MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1610

Details

A FOLIO FROM AN IMPERIAL GARSHASPNAMA
MUGHAL INDIA, CIRCA 1610
Persian manuscript on gold-speckled paper, 35ll. of fine small black nasta'liq in four columns divided by double gold and black rules, with headings in gold thuluth outlined in black over blue ground, within gold, green, orange and blue margins with black lines, recto with blue border of gold flowerheads and issuing a vine with feathery leaves over blue ground within blue, gold, orange and blue margins with delicately drawn scenes of wild animals outlined in pen with gilding, verso similar but on lightly marbled paper and with red border, the marginal illustration with large lotus flowers issuing spiralling arabesques, with split-palmettes and various birds sitting amongst the vine, some loss to blue and slight splitting in places, but otherwise in good condition
Folio 13½ x 9in. (34.5 x 22.7cm.); Text block 8½ x 4¼ (21.5 x 10.8cm.)

Provenance

Hagop Kevorkian Collection, sold Sotheby's 27 April 1975 Kevorkian Sale, lot14.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

The nasta'liq script of the text and gold thuluth of the headings are both very high quality, as is the marginal illumination with images of animals in gold and black line.

A folio of this with an extremely fine miniature attributed to the celebrated court painter Govardan was sold at Sotheby's 28 April 2004, lot 57. Other miniatures are in the Cleveland Museum of Art (45.1717) and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (M.78.9.5).

Seven folios from this manuscript are in the Chester Beatty Library (11A.34).

Other leaves from the Hagop Kevorkian Collection were sold at Sotheby's 12 April 1976, lot 7 and 23 April 1979, lot 26.

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