QAJAR IRAN, DATED AH 1305/1887-88 AD

Details

QUR'AN
QAJAR IRAN, DATED AH 1305/1887-88 AD
Arabic manuscript on paper, 287ff. plus four fly-leaves, each folio with 19ll. of neat black naskh, gold roundel verse markers, text in panels outlined in gold and black, margins with gold outer rules, catchwords, each folio with small gold and polychrome medallions in the outer margins indicating the sura, similar marginal medallions marking nisf, sajda, hizb and juz', sura headings in gold on illuminated panels, opening bifolio with illuminated cusped cartouches continuing 7ll. of gold thuluth, following bifolio with dense gold and polychrome illumination framing 6ll. of text in clouds reserved against floral gold ground, colophon with date in an abjad chronogram, the final bifolio also with two illuminated cusped cartouches, overall good condition, opening fly-leaf and doublure with copious later owners' notes, in original Qajar lacquer binding decorated with floral and arabesque design, the doublures red with gold borders
Text panel 5 5/8 x 3in. (15 x 7.7cm.); folio 8 ¼ x 5 1/8in. (21.1 x 13cm.)

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Lot Essay

The colophon of this manuscript bears a dedication to the vizier Mirza Mahmud al-Gurgani. He is recorded by Bamdad as Mirza Mahmud Mustawfi Gurgani, who served variously as secretary to Mirza Yusuf Ashtiyani Mustawfi al-Mamalik, governor of Saveh, and then assistant (pishkar) to Sultan Murad Mirza Husam al-Saltanah in Khorassan in AH 1288/1871-72 AD. After 2 years there, he returned to Tehran and was appointed a minister (vizier) there in AH 1291/1874-75 AD. He kept his post for 7 years, but was eventually removed for over-spending. He was later given an appointment in Fars province in AH 1300/1882-83 AD and died in AH 1311/1893-94 AD (Mehdi Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. 4, Tehran, 1966, pp.42-43).

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