OTTOMAN TURKEY, MID-19TH CENTURY

Details

AN'AM SHARIF
OTTOMAN TURKEY, MID-19TH CENTURY
Selected suras from Qur'an followed by 55ff. prayers and calligrams, Arabic manuscript on paper, 84ff. plus 3 fly-leaves, each folio 13ll. of black naskh, gold and polychrome verse markers, tajwid and occasional words in red ink, the sura and prayer headings in polychrome and gold illuminated panels in white and red thuluth respectively, ornamentation above the bismillah text throughout, catchwords, fore-edges decorated with gilded floral design, opening bifolio on gold sprinkled paper with two illuminated headpieces in rococo style, original leather binding decorated with gilded designs, doublures embossed pink paper
Text panel 6 x 3 3/8in. (15.2 x 8.5cm.); folio 8 ¾ x 5 ¼in. (22.1 x 13.2cm.)

Provenance

By repute private collection, Switzerland, before 1990 and thence by descent

Engraved

The text includes, a selection of suras (al-Fatiha, al-Baqara, al-An‘am, Yasin, al-Fath, al-Mulk, al-Naba’, Quraysh, al-Ma‘un, al-Kawthar, al-Kafirun, al-Nasr, Tabbat [al-Masad], al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq, al-Nas), followed by a prayer for the conclusion of recitation of the suras; the Great Prayer (Sala Kabira) for the Prophet; Salat al-Munjiya; a selection of 7 Qur’anic verses; the Noble Prayers (Salavat-i Şerif); Hizb al-Bahr of al-Shadhili; a diagram of a seal containing Qur’an 27:30 (i.e. Seal of Solomon) with a diagram of a seal below with the names of Muhammad and the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs; the Prophet’s seal of Prophecy; the genealogy of the Prophet; the Noble Seal (Mühr-i Şerif): a selection of prayers (du‘a); three roundels containing exhortations to Beautiful Names of God, the names of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus and their dog, and Qur’an 68:51-52

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

This beautifully illuminated prayer book is a copy of the An’am Sharif which was popular in the late 18^th century and was used for memorizing and reciting prayers. It is a testament to the Ottoman Empire’s artistic and religious heritage, combining sacred texts with decorative illumination to enhance the spiritual experience of its users. Other copies of this richly illuminated prayer book have sold in these Rooms, 26 October 2017, lot 226, 26 April 2018, lot 180 and 28 October 2021, lot 103. Unusually for an Ottoman manuscript of this calibre, our copy is not signed or dated.

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