COPIED BY MUHAMMAD KATIB AL-SULTANI, TIMURID SHIRAZ, EARLY 15TH CENTURY

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POETRY ANTHOLOGY
COPIED BY MUHAMMAD KATIB AL-SULTANI, TIMURID SHIRAZ, EARLY 15TH CENTURY
Comprising the Diwan of Hafiz and the Bustan and ghazaliyyat of Sa'di, Persian manuscript on polished paper, 174ff. plus 2 fly-leaves, each with 24ll. of small black nasta'liq arranged in two columns with double gold intercolumnar rules, titles in gold naskh in clouds reserved against a ground of faint hatching, around this on every page a border of further lines of nasta'liq with triangular panels of floral illumination, catchwords, opening folio with two gold and polychrome illuminated panels, colophon signed Muhammad katib al-sultani, some repairs, folios coming loose in binding, in tired brown morocco with stamped central medallion
Folio 7 x 4 5/8in. (18 x 11.7cm.); text panel 5½ x 3 5/8in. (14.5 x 9.3cm.)

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Lot Essay

The main body of the text of this manuscript is the Diwan of Hafiz. However, the Bustan of Sa'di, followed by his ghazaliyyat, fills the margins.

Although Muhammad Katib al-Sultani (Royal Scribe), is unrecorded the style and the illumination of the manuscript indicate a 15th century Shirazi attribution. The title al-Sultani may indicate that Muhammad was a Royal Scribe of the Court of Ibrahim Sultan.

This manuscript belonged to an Ottoman official with the name al-Sayyid Mustafa Sharaf al-Din, the katib-e divan (Secretary of the Council of State) of Salih Pasha, who worked closely under the Sultan.

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