'Ali Shir Nawai: Nawadir al-Shabab

Details

'Ali Shir Nawai: Nawadir al-Shabab
Shiraz, circa 1580

Turki manuscript on gold-sprinkled buff paper, 253ff. plus four flyleaves, each with 12ll. of very elegant black nasta'liq in two columns, illuminated intercolumnar divisions, blue, orange, green and gold margins betewen black rules, red and blue outer rules, portions of text written centrally between gold and polychrome floral illuminated panels, headings in white on gold cartouches in illuminated panels, (negligible smudging and staining), opening bifolio illuminated in gold and polychrome with gold clouds between the lines of text, (trimmed, creasing along inner margin), four double-page miniatures with wide illuminated borders (light flaking and rubbing, occasional smudging), final folio with colophon signed by Qasim 'Ali al-Katib al-Shirazi, Ottoman fine light brown morocco binding and flap with stamped gold floral medallion, pendants, spandrels and border, brown morocco doublures painted with gold flowers, (light wear), in associated case
folio 11½ x 7in. (29.3 x 17.8cm.); text 7½ x 3¾in. (19 x 9.6cm.)

Provenance

Kevorkian Collection

Literature

Noted by Guest, G.D.: Shiraz Painting in the Sixteenth Century, Washington D.C., 1949, Appendix no 40, p.62 ('4 two-page miniatures').

Lot Essay

The miniatures are as follows:
ff.18v.-19r. - a Royal Hunt
ff.57v.-58r. - Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
ff.111v.-112r. - a Game of Polo
ff.208v.-209r. - a Battle Scene

The scribe, Qasim 'Ali al-Shirazi, wrote another work by 'Ali Shir Nawa'i, his Second Diwan, with five miniatures, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, noted by Guest, op.cit., Appendix no.39.

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