NIZAMI (D. 1209 AD): KHAMSA

IRAN, TEXT DATED 18 SHAWWAL AH 1081/28 FEBRUARY 1671 AD, WITH QAJAR MINIATURES

Details

NIZAMI (D. 1209 AD): KHAMSA
IRAN, TEXT DATED 18 SHAWWAL AH 1081/28 FEBRUARY 1671 AD, WITH QAJAR MINIATURES
Poetry, Persian manuscript on paper, 290ff. plus two fly-leaves, each folio with 25ll. of black nasta'liq script arranged in four columns between double red rules, titles in red thuluth script in cartouches, with gold and polychrome illuminated headpieces, text within red and blue rules, the final 8 folios a later replacement with date of AH (1)129 or 12(0)9, with 20 Qajar miniatures, some folios replaced, one colophon dated, in black lacquer covered binding
Text panel 10 5/8 x 5½in. (26.8 x 14cm.); folio 12 7/8 x 7in. (32.8 x 17.4cm.)

Lot Essay

Some of the miniatures in this Khamsa depict:
f.11 Anushirvan and the owls
f.36 Khusraw watching Shirin bathing
f.41 Khusraw and Shirin
f.58 Shirin visiting Farhad at mount Bisitun
f.73 Bavbad and Nigisa entertaining Khusraw
f.82 Shiruy murdering Khusraw in bed by the side of Shirin
f.101 Majnun in the desert
f.106 Battle of the tribes watched by Majnun
f.111 Majnun surrounded by animals
f.147 Bahram Gur pinning an ass's hoof to its ear
f.228 Iskandar receiving... (?)
f.236 Iskandar fighting the Russians
f.240 Iskandar fighting the Russians

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