ILKHANID IRAN, DATED TUESDAY 20 RABI' AL-AKHAR AH 663/1 JANUARY 1236 AD

Details

KITAB KIFAYAT AL-TIBB
ILKHANID IRAN, DATED TUESDAY 20 RABI' AL-AKHAR AH 663/1 JANUARY 1236 AD
Two works on illness and cures, Arabic manuscript on paper, 227ff. each with 30ll. of sepia naskh mostly arranged in a series of four columns above another two all with double red intercolumnar rule, a number of folios with different arrangment of text, headings and important words picked out in red or black, colophon of the first book with date of Tuesday 20th Rabi' al-Akhar AH 663, a number of folios with later notes inserted at the back, folios trimmed, some marginal repair, wear around the edges, minor areas of re-inking, in later black morocco with central stamped medallion, doublures of blue paper
Folio 12 x 8½in. (30.5 x 21.5cm.)

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Lot Essay

The Kifayat al-Tibb is a manuscript on the medical art of treatment composed by Sheikh Hakim Badi' al-Zaman, who wrote this after having finished his Kitab al-Adwiya (Book of Medicines). It consists of two sections, the first on the science of treatment and the second on nutrition and remedies (arranged alphabetically and in tables).

A note found in the manuscript, dated Leipzig 1910, mentions that the text was composed by order of "Sultan Abu'l Harit Malikshah". Although no Sultan with this precise name is recorded, it may be the case that the author of the note was probably referring to the Seljuq ruler Ahmad Sanjar (r. 1118-57), whose epithet was ibn Malik Shah and who was also Abu [father of] 'l-Harith.

The author of this note refers to another scholar, Pertsch (Kat. Gotha), who mentions the present text is an original and not a translation. He discusses also that that the second part of the work also exists under the title Taqwim al-Adwija al-Mufrada wa l'Agdija (H.Hal.II, pag.392, nr.392).

A full translation of the text of the note is available on request.

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