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A PROFESSOR'S LIBRARY - PERSIAN WORKS FROM THE COLLECTION OF PROF. D.S. ROBERTSON AND PROF. G.H. ROBERTSON (LOTS 798-813)
The thirty-three manuscripts offered here were all acquired in England by Prof. D.S. Robertson and his son, Prof. G.H. Robertson during the 1940's and shortly after. They form a remarkable group which includes masterworks of Persian literature. A number of these copies are illustrated, some with exquisite paintings from the period of Shah Abbas and Akbar (lot 809) and others with works from 17th century provincial schools, yet charming and rarely seen (lot 811).
Rarely can an auction house offer a comprehensive collection of manuscripts which clearly illustrates a collector's taste, sound knowledge of the field. In this case, these two collectors - father and son - have gathered works from the Persian and Indian schools focusing on particular poetry works such as Nizami's Khamsa, Rumi's Mathnawi or Firdawsi's Shahnama. Many bear pencil annotations and comments and have been thoroughly studied by their owners. Although the condition of some will require attention, each manuscript in this group will touch the connoisseur for their quality and freshness remains vibrant.
Prof D.S. (Donald) Robertson (1885-1961) was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a Fellow of Trinity from 1909 and was Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge from 1928. He was reputed to have the largest private library in Cambridge much of which was dispersed by auction at Hodgson & Co, Chancery Lane after his death. His Persian Manuscripts passed to his younger son Prof G.H. (Giles) Robertson at his death and were added to those previously acquired by Giles Robertson.
Giles Robertson (1919-1987) was educated at the Leys School, Cambridge and New College, Oxford. After war service as a code breaker at Bletchley Park and in Military Government in Germany he was appointed lecturer in the Fine Art Department, University of Edinburgh in 1946 and where he became Watson Gordon Professor of Fine Art in 1972 and retired in 1981.
The manuscripts have descended to the current owners.
NIZAMI (D.1202 AD): KHAMSA
SIGNED JA'FAR BIN MUHAMMAD, TIMURID IRAN, DATED 18 RAMADAN AH 848/10 FEBRUARY 1441 AD
Details
NIZAMI (D.1202 AD): KHAMSA
SIGNED JA'FAR BIN MUHAMMAD, TIMURID IRAN, DATED 18 RAMADAN AH 848/10 FEBRUARY 1441 AD
Poetry, Persian manuscript on paper, 338ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 21ll. of black nasta'liq script arranged in four columns between black-ruled gold intercolumnar divisions, titles in gold nasta'liq script in clouds on red hatched ground within gold cartouche, text within black-ruled gold frame, five finely illuminated headings in gold and polychrome, opening bifolio with extensive illumination in gold and polychrome, with catchwords, colophon of the Iskandarnama dated, colophon of Khusraw wa Shirin signed, the final folio lacking, in fine Qajar lacquer binding with gul-o bulbul, later added notes
Text panel 5½ x 3½in. (13.8 x 8.9cm.); folio 8¼ x 5¼in. (20.8 x 13.2cm.)
SIGNED JA'FAR BIN MUHAMMAD, TIMURID IRAN, DATED 18 RAMADAN AH 848/10 FEBRUARY 1441 AD
Poetry, Persian manuscript on paper, 338ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 21ll. of black nasta'liq script arranged in four columns between black-ruled gold intercolumnar divisions, titles in gold nasta'liq script in clouds on red hatched ground within gold cartouche, text within black-ruled gold frame, five finely illuminated headings in gold and polychrome, opening bifolio with extensive illumination in gold and polychrome, with catchwords, colophon of the Iskandarnama dated, colophon of Khusraw wa Shirin signed, the final folio lacking, in fine Qajar lacquer binding with gul-o bulbul, later added notes
Text panel 5½ x 3½in. (13.8 x 8.9cm.); folio 8¼ x 5¼in. (20.8 x 13.2cm.)
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