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Lot Essay
Inscription:
The royal seal impression on the last folio reads, kamtarin kalb-e amir al-mu’minin sultan husayn, 'the smallest dog of the Commander of the Faithful (i.e. Imam ‘Ali) [is] Sultan Husayn 1125'
Other seal impressions include that of
‘Abbas Mirza Na’ib al-Saltanah, son of Fath ‘Ali, 'Shahdurr-e darya-ye khosravi ‘abbas 1214 (1799-1800)
Muhammad ‘Ali al-Husayni dated 1252 (1836-7)
Muhammad Baqir (given as ya baqir al-‘ulum), dated AH 1313/1895-6 AD
This Qur'an is particularly unusual for having full page folios which are dedicated to commentaries reported from Shi’a Imams inserted within the suras in elegant nasta'liq. Although such annotations are often found on the margins of Qur'ans, it is very rare to have suras interrupted by such insertions. The layout and colour palette of the illumination in the double page openings and the illumination throughout are typical of those produced during the reign of Shah Sultan Husayn (r. AH 1105-35/1694-1722 AD). Our Qur'an closely resembles another dated to the last year of Shah Sultan Husayn’s reign that sold in these Rooms, 23 April 1993, lot 39.
The margins of our manuscript are signed in elegant nasta'liq in two places by the celebrated royal scribe, Mohtasham Isfahani who was given the title Katib-i Sultani by Shah Sultan Husayn. Mohtasham is responsible for both the marginal annotations and copying of the interlinear translations, while the naskh was done by Aqa Hadi, also known as Hadi-ye mutarjem. A Qur’an by him was sold at Sotheby’s London, April 1989, lot 198 (dated AH 1120/1708-09 AD). Two calligraphic pages also signed by him are published by Bayani (see Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va athar-e khosh-nevisan, vol.IV, Tehran, 1348 sh., p.192). Amongst the manuscripts signed by Mohtasham in public institutions are two in the Niavaran Palace library and another in the Sepahsalar school Library, both in Tehran (Bayani, op.cit., vol.III, pp.618-19).
This Qur’an was most likely created for the royal library of Shah Sultan Husayn and bears the seal impression of the Shah on the last folio, dated AH 1125/1713-14 AD. A firman issued by Sultan Husayn bearing an identical seal impression, dated to AH 1123/1711-12 AD was sold in these Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 99. Another identical seal impression is on a firman issued by Shah Sultan Husayn, dated Ramadan AH 1129/August-September 1717 AD (see Shahrestani, 2002, p. 46). Further impressions found on the manuscript identify other illustrious owners including ‘Abbas Mirza (1799-1833 AD)
The royal seal impression on the last folio reads, kamtarin kalb-e amir al-mu’minin sultan husayn, 'the smallest dog of the Commander of the Faithful (i.e. Imam ‘Ali) [is] Sultan Husayn 1125'
Other seal impressions include that of
‘Abbas Mirza Na’ib al-Saltanah, son of Fath ‘Ali, 'Shahdurr-e darya-ye khosravi ‘abbas 1214 (1799-1800)
Muhammad ‘Ali al-Husayni dated 1252 (1836-7)
Muhammad Baqir (given as ya baqir al-‘ulum), dated AH 1313/1895-6 AD
This Qur'an is particularly unusual for having full page folios which are dedicated to commentaries reported from Shi’a Imams inserted within the suras in elegant nasta'liq. Although such annotations are often found on the margins of Qur'ans, it is very rare to have suras interrupted by such insertions. The layout and colour palette of the illumination in the double page openings and the illumination throughout are typical of those produced during the reign of Shah Sultan Husayn (r. AH 1105-35/1694-1722 AD). Our Qur'an closely resembles another dated to the last year of Shah Sultan Husayn’s reign that sold in these Rooms, 23 April 1993, lot 39.
The margins of our manuscript are signed in elegant nasta'liq in two places by the celebrated royal scribe, Mohtasham Isfahani who was given the title Katib-i Sultani by Shah Sultan Husayn. Mohtasham is responsible for both the marginal annotations and copying of the interlinear translations, while the naskh was done by Aqa Hadi, also known as Hadi-ye mutarjem. A Qur’an by him was sold at Sotheby’s London, April 1989, lot 198 (dated AH 1120/1708-09 AD). Two calligraphic pages also signed by him are published by Bayani (see Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va athar-e khosh-nevisan, vol.IV, Tehran, 1348 sh., p.192). Amongst the manuscripts signed by Mohtasham in public institutions are two in the Niavaran Palace library and another in the Sepahsalar school Library, both in Tehran (Bayani, op.cit., vol.III, pp.618-19).
This Qur’an was most likely created for the royal library of Shah Sultan Husayn and bears the seal impression of the Shah on the last folio, dated AH 1125/1713-14 AD. A firman issued by Sultan Husayn bearing an identical seal impression, dated to AH 1123/1711-12 AD was sold in these Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 99. Another identical seal impression is on a firman issued by Shah Sultan Husayn, dated Ramadan AH 1129/August-September 1717 AD (see Shahrestani, 2002, p. 46). Further impressions found on the manuscript identify other illustrious owners including ‘Abbas Mirza (1799-1833 AD)