MUGHAL INDIA, DATED DHU AL-QA'DA THE TWELFTH YEAR OF REIGN, LATE 18TH CENTURY

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ABU AL-FADL BIN MUBARAK (D.1602 AD): AYN-I AKBARI
MUGHAL INDIA, DATED DHU AL-QA'DA THE TWELFTH YEAR OF REIGN, LATE 18TH CENTURY
The renowned third volume of the Book of Akbar, Persian manuscript on paper, 457ff. plus one fly-leaf, each folio with 21ll. of black nasta'liq script, some words picked out in red, the text within red and black-ruled gold frame, the majority of folios with tables in red and black, opening bifolium with finely illuminated headpiece in gold and polychrome and with floral illuminated margins with large cusped medallions, the colophon with names of author, patron and scribe and dated to the 12th year of reign, with catchwords, in gilt and tooled reddish brown morocco binding, the two covers loose, some folios loose, with larger fine Mughal 17th century binding with stamped and gilt floral medallions and spandrels, the fly-leaves with old notes describing the work and with translation of the colophon with probably erroneous reading of the date as AH 1012, very clean throughout
Text panel 9¾ x 5½in. (24.6 x 13.8cm.): folio 14½ x 9in. (36.6 x 22.5cm.)

Lot Essay

The colophon indicates that this copy was commissioned by Lala Urniddiya (?) Pershad of Delhi and copied by Gunga Pershad during the "12th year of reign". Two emperors reigned more than twelve years within the period during which this style of illumination flourished: Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, giving thence the two possible dates of 1638 AD and 1670 AD. It is unlikely that this manuscript was produced in 1730 AD, during the reign of Muhammad Shah.

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