Lot Essay
The miniatures show Zulaikha having her legs bound by a gold snake/rope, Zulaika fainting at the sight of Yusuf and Yusuf in the presense of various spiritual mentors.
Details
Abd al-Rahman Jami' (d.AH 898/1492 AD): Yusuf wa Zulaika
Persia, AH 945/1538-9 AD
the famous love story in versified form and given a mystical leaning, Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled buff paper, 149ff. plus two flyleaves, each with 14ll. of flowing black nasta'liq, green, orange and gold margins between black rules, blue outer rule, green intercolumnar divisions between black rules, headings in white outlined in black on gold panels with polychrome floral sprays and border, mounted on gold-sprinkled blue leaves, (occasional smudging, staining and rubbing), opening bifolio illuminated in gold and polychrome with the opening couplets in gold on red cartouches, ff. 69v., 93r. and 117r. with contemporary miniatures, final folio with colophon dated 945, part Safavid composite brown morocco binding with stamped gold central panel depicting a tree with birds and a deer and fox below, within cartouche border, (slight scuffing), red morocco doublures with decoupé blue and gold medallion , pendants and spandrels
folio 8¾ x 5½in. (21.4 x 14cm.)
text 5½ x 3in. (14 x 7.6cm.)
Persia, AH 945/1538-9 AD
the famous love story in versified form and given a mystical leaning, Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled buff paper, 149ff. plus two flyleaves, each with 14ll. of flowing black nasta'liq, green, orange and gold margins between black rules, blue outer rule, green intercolumnar divisions between black rules, headings in white outlined in black on gold panels with polychrome floral sprays and border, mounted on gold-sprinkled blue leaves, (occasional smudging, staining and rubbing), opening bifolio illuminated in gold and polychrome with the opening couplets in gold on red cartouches, ff. 69v., 93r. and 117r. with contemporary miniatures, final folio with colophon dated 945, part Safavid composite brown morocco binding with stamped gold central panel depicting a tree with birds and a deer and fox below, within cartouche border, (slight scuffing), red morocco doublures with decoupé blue and gold medallion , pendants and spandrels
folio 8¾ x 5½in. (21.4 x 14cm.)
text 5½ x 3in. (14 x 7.6cm.)