SIGNED AGA JAN PARTAU ISFAHANI, IRAN, DATED AH 17 DHU AL-QA'DA 1284/11 MARCH 1868 AD

Details

A QAJAR PRAYER BOOK
SIGNED AGA JAN PARTAU ISFAHANI, IRAN, DATED AH 17 DHU AL-QA'DA 1284/11 MARCH 1868 AD
Arabic manuscript on silver-sprinkled paper, 221 folios as numbered plus two fly-leaves, each folio with 9ll. of elegant black naskh with red Persian interlinear, with headings and important words highlighted in gold, text panel laid down within gold and polychrome rules, the opening bifolio with an illuminated headpiece with interlocking palmettes containing scrolling floral vine, a heading with gold naskh set inside bands of strapwork on a ground of scrolling vine, the margins with interlocking palmettes on a ground of scrolling vine issuing rosettes, the colophon signed al-Hajji Agha Jan Partau and dated with a faded ownership stamp in the lower left hand corner, set in gold and polychrome contemporaneous floral lacquer binding
Text panel 4½ x 2¼in. (11.3 x 5.6cm.); folio 6 5/8 x 4¼in. (16.8 x 10.8cm.)

Engraved

The colophon reads, 'On the order of the exalted one of high position, whose acquaintances are magnificence and magnanimity, the companion of glory and boldness, conscious of knowledge and insight, the heading of the page of leadership and happiness, the head person of the office of sincerity and honesty, the essence of the Mustafan race, the essence of the Mortazavi family, the mine of understanding and perception, the mine of generosity and favours, the unique master, the faithful, the lordly, Aqa Mirza Muhammad 'Ali Golestaneh Mustawfi, may his exalted shadow last forever, may the garden of his hopes always be cheerful and laughing and tree of his fortune always be fresh and beautiful, it was completed by the lowliest slave, the most sinful, the Janid, Aga Jan Partau, whose pen-name is Isfahani, on Friday 17th of the month of Dhu'l-Qa'dah the holy, from the months of the year 1284'

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Lot Essay

Mirza Aga Jan Partau (d. AH 1303/1885-86 AD) was a famous calligrapher and poet who wrote under the pen-name Isfahani. He was born in Isfahan and studied calligraphy there with the master Zayn al-'Abidin al-Isfahani. Towards the end of his life he moved to Tehran where he worked at the court of Nasir al-Din Shah, producing Qur'ans and prayer books for the ruler and various Qajar dignitaries.

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