are decorated with confronting pyramidal shapes in gold and blue. These bands are separated from the written text by frames in successive colours. Following them on the inside, are bands decorated with ornamentation similar to the previous bands, but these are smaller in size. The text on these two pages is written in illuminated *thuluth* script, with six lines on each page. The lines are separated by motifs of violet-coloured clouds.  \nEach of the remaining folios is divided into five rectangular sections, each with a single line from the Qur'an, written in illuminated *rihani* script figuring in the first, third and fifth rectangular area. Four lines in *naskhi* script are written in the second and the forth rectangular section. Two sides of each of these rectangles are appropriated as two long sections embellished with illuminated spiralling vegetal decoration. The markers for every fifth and tenth part are symbolised by decorative forms in the margin; formed of a circular disk with an illuminated circumference, the centre of which is a circle with a blue background. The name of the chapter, the verse number and the place where they appear are accentuated in gold within an illuminated frame that has a blue background.","short_description":"This Qur’an was donated by Amir Bayazid, son of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, to the Dome of the Rock. It is bound with decorated and embossed leather. The beginning of the manuscript is decorated with vegetal and geometric forms. The pages are divided into five rectangles, three of which are written in illuminated rihani  script and the rest in naskhi script.","type":"Manuscript, leather, paper","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Amir Bayazid, son of Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent.","dates":"Hegira 964 / AD 1556.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 37.5 cm, width 26.5 cm, depth 7 cm.","method_for_datation":"This Qur'an is dated.","method_for_provenance":"It is likely that this Qur'an was copied in Istanbul, where the endower resided, or in Kütahya the hometown of the scribe who endowed the manuscript, and who was also the *Qadi* (Judge) of Kütahya. His name is on the first page of the Qur'an.","provenance":"Istanbul or Kütahya, Turkey.","obtention":"The Qur'an manuscript was transferred from the Dome of the Rock to the Islamic Museum at an unknown date.","bibliography":"Farid, M., *Tarikh al-Daula al-'Aliya al-'Uthmaniya \\[History of the Ottoman Empire\\],* Paris, 1981.  \nKalo, A., *Al-Sultan Sulayman al-Qanuni \\[Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent\\],* Beirut, 1991.  \nNofal, N. A., *Kashaf al-Litham 'an Mahiya al-Hukuma wa al-Ihkam fi iqlimi Misr wa barr al-Sham \\[The Uncovering of the Veil from the Façade of Government and Rule in the Regions of Egypt and Syria\\],* Tripoli, 1990.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islamu fi al-Haram al-Sharif \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif\\],* Paris, 2003.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["geometric decoration","illumination","leather","mashaf","naskhi","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript.","rihani","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured ink on paper, illumination. The binding decorated with embossed and coloured leather."]},"e89fcc11-c4b2-5e7a-bd67-d16f31276971":{"name":"*The Holy Sanctuaries at Mecca and Medina*","short_description":"The two detached pages most probably come from a copy of al-Jazuli’s *Dala’il al-khayrat* (full title, *Dala’il al-khayrat wa shawariq al-anwar fi dhikr al-salat ‘ala al-nabi al-mukhtar*).  \nOne of the most popular works of prayer in the Islamic world, it was composed by a native of Sus, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli (d. 1645). The work consists of prayers for the Prophet, together with his epithets, and a description of his tomb.  \nDigressing somewhat from the text, Ottoman and Indian copies of the work almost always included depictions of the Meccan sanctuary besides that in Medina. The depictions in Indian copies were often diagrammatic in nature, in contrast to the more realistic, three-dimentional representations in Ottoman copies.","type":"Painting; watercolour painting; depictions of the holy sanctuaries; Mecca; Medina; manuscript; manuscript illustration","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"18th – early 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"15.2 x 10.5cm (each page)","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"India","bibliography":"“al-Djazuli”, in Bosworth, C.E., van Donzel, E.J., Pearson, H. (eds), *Encyclopaedia of Islam*, vol. 2 (C-G), Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1983: 527–8.  \nPorter, V., *The Art of Hajj*, London: British Museum, 2012: 82–3, fig.50.","dynasty":"Mughal","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["al-Jazuli","Dala’il al-khayrat","Hijaz","Holy place","Ka‘ba","manuscript","Mecca","Medina","Mosque","Paper","pilgrimage","prayer","Prophet Muhammad","Religion"],"materials":["Ink, gold and watercolours on paper"]},"e99f19c5-2155-5385-857a-049be3d918d9":{"name":"\"Man's Fate or the Man Taking Refuge in a Well Inhabited by a Dragon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","dynasty":"Muzaffarids","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453076","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"e9cd5ed9-9868-52d2-b520-c5f830442609":{"name":"The last of the Abbasid Caliphs, Mustaʿsim (r. 1242–58)","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM40 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio is one of a group of folios that were originally prepared under Rashid al-Din’s own supervision and later incorporated into the Timurid manuscript.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42.4 x 30.3cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["folio","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, watercolour, and gold pigment on paper"]},"ec461583-c4e4-57ce-b2fb-a6ae5e862e3e":{"name":"Persian manuscript","short_description":"This manuscript is an illustrated copy of the *Haft Awrang* (*Seven Thrones*) of Jami. The book has 16 lines per page in two columns in *nasta\\`liq* script. It contains nine elegant miniatures.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 27 cm, width 16 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["Diwan","manuscript","Nasta`liq","Safawid"],"materials":["Paper, ink, gold and pigments"]},"ed486397-6f2e-5e7e-898e-db4869717ed6":{"name":"Ferdowsi, *Shahnama* ('The Book of Kings')","short_description":"Abu'l-Qasim Mansur, called Ferdowsi (died 411 AH / 1020-1 AD) wrote the renowned, extensive epic poem called *Shahnama* (‘The Book of Kings’) around 1000 AD. This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Ibn Abu'l-Barakat Asadallah in 1025-1026 AH / 1616-17 AD, possibly near Isfahan, Iran. According to the two colophons (fol. 251a, 447a), the scribe completed the second part of the epic before the first. Stamps of three owners reveal that the manuscript was in the collection of a Muhammad b. Muhammad Hashim in 1029 AH / 1619 AD, of a Muhammad Nasir in 1051 AH / 1641 AD, and of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall in 1223 AH / 1808-9 AD. The manuscript then became part of the Austrian National Library in 1842. Its 44 paintings of various sizes, artistic styles, and qualities reveal that it was likely made in a provincial capital that drew inspirations from the artistic centre of Isfahan, Iran.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1025-26 AH / 1616-17 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"370 x 150 mm (277 x 150 mm), ff. II, II*, 447 folios.","method_for_datation":"Two colophons: fol. 251a: 1026 AH / 1617 AD; fol. 447a: 1025 AH / 1616 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 447a, there are two oriental owner's stamps: Muhammad b. Muhammad Hashim (1029 AH / 1619 AD) and Muhammad Nasir (1051 AH / 1641 AD). On fol. 447b, there is an owner's stamp of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (1223 AH / 1808-09 AD).","provenance":"Likely Iran","obtention":"Acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1842.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 59-63.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Ibn Abu’l-Barakat Asadallah","binding_desc":"The brown European leather binding has a neoclassical gold embossing of the Austrian National Library as well as gilt edges. It was likely made in 19th-century Vienna, Austria.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10FFE545","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Afrasiyab","Bahram","Div","Epic","Faridun","Ferdowsi","Garshasp","Isfandiyar","Iskandar","Rustam","Sam","Shahnama","Simurgh","Zal"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 25 lines per page."]},"eda80913-f027-5404-9e2e-9aaf84a86ff7":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment is a single leaf penned in calligraphic angular (*kufic*) script on parchment, and can be stylistically dated back to c. 250–300 AH / c. 850–900 AD within the Near East. It is part of a series of 19 fragments from various manuscripts, referred to as *Codex Mixtus 814*. The horizontal format, the monumental *kufic*, and the overall rich decoration reveal that it belonged to an early Qur’anic manuscript of particularly high quality. The text is written in black-brown ink with coloured dots and strokes for vocalisation and diacritical marks, respectively. These kinds of Qur’an fragments are exceedingly rare due to the poor state of preservation most of such early manuscripts experienced.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 250-300 AH / c. 850-900 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"19 fragments.","place_of_production":"Near East","obtention":"Likely part of the Austrian National Library from 1830 onwards.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 194-195.","binding_desc":"All fragments were originally kept in a wooden box, possibly from the 19th century. Since 1980, some of them are kept between panes of acrylic glass.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10DBC325","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","illumination","kufic","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Kufic script."]},"edc14340-a97e-5565-a4cb-1ff1d239124a":{"name":"Two pages from the Blue Qur’an.","description":"Two pages taken from an unique Qur'an, written in gilt *kufic* script and containing the *sura*s Luqman (31: 34) and al-Sajdah ('Prostration' 32: 1–3).  \nPreliminary analyses has established that the indigo used for the dye was imported from Egypt or India, countries with which trade was beginning to develop in the AH 4th / AD 10th century. The gold-leaf was glued to the parchment using egg white.  \nThe writing is compact and lacks any diacritical signs over the vowels. The letters are not stippled with dots.  \nThe title of the *sura* is in a gilded strip made up of several small floral motifs. Attached to this strip and toward the left margin of the page is a gilt palm-leaf motif of floral arabesques. Marking the divisions between the verses are silver-gilt flowerets which have turned black from oxidisation.  \nContrary to the views of certain art historians, the various pages of Qur'ans copied onto blue parchment and kept in a number of different museums and collections throughout the world originate neither from Mashhad in Iran nor from Spain. They all belong to the Blue Qur'an from the library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. This is confirmed by similarities in the measurements, the number of lines, the writing and the gilding.","short_description":"Two pages belonging to a single Qur'an: the Blue Qur'an, copied in gold *kufic* script. They contain the *suras* Luqman and al-Sajda. Pages from the Blue Qur'an from the Great Mosque of Kairouan, copied onto blue vellum, can now be found in different places throughout the world.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 4th century / AD 10th century (second half).","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 31 cm, width 41 cm; 15 lines.","method_for_datation":"The simple and archaic *kufic* calligraphy is reminiscent of the writing in other Qur'ans of the 4th / 10 century taken from the old library of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. This is corroborated by the palaeographic study carried out by the art historian M. Bloom, who showed that the calligraphy is of Maghrebi origin and can be dated from the 4th / 10th century, and even from the second half of that century.","method_for_provenance":"From the same studies by the art historian M. Bloom.","provenance":"Very probably from Kairouan, a great centre for book production at that time.","obtention":"After the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, the National Library obtained this Qur'an in 1967. In 1983 it went back to Kairouan, to the Centre of the Islamic Arts and Civilisation of Raqqada. It has been displayed at the Raqqada Museum of Islamic Art since 1986.","bibliography":"*De Kairouan a Carthage* (exhibition catalogue), Tunis, 1995, p.41.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","dynasty":"Fatimid","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["calligraphy","floral decoration","habus","religious manuscript"],"materials":["Parchment dyed with indigo, illuminated."]},"ee1f4b01-6ab5-5630-b130-11699979b383":{"name":"Veterinary treatise *Kitâb fî al-inâya bi al-khayli wa sâiri-d-awâbbi al-rukub*.","description":"This veterinary treatise on horse care consists of three volumes, each one divided into 30 chapters or *bab*, some of which are missing. The texts are written with brown ink in Maghrebi cursive characters and with irregular vocalisation, partial diacritic points and orthoepic marks in the same colour. Each page has 17 lines. Some of the words in the text and the titles are in red. The colophon at the end of the third volume provides the date of the manuscript without mentioning the copyist's name.  \nThe significance of this manuscript lies in the nine miniatures, some of which are captioned, that illustrate the texts. Each depicts a horse, alone or with a carer, grazing, having its teeth checked, covering, being given medicine with a horn, swimming and having its mouth examined for an illness that prevents it from eating normally. Each miniature appears in a square space filling nearly the whole of the width of the page to the same height as the written area and sometimes framed with a triple red line. The people and the horses as well as their surroundings are depicted with great realism and detail. In the interior scenes, the figures stand out against a plain blue or green background and on a brick-red coloured floor. The miniatures with grazing horses have a background with a graduated sky, going from midnight blue with a hint of purple in the upper part to a pinkish white in the horizon.","short_description":"This work is a veterinary treatise on horse care. The nine miniatures that illustrate the text are its most interesting aspect, each showing a horse on its own or held by a groom. All are drawn with noteworthy realism and attention to detail.","type":"Scientific manuscript","holder":"Royal Library.","dates":"Hegira 1126 / AD 1714.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 22 cm, width 16.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Date mentioned on the last page colophon in volume three of the work, the beginning of Dhu 'l-Hijja 1126 / December 1714.","method_for_provenance":"From the origin of the copyist and the writing style.","provenance":"Morocco.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Al-Razi, J. and Varichon, A, *6000 ans d'art au Maroc* , catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \nArabi al-Khattabi, M., *Al-Fahâris al-khizana al-Malakiyya*, Rabat 1982, Vol. II.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui,L., *Les bibliothèques au Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nDandel, E., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.","dynasty":"'Alawid; reign of Mulay Isma'il (r. AH 1082–1140 / AD 1672–1727)","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","figurative decoration","horsemanship","Maghrebi script","science","scientific manuscript","veterinary"],"materials":["Paper, brown and coloured inks."]},"eeadc3f4-cf85-5e38-bce5-3c6d8631b78c":{"name":"Maghrebi *rab’a*.","alternate_name":"Maghrebi Qur’an manuscript.","description":"A *rab’a*, a Qur'anic manuscript divided into 30 parts, each of which has an independent binding. The *rab’a* was preserved in a square wooden box covered on the outside with leather and embellished by four embossed decorative bands that incorporate geometric patterns outlined with silver thread. In between the four bands are three silver belts which reach from the back to the front of the box to support it. Each belt is decorated with three star-like shapes made from silver and overlaid with blue enamel. In all, the box bears 10 decorative forms in the same style; on the four corners of the box, for example, there are geometric shapes inlaid with mother-of-pearl and red and blue enamel.  \nThe bindings of all 30 parts are made from embossed red leather, with both the front and back embellished with ornamentation and text, which is identical on all the volumes. On each cover there are four inscription bands that form a square, and which are encircled by silver thread. The text is gilded, and in the middle of each front cover there is a silver-braided circle. Within the circle in gilded text is a Chapter from the Qur'an (14: 52), which tells the story of Ibrahim (Abraham). It reads: “Here is a message for mankind. Let them take warning there from, and let them know that he is (no other than) One God. Let men of understanding take heed”.On the back cover there is another quote from the Qur'an “al-Baqara” (“the Cow”, 2: 181), which reads: “If anyone changes the bequest after hearing it. The guilt shall be on those who make the change. For Allah hears and knows (All things)”.  \nEach part of the *rab'a* begins with two identical illuminated panels that differ in design from one volume to the next. Most of the square-shaped panels are surrounded by broad illuminated frames and contain decoration consisting of lines, circles and squares painted in more than one colour, but predominantly in gold. The *rab'a* is written in Maghrebi-style script with black ink, with five lines to each page. Verses are divided from each other by the word “verse” written in gold and surrounded by three circles. The *waqf* charter of the *rab'a,* written in an illuminated *kufic* script within a square that is also illuminated, is on the last two pages of each volume.","short_description":"A *rab’a*, a Qur’anic manuscript in 30 parts, preserved in a wooden box covered with leather and decorated with silver bands. The texts are in Maghrebi *kufic* script, written with saffron water on gazelle parchment. The *rab’a* is filled with decorative motifs, colours and illumination. This is one of three *rab’a* written for Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem; only the last copy has come down to us.","type":"Maghrebi, rab'a, parchment, manuscript","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Commander of the Faithful, Abu al-Hasan Ali, the first Marinid (ruled in the Maghreb AH 732–49 / AD 1331–48).","dates":"Hegira 745 / AD 1344.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 22 cm, width 20 cm, depth 5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The *rab’a* is dated by an inscription.","method_for_provenance":"The Maghreb was narrowed down as the place of production for this manuscript based on the *waqf* charter that appears at the end of each volume. For example, the *waqf* in the eighth volume reads: “The eighth volume of this Holy Qur'anic manuscript completes a part of a thirty volume series, all of which have been written in the handwriting of Abd Allah Ali, *amir* of the Muslims, son of the *amir* of the Muslims, Abi Said Uthman, son of the *amir* of the Muslims, Abi Yusuf Ya'qub bin Abd al-Haqq, ruler of the Maghreb, May God bless him, and it has been endowed for recitation in al-Aqsa Mosque.”","provenance":"Maghreb.","obtention":"The piece was transferred at an unknown date from al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to the Islamic Museum.","bibliography":"Al-Makri, A., (d. 1041 / 1631), *Nafaha al-Tayab (al-Tayb) min Ghasan Ghusn al-Andalus al-Ratib \\[A Pleasant Breeze from the Branch of Verdant al-Andalus\\],* Vol. 2, Leiden, 1860.  \nAl-Maqrizi, A., (d. 845 / 1442), *Al-Suluk li Ma'arifat duwal al-Muluk \\[The Right Ways to Know the Lands of the Rulers),* Vol. 2, Cairo, 1971.  \nAl-Qalakshandi, A., (d. 821 / 1418), *Subah al-'Asha fi Sana'at al-Inasha' \\[The Break of Evening in the Making of Literary Creation\\]*, Cairo, 1913.  \nRosen-Ayalon, M., “Some Comments on a Maghrebi Qur'an”, in *Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam,* No. 19, 1995, pp.73–80.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.  \n*Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza,* pp.72–3.","dynasty":"Marinid","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Abu al-Hasan al-Marini","illumination","kufic script","Maghrebi script","mashaf","Parchment","Qur’an","religious manuscript"],"materials":["binding of illuminated leather.","Black ink on gazelle parchment"]},"ef10164f-a690-53dc-a8c5-b066a2dcb828":{"name":"Folio from the 'Blue Qur'an'","short_description":"This folio comes from the Blue Qur'an, so named for the rich hue of its indigo-dyed surface. The dyeing of parchment for use in luxurious manuscripts originated in Byzantine tradition and continued into the early Islamic period. The gold and silver ink of the *kufic* text and circular verse markers add to the opulence of this folio. While many scholars believe this Qur’an to have originated in Qayrawan, Tunisia, details in its verse markers have led others to argue that it may have actually been produced in Umayyad Córdoba. Nevertheless, a description of a manuscript with the same specifications as this one appeared in an inventory of the Mosque of Qayrawan in AH 693 / AD 1293, indicating that it was part of the mosque’s endowment by this time.","type":"Codex","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th century / AD second half 9th–mid-10th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 30.4cm, W: 40.2cm","provenance":"Probably Qayrawan, Tunisia","obtention":"Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004  \nVendor: Sam Fogg, London  \nFormer owner: Probably Great Mosque of Qairawan, Tunisia (from about 900)  \nFormer owner \\[dealer\\]: \\[Sam Fogg, London, by 2002–4; sold to MMA\\]","bibliography":"Carboni, Stefano, \"The Arts of the Fatimid Period at the Metropolitan Museum of Art,\" *The Ismaili*, (2008): 4, ill. fig. 1 (colour).  \nCarboni, Stefano, Haidar, Navina and Ekhtiar, Maryam, \"Recent Acquistions: A Selection 2003–2004\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 62/ 2 (Fall 2004): 10, ill.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Sheila R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 54, 58–59, no. 30, ill. 59 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 2, 78-79.  \nEttinghausen, Richard, Grabar, Oleg and Jenkins-Madina, Marilyn, *Islamic Art and Architecture, 650–1250*, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2003: 98–99, 312.  \nImbrey, Jai (ed), *Mosques: Splendors of Islam*, New York: Rizzoli, 2017: 40, ill.","dynasty":"Fatimid","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2004","keywords":["Arabic inscription","calligrapher","calligraphy","Dedicatory inscription","female patronage","gold","ink","kufic","opaque watercolor","Parchment","Prophet Muhammad","Qairawan","Qur'an","religious object","Tunisia","writing","Zirid"],"materials":["Gold and silver on indigo-dyed parchment"]},"ef6f3f6c-f567-5300-9a2c-887d4b9a516c":{"name":"Anonymous, *Ruznamce-i shemsiyye ve qamariyye* ('Small calendar of solar and lunar years')","short_description":"The anonymous Arabic treatise titled *Ruznamce-i shemsiyye ve qamariyye* (‘Small Calendar of Solar and Lunar Years’) was compiled for the years 905 AH / 1499 to 1000 AH / 1592. It was possibly written in the 16th-17th centuries in Ottoman Syria. The Latin marginalia *Deo Trino et Uno honor Lausq infinita* on fol. 8a were probably written by a later Christian owner, while the owner’s stamp on fol. 8b is by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, from whom the manuscript was purchased by the Austrian National Library in 1842. The extant European half-leather binding corresponds to a possibly Viennese production date in the 19th-century. The calendar itself is composed in a format similar to Ottoman prayer calendar scrolls and their tabular arrangement. Particularly fascinating, however, is the fact that small paintings are pasted in the margins of the manuscript, which is atypical for this manuscript format. These paintings include both zodiac images as well as monthly allegories. The zodiac miniatures are stylistically relatable to Timurid Shiraz of the early 15th century when patrons had great interest in astrology and the natural sciences. It can be hypothesised that these paintings were cut out from an older calendar or astrological treatise and reused in a new context. They are visually integrated into the page layout, as the border is drawn around the images. The monthly allegories, in contrast, are pasted over these borders and hence must have been added later. They display themes from a Christian context mixed with Islamic artistic conventions, the scenes reminiscent of Islamic metalwork. As such, it is possible that the calendar was later owned by a Christian who pasted this second group of illustrations onto the pages.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Possibly 16th-17th centuries","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"251x145mm (190x80mm), ff. II, II*, 8 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Syria","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 8a, an owner's stamp by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall dated to 1223 AH / 1808 AD is visible.","obtention":"Acquired  in 1842 from Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 66-70.","dynasty":"Ottoman","binding_desc":"The European half-leather binding has the following written in gold print on the spine: ‘Almanac from 905-1000’. It was likely made in 19th century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387499","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Calendar","lunar","month","solar","Thuluth","year","zodiac"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic thuluth script."]},"efc2172a-d635-578e-af49-9d6126ab9b75":{"name":"Part 8 of a 30-part Qur’an","short_description":"The text contains the *sura* *al-An‘am* (V’), verse 111, to *sura* *al-A‘raf* (VI), verse 87. The main text is in *muhaqqaq*, incidentals are in *kufic* and *naskhi* and there are 3 lines to the page. The text is written in a stately form of *muhaqqaq*, a style that from the rise of the rounded scripts was particularly favoured for fine Qur’ans. The vocalisation in gold is outlined in black. A rectangular band terminating in a large marginal hasp on folio 38a has the heading of *sura* *al-A‘raf*, written in a black-outlined white *kufic* against a superbly illuminated background.  \nBoth the script and the illumination of this imposing manuscript are related to a seven-part copy of the Qur’an dedicated to Abu’l-Qasim Harun ibn ‘Ali ibn Zafar, the vizier of Özbeg, the last atabeg of Azerbaijan (r. 1210–1225).","type":"Manuscript; Qur’an; ink on paper; text in *muhaqqaq*; incidentals in *kufic* and *naskhi*","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"c. AD 1175–1225","location":"London","dimensions":"39.2 x 32.4cm; 92 folios","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on comparisons with a copy of the Qur’an made for the vizier of the last atabeg of Azerbaijan (r. 1220 – 1225).","provenance":"Iran, perhaps Azerbaijan","bibliography":"James, D., *The Master Scribes. Qur’ans of the 10th to 14th Centuries AD*, London: The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 2, 1992: cat.5, pp.34–9.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.59, p.71.","dynasty":"Seljuq / Atabeg","keywords":["Atabeg","gold","ink","Iran","kufic","kufic script","manuscript","manuscript ornamentation","muhaqqaq script","naskh","naskh script","Paper","Qur’an","watercolour"],"materials":["Ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper","leather binding of a later date"]},"efcc7ec3-36f8-59b0-a853-5e760fd7f0b1":{"name":"An obituary listing eight victims of the Nizari Ismaʿili assassins","short_description":"This folio, along with two others in the Aga Khan Museum Collection (AKM89 and AKM41), comes from a manuscript assembled at the court of Shahrukh (d. 1447) and disassembled by the art dealer Émile Tabbagh in the 1920s and 30s. The manuscript’s content draws primarily from a world history prepared by Rashid al-Din (d. 1318) for the Mongol Ilkhan Oljeitu in 1307. It is not a simple copy of Rashid al-Din’s work, but rather a hybrid manuscript with a tangled history made even more complex by its dispersal. This folio comes from one of the most heavily illustrated sections of the manuscript, a section that also helps reveal a secret about the work’s origins: Rashid al-Din was probably not its original author.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Early 15th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"42 x 32.4cm","provenance":"Iran, Heart","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","keywords":["folio","manuscript","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, watercolour, and gold pigment on paper"]},"f01728d7-fe74-597e-b37f-12f01e9ac1a3":{"name":"*Rab’a* of Sultan Murad.","description":"A *rab’a* (Qur'an divided into 30 parts) that has been preserved in two identical wooden cube-shaped boxes, each of which is covered with a level of stucco and painted black. A number of inscription bands form part of the decoration and contain gilded texts written in *thuluth* script. The texts include *hadiths* of the Prophet to encourage study of the Qur'an. The corners of each box are decorated with vegetal designs composed of intertwining plant motifs gathered within a frame of zigzag lines.  \nEach volume of the *rab’a* is bound by a two-leaf cover and a library marker. Each leaf of the cover holds a medallion with a helical frame and an illuminated background. The spine is decorated with independent illuminated vegetal motifs. Each medallion is connected at the top and bottom by two suspended ornaments. The two inside covers are decorated with a medallion, divided into illuminated geometric forms on a blue, black, red and green background. The medallion is connected at the top and bottom to a smaller medallion.  \nThe endowment charter of the entire *rab’a* appears at the beginning of the first volume. On the first page of every volume there is a condensed version of the charter surrounded at both the top and bottom by two decorative bands that are different in size and decorative style from one volume to the next.  \nFolio 2b–3a forms the beginning of each volume. The frontispiece consists of two identically decorated pages. Five lines are written on each of the two pages, in alternating gold and black, the text surrounded by a number of bands with extremely beautiful ornamentation in polychrome; specifically red and gold against a background of blue. The text is intercepted with independent vegetal decoration in a variety of different colours.  \nEach page of the 30 volumes of the *rab’a* is divided into five horizontal rectangles. In each of the first, third and fifth rectangles, there is a single line of the Qur'an written in a large and illuminated *rayhani* script. In each of the second and fourth rectangles, four lines are written in black *thuluth* script. The second and fourth rectangles are intersected on both sides by two side-bands ornamented with illuminated motifs consisting of intertwining vegetal decoration against a white background.  \nThe layout of this *rab’a* is reminiscent of the Qur'anic manuscript of Sultan Bayezid.","short_description":"A *rab’a* (Qur’an in 30 parts) in two wooden boxes covered with stucco and painted black with inscriptions and vegetal designs. The *rab’a* was donated by Sultan Murad to al-Aqsa Mosque. Each page is divided into five parts, three in illuminated *rayhani* script and two in *thuluth* script written with black ink. The word ‘Majestic’, chapter names, verse numbers and their area are illuminated.","type":"Manuscript, woodwork, stucco decoration","holder":"Islamic Museum, al-Aqsa Mosque / al-Haram al-Sharif.","initial_owner":"Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95).","dates":"Hegira 1001 / AD 1593.","location":"Jerusalem","dimensions":"Length 36 cm, width 24.5 cm, depth 2 cm.","method_for_datation":"The *rab’a* is inscribed with the date and endowment.","method_for_provenance":"Turkey was narrowed down as the place of production for this manuscript supported by the text of the *waqf* charter which appears on the third page of the Qur'an. The name of the copyist, illuminator and the place of production does not appear.","provenance":"Turkey.","obtention":"The *rab’a* was transferred from al-Aqsa Mosque to the Islamic Museum but it is not known when.","bibliography":"Farid, M., *Tarikh al-Daula al-'Ulya al-Othmaniya \\[History of the Ottoman Empire\\],* Beirut, 1981.  \nSalameh, K., *Al-Makhtutat al-Qur'aniya fi al-Muthaf al-Islami fi al-Haram al-Sharif, al-Quds \\[The Qur'anic Manuscripts in the Islamic Museum in al-Haram al-Sharif, Jerusalem\\],* Paris, 2003.","dynasty":"Ottoman","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Khader Salameh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Hadith","illumination","leather","mashaf","Paper","Qur’an","religious manuscript","rihani","Thuluth","vegetal decoration"],"materials":["Coloured ink and gilding on paper","the binding embossed and illuminated leather. The box made from wood, covered with decorative stucco."]},"f02545d3-2c1e-56ed-999c-fd59a3ff72c3":{"name":"*Shahnama*","short_description":"This is a fragmentary copy of the *Shahnama* (‘Book of Kings’), the verse epic that tells the story of the pre-Islamic kings and heroes of Iran. The manuscript was probably produced for the Iranian ruler Shah Abbas the Great, sometime after his accession in 1587, and contains sixteen paintings, two of which were added later, in about 1676. The paintings are amongst the finest examples of Persian painting ever produced, each one finely rendered and filled with abundant detail.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD late 16th century","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"40.7 x 26.1 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Per_277/6/LOG_0000/","keywords":["border decoration","calligraphy","court","Elephant","illumination","Illustration","imaginary animal","miniature painting","script","Simurgh","warfare","women","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f29f00e9-279d-593b-8b54-54ee9c2bb477":{"name":"Document on slavery","short_description":"This document is written in English on two sheets of parchment. Source: United States of America. Length: 30 cm. Width: 40 cm.","type":"Historic manuscript; document","holder":"Palais de la Rose – Musée de l’Armée","dates":"1842","location":"La Manouba, Tunis","provenance":"Palais du Bardo","author":"Bechir Yazidi","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Ahmed Pacha Bey","abolition of slavery"],"materials":["Paper"]},"f2f5d2c9-669c-5eb0-99b1-c90588e93519":{"name":"History of Sultan Süleyman","short_description":"The Ottomans were especially interested in the recording of historical events and at the behest of Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), the court historian Luqman compiled this versified account of the reign of Murad’s grandfather, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66). The text is largely concerned with Süleyman’s defeat of Hungary in the summer of 1566, and the illustrations included here depict his arrival before the city of Szigetvar, the destruction and fall of the city and the sultan’s death and funeral. (He died during the siege of the city.) The simple and direct style of these paintings is typical of Ottoman historical illustration.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 987 / AD 1579","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","dynasty":"Ottoman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_413/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["army","burial","calligraphy","Europe","fire","illumination","Illustration","miniature painting","script","tent","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f38d6e15-e344-5817-ac1d-988aed7ec5c8":{"name":"Qur’an leaf","short_description":"This Qur’an leaf is written in a transitional script that lies between the Hijazi and the *kufic* script styles. This vellum leaf demonstrates a crucial phase in the development of Quranic scripts. Towards the end of the first century Hijra, the Arabic letters started to acquire dots, as shown in this leaf, in the same brown ink used for the writing. Vocalization marks are seen in red and green dots, and the verse dividers are marked by the use of slanting dashes in brown ink.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia","dates":"Hegira 100-200 / AD 700-800","location":"Kuala Lumpur","dimensions":"38 x 28.5cm","provenance":"Near East or Arabian Peninsula","bibliography":"*Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, IAMM Guide Book*, Kuala Lumpur: IAMM Publications, 2014: 14.","dynasty":"Abbasid","materials":["Hijazi script on parchment"]},"f396e33d-9645-55ac-affd-ff0c3b5c089a":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"This Qur'an was written in gilt *kufic* script outlined in brown ink (sepia) on gazelle skin. The verses on the page shown (112: 3– 113: 1) are set in a richly illuminated frame, also gilded and outlined in brown ink. There are no diacritical marks. Vowel marks are shown as red or black dots. The beginning of a new chapter (*sura*) is only indicated by the *basmala* (the formula: 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful'). Three diagonal lines are placed at the end of the verses.  \n  \nThe Qur'an page is framed by a wide border delineated by narrow bands. The rectangles formed by the border bands form joining sections. The large spaces within these rectangles are filled with decoration including spiralling tendrils with leaves and flowers.  \n  \nOnly five leaves remain to us from this Qur'an, which was made in the AH 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries in or . Written in *kufic* script, gilded and richly illuminated, it must have been made for an important mosque or ruler.","short_description":"Calligraphy developed as a result of careful copying of the Holy Qur'an in order to make it accessible to the masses. This page is written in *kufic* script, named after the calligraphic centre in the city of Kufa, and its character is plain and rigid yet striking.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, gazelle skin","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th centuries / AD 9th–10th centuries.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 27 cm, width 39 cm.","method_for_datation":"The style of writing, the lack of diacritic marks, and the designs used in the illumination all suggest a date of the 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"The Abbasid Empire was centred in Baghdad, and one of its most important regions was Syria. For this reason the object is thought to have been produced either in Iraq or in Syria.","provenance":"Iraq or Syria.","obtention":"Ismet Bey, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Islamic Foundations (the old name for the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus while travelling. He had a number of items in the collection at *Qubbat al-Hazine* (Treasury) of the mosque, including this Qur'an, transferred to the Museum where they were registered in the inventory in around 1332 / 1914.","bibliography":"ölçer, N. *et al*, *In Pursuit of Excellence: Works of Art from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts*, Istanbul, 1993, p.15.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al*, *Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.44–5.","dynasty":"Abbasid","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","gold (gilding)","leather","Parchment","religious manuscript","religious object"],"materials":["Gazelle skin with gilding, the writing in brown ink (sepia)."]},"f4b42f47-4668-569e-9597-a2a04bb2f959":{"name":"Qur'an","short_description":"This manuscript is *juz’* (section) eleven of a thirty-part Qur’an. Each section was separately bound and each would have begun, as does this one, with an illuminated roundel known as a *shamsa* (‘sun’) containing a Qur’anic inscription. The first lines of text are surrounded by a frontispiece and, as is usual in all fine Qur’ans, the beginning of each chapter is indicated by an illuminated heading. Other sections of this same manuscript are now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Ethnography Museum in Ankara, Turkey.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 738 / AD 1338","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"31.5 x 23 cm","provenance":"Iran, Maragha","dynasty":"Ilkhanid","keywords":["arabesque","calligraphy","geometric decoration","illumination","Koran","palmette","religious manuscript","script","shamsa"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"f4d69a3e-9925-5ec2-a00c-7db5ff29d9d2":{"name":"Register listing 'all of the subjects of the Grand Duke of Tuscany [Italy] residing in Tunisia'","short_description":"The names appearing in this list are mostly Jewish, including that of Giacomo Castelnuovo (Livorno, Italy, 1819 – La Goulette, Tunisia, 1886), a medical doctor who had to flee Italy because of his liberal ideas and his support for Italy’s national unification. Initially he went to Egypt, where he founded two Italian newspapers, *Lo Spettatore Egiziano* and *Il Progresso d’Egitto*.  \nThe author of many medical publications, in Tunis Castelnuovo became the Bey’s personal physician. He served as president of the Tunisian branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle, and promoted the construction of a synagogue, on a plot of land granted by the Bey.  \nA Freemason, he fought in Italy in the wars for Italy’s unification. He was awarded honours by both the Italian King (who ennobled him) and by the Bey of Tunis.","type":"Register (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Livorno","dates":"1850","location":"Livorno","author":"Massimo Sanacore","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"f4ec5e16-ce89-5fd8-a571-64a756787ac8":{"name":"Nizami Ganjavi, or Jamal ad-Din Abu Muhammad Ilyas b.Yusuf b. Mu’ayyad Nizam ad-Din, *Khamsa* ('Quintet')","short_description":"The *Khamsa* (‘Quintet’) was written by the famous Nizami Ganjavi, whose full name is Jamal ad-Din Abu Muhammad Ilyas b. Yusuf b. Mu'ayyad Nizam ad-Din (died 605 AH / 1209 AD). This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script by the scribe Shams ad-Din b. Giyath ad-Din al-Hafiz al-Kirmani. He finished the manuscript (excluding the *Iqbalnama*) in 905-6 AH / 1500 AD according to two colophons on fol. 41b and fol. 152a, possibly in Shiraz, Iran. The 29 half- to full-page paintings represent the transition from the late Turkmen to the early Safavid style. However, alterations and restorations may have already been carried out in the 16th century. One century later, the manuscript was acquired for the Austrian National Library by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople in 1677.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"905-6 AH /1500 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"225 x 345 mm (170 x 250 mm), ff. I*, 36 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 905 AH / 1500 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, there is a destroyed oriental owner's stamp. It was acquired in 1677 by Peter Lambeck in Constantinople.","provenance":"Possibly Shiraz","obtention":"Unknown but part of the Austrian National Library in the second half of the 17th century.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 33-37.","dynasty":"Safavid","scriber":"Huseyin","binding_desc":"The red leather binding with flap features a gold-stamped medallion with two pendants in the centre and corner fillings of identical decoration with stylised cloud bands and floral vines. The frame consists of gold-stamped, elongated cartouches with delicate flowery vines. The doublures are made of thin light-brown leather with a similar medallion and frame design as on the cover. The motifs, however, are cut out and filled in with arabesque black filigree work on blue paper ground. On the flap bridge, Persian verses in *nasta’liq* script are inscribed in the cartouches, which are stamped in gold. The spine was likely renewed in Vienna in the 18th century with brown leather and gold-stamped ornaments, featuring the Latin inscription ‘Nizami’. The binding was likely made in 16th-17th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/1127951C","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bahram","Haft Peykar","Iskandar","Khamsa","Khosrow","Layla","Majnun","mi'raj","Nizami","Shirin"],"materials":["Ink, colour and gold on paper. Small Turkish naskh in three columns up to 20 lines per page."]},"f57c4704-e5f1-5800-820c-7ce3e7443e67":{"name":"Illustration of a mountain goat  \nFolio from a manuscript of *Nuzhatnama-yi ‘ala’i* (‘ala’i’ Book of Pleasure)","short_description":"This book discusses the characteristics and natures of humans, animals, and plants. The folio on display is from the book’s second section, which discusses quadrupeds, wild animals, and beasts. It includes information on and an illustration of a mountain goat. The clouds above the goat and also the lotus flowers are derived from Chinese art. The book is named for its patron, an 11th-century prince of Yazd, who had the title of ‘Ala al-Dawla.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"24.7 x 16.1cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Timurid","artist_birthdate":"fl. ca. 1072","artist_deathdate":"1120","keywords":["animals","florals","folio","humans","plants","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour, gold and ink on paper"]},"f85fc07f-ac67-5370-af17-7ba37d0eb7d2":{"name":"*Nihayat al-Su’l wa al-Umniya fi Ta‘allum ‘Amal al-Furusiyya* (‘Compendium of Military Arts’)","short_description":"*Nihayat al-su’l wa al-umniya fi ta‘allum ‘amal al-furusiyya* is a compendium of military arts written by Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Isma‘il al-Hanafi al-Aqsari (d. AD 1348, Damascus), who dedicated it to the Mamluk viceroy of Egypt, Ala al-Din Asanbay al-Abu Bakri. It became the most popular Mamluk book on *furusiyya* (horsemanship) and many illustrated copied were made for Mamluk patrons in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, of which this copy is the earliest known. The text is divided into twelve chapters, or lessons, on horsemanship and warfare. The manuscript’s nineteen illustrations depict the use of various weapons, such as the bow, lance, sword and arrow, and military tactics, including the formation of battle lines.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira 768 / AD 1366","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"29 x 20 cm","provenance":"Egypt, Cairo","dynasty":"Mamluk","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/Ar_5655/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["armour","arms","horsemanship","manuscript","military","miniature painting","warfare"],"materials":["Coloured pigments and gold"]},"f8d2c9af-d37b-5ab4-9735-d30dac0e4f8a":{"name":"Qur’an fragment","short_description":"This Qur’an fragment belongs to one of the oldest Qur’ans in the world: it is a very early, likely Iraqi, copy in oblong horizontal format from the first quarter of the 8th century, calligraphed in an early type of script relatable to *Hijazi* script in either Medina or Mecca. Vocalisations appear in the form of red dots throughout the text, while the circular medallions in the margin containing the verse count are written in green and framed in red and green. This is an important textual witness of over 60 early fragments that date to before 800 BC. One of the previous owners can be identified as Kaikobad I. of the Sultanate of Rum (1219-1237), likely only one of a handful of high-ranking manuscript collectors with this early copy of the Qur’an in their possession.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"First quarter of the 8th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"154 x 212mm, 104 folios.","place_of_production":"Medina or Mecca","provenance":"Likely Iraq","obtention":"The previous owners include Kaikobad I. of the Sultanate of Rum (1219-1237), Anton Prokesch von Osten (1795-1876), and Joseph von Karabacek (1845-1918).","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 296.","dynasty":"Likely Abbasid","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14498219","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["calligraphy","Hijazi","illumination","Qur’an"],"materials":["Ink on parchment (8°). Calligraphic script (possibly Hijazi script) in 15 lines per page."]},"f8d95dbb-56af-5611-a814-9a73ceff888e":{"name":"\"The Beaker Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early thirteenth century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"40cm × 28cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew, Paris;  \n1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","dynasty":"Mamluks","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13822/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=a1bcc428-52d7-4bef-a282-3e8ca7e7796b&idx=0","keywords":["folio","miniature","Technical manuscript.","water"],"materials":["Opaque watercolor, gold, and ink on paper"]},"fa5a3c62-3016-588e-8295-eb54bcf4919b":{"name":"Complete manuscript of Qur’anic interpretation, entitled *Anwar al-Tanzeel wa Asrar al-Ta’weel*","short_description":"This commentary, with qur’anic quotations in *naskhi* script and margin texts in sloping *nasta‘liq*, was originally authored by Abu Said Abdallah ibn ‘Umar al-Baydhawi (AH 600 / AD 1186 – AH 685 / AD 1203). A historical inscription at the end of this copy states that it was written by Al-Uskudari, a well-known Ottoman calligrapher in AH 973 / AD 1565.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation","dates":"Hegira 973 / AD 1565","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Makkah al-Mukarramah","dynasty":"Ottoman","keywords":["calligraphy","naskhi","Nasta`liq","Ottoman religious manuscripts"]},"fc5cf82e-fd47-55f6-908a-6658587f1353":{"name":"*Khamsa*","short_description":"Illustrated folio depicting the *Mi\\`raj*, or transport of the Prophet Muhammed to Jerusalem on the mount Buraq, from the *Makhzan al-Asrar*, the first of the epic poems constituting Nizami's *Khamsa*.","type":"Poetry manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Iranian world","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["Illustration","Iran","mi'raj"]},"fd211c5e-6b0a-584a-8a00-0307908a3402":{"name":"Request for financial help to the Minister of the Interior by Filippo Codispoti, a former Italian migrant to Cairo, who had to flee Egypt with his family in 1882","short_description":"In this letter Filippo Codispoti explained to the Italian Minister of Interior that he was born in Reggio Calabria (a town in Southern Italy) and was 17 years old before he migrated to Egypt. After years of hard work he had been able to reach a comfortable position and was running a wine and liquor shop, while his son was working as a shoemaker, and his daily pay was five and a half lire.  \nHe further explained that the civil war in Egypt had forced him to flee the country together with his wife and three children, leaving all his belongings in Egypt. He was now penniless and reduced to utter misery, and asked the government for financial help.  \nAccording to governmental statistics, in 1882 there were 18,665 Italians in Egypt. The number of foreigners in Egypt totalled 90,886.","type":"Petition (archival document)","holder":"State Archives of Reggio Calabria","dates":"Reggio Calabria, 21 September 1882","location":"Reggio Calabria","author":"Fortunata Chindemi, Maria Fortunata Minasi","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"fd2a384c-3dc1-5711-b73d-c141912a1a62":{"name":"Manuscript of *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries)","short_description":"Made for Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1264–1313 AH/1848–96), the manuscript *Gulshan-i Raz* (The Rose Garden of Mysteries) consists of one hundred and nineteen calligraphic pages, each with ten lines of gold-sprinkled *nasta‘liq* in the hand of Shukrallah Nameh-Nigar. The name of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar is mentioned on the page preceding the last one in the manuscript, and his portrait is painted on the central medallions on the front and back exterior covers. The binding reflects the combination of tradition and modernity during the Qajar period. It features the customary composition of scrolling vegetal motif in gold on a dark background wedded to European-style portraits of the shah.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Dated Shawwal-Dhu’l-Qa‘da Hegira 1310 / April–May 1893","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"11.3 x 18.2cm","provenance":"Tehran, Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","dynasty":"Qajar","keywords":["calligraphy","figure","manuscript","Portrait","vegetal motif","work-on-paper","works-on-paper"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on paper","lacquer binding"]},"fd4b59a9-ae59-534d-a8b4-6d56ba4420f8":{"name":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din), *Bustan* (Fruit Garden)","short_description":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din) (died 691 AH/ 1292 AD), wrote the *Bustan* (‘Fruit Garden’), which was his first published work. It contains ethical anecdotes incorporating the accounts of the author’s travels and his manifold experiences, and would later become one of his major works. This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script in Tabriz around 937-47 AH / c. 1530-40 AD. The manuscript contains five nearly full-page paintings. The paintings are reminiscent of the style of the Timurid school of Herat. In 1677, it was acquired in Constantinople for 36 gold ducats.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 937-47 AH / 1530-40 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"250 x 175 mm (c. 150 x 100 mm), 76 folios.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, inscription by Peter Lambeck: *Bostan, seu Hortus Scheichi Saadi, celebris Poetae ac doctoris Persici. Liber moralis. 36 auriis*.","provenance":"Tabriz","obtention":"Acquired for the Austrian National Library for 36 gold ducats in 1677 in Constantinople by Peter Lambeck.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 37-40.","dynasty":"Safavid","binding_desc":"The luxuriously painted lacquer binding has a leather spine and leather edges. On the front cover, a group of people are depicted within a lush garden of flowering shrubs spread across the black background. A prince is sitting behind a spread-out red cloth with plates of food and a jug in the centre. He is holding a golden wine bowl while a kneeling courtier on the left serves a plate of pomegranates. In a semicircle around and above them, various figures sit or stand with drinking vessels or pomegranates in their hands. Below them, on the right, is a (poorly conserved) seated group; on the left are three musicians with a tambourine, a flute, and a lute. All figures wear the Safavid staff turban and a long two-piece robe covered with gold patterns in bright saffron, orange, and red colour as well as in dark green and blue.  \nOn the back cover, a courtly hunting scene is depicted within dense foliage and clouds at the top, including archers on horseback chasing lions, panthers, gazelles, and hares, as well as one falconer at the top right. It is a dynamic composition with five riders approaching from different sides, the movement of the horses and gestures of the figures are animated and varied. Fine mother-of-pearl dust is mixed into the colours that comprise the clouds, stones, and rocks. Related lacquer bindings can be found in the British Library (Or. 1374) and in the British Museum (no. 1948 12-11027-8).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10E18DB3","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bustan","painting","Safavid","Yusuf","Zulaikha"],"materials":["Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 16 lines."]},"fd83d0b9-980c-5d81-b47c-74aa8931e4de":{"name":"Iskandar killing a dragon","short_description":"The miniature, cut from a manuscript, illustrates an episode of Ferdowsi’s epic *Shahnameh*, in which Iskandar kills a dragon through trickery, by making it swallow an ox hide stuffed with naphtha. The scene unfolds in a landscape with a cliff in the background, under the bewildered eyes of three characters dressed in seventeenth-century costumes, featured above a fortress gate.","type":"Miniature","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Height: 12cm, Width: 10.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Probably Isfahan, Iran","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 2008.","bibliography":"Dunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 114, no. 54.","dynasty":"Safavid","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["Shahname, Iskandar, dragon"],"materials":["Gouache, ink and gold on paper"]},"fdd3753f-818b-54d6-aab7-80f375510649":{"name":"Nebamun tomb paintings","short_description":"Copies of correspondence between Henry Salt and the British Museum record the date, 1820, that the tomb of Nebamun, now lost, was first discovered.","type":"Documentation","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"1820?","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt","keywords":["archaeology","Egyptomania","exploration","collection","collecting","wall painting","museums","travel","traveller","historical document"]},"ff6c9c68-5a72-5102-ad19-99345287b4be":{"name":"Letter from Marshall Forteguerri, commander general of the navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, confirming the purchase of Tunisian slaves in Naples","short_description":"This letter from Marshall Forteguerri, commander general of the navy of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, confirms the purchase of Tunisian slaves in Naples and their subsequent emancipation.","type":"Paper","holder":"Archives Nationales","dates":"1797","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin","keywords":["Privateering in the Mediterranean"]},"ffe08b8f-98ad-5e02-a0ff-ceaa5ae4d13f":{"name":"Collection of Persian poetry","short_description":"The collection of Persian poetry is a work of Abd al-Wahhab ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sayyid. The manuscript in *nasta\\`liq* script contains two miniatures attributed to Aqa-malik and representing a princess in a garden.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"MAO Museum of Oriental Art","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Turin","dimensions":"Height 28 cm, width 17 cm","provenance":"Iran","dynasty":"Safavid","keywords":["manuscript","Nasta`liq","Safawid"],"materials":["Paper, ink, gold and pigments"]},"ffe82953-5509-586c-bf0c-5858cbd0964d":{"name":"Manuscript from the medical treatise *Kitab al-tasrîf liman ajaza an al-talîf fi al-tibb* by Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn ‘Abbas al-Andalusi al-Zahrawi.","description":"This manuscript is the transcription of one of the 30 volumes of the encyclopaedia *al-Tasrif*, written by Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi, known in the West as Abulcasis, who lived from AH 320 to 401 (AD 936–1016) during the Caliphate period in Córdoba. Considered the most famous doctor and surgeon of his time, he compiled the results of his medical operations in the encyclopaedia. He described and drew nearly two hundred tools that he used, many of which he invented and made himself. This important work was a basic reference book for students in north African universities. As printing did not yet exist, it was copied, like all scientific works, by professional calligraphers who were in fact the painters of their time. This specimen, whose copyist is unknown, belongs to the Almohad period and it contains 329 pages. Most of the 30 chapters cover the formulation of remedies and how to treat injuries. It is written in Maghrebi cursive script. On the page that deals with cauterisation, some surgical tools are naively depicted, painted in black, red and yellow.","short_description":"This manuscript is a copy of one of the 30 volumes of the encyclopaedia written by the greatest surgeon of his time, known in Europe as Abulcasis. It contains illustrations of surgical instruments that he invented. This page deals with cauterisation.","type":"Scientific manuscript, paper","holder":"General Library.","dates":"Hegira 610–9 / AD 1213–23.","location":"Rabat.","dimensions":"Height 26.5 cm, length 18.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The date of the copy, missing the units digit, appears on the last page (colophon) of this volume.","method_for_provenance":"The style of the writing and the manuscript date, which is very close to the date of the original, suggest Andalusian origin.","provenance":"Spain (al-Andalus).","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Abd al-Rahman, A. J*.*, *Printed Arabic Manuscripts*, al-Baçra, 1981.  \nAl-Arabi al-Khatabi, M., *Faharis al-Khizana al-Malakia*, Rabat, 1982.  \nAl-Razi J. and Varichon, A., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 1999.  \nBenjelloun-Laroui, L., *Les bibliothèques au Maroc*, Paris, 1990.  \nHaji Khalifa, *Kitab kachf al- zounoum an asâmî al-koutoub wal-founoun*, Istanbul, 1941.","dynasty":"Almohad","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["calligraphy","figurative decoration","medicine","science","scientific manuscript","surgery"],"materials":["Paper, brown ink, yellow and red paint."]}}