ManuscriptsPersian19th century

Manuscript of the Farmayishat-i Hazrat `Ali (Commands of Imam `Ali), with lacquer binding

1864

Description

The manuscript opens with an illuminated heading. The Arabic text is copied in black ink in naskh script with interlinear translation in Persian in nastaliq script in red ink. It ends with four lines of thuluth text praising the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah followed by the copyist's name and date, Ahmad al Shirazi al-Mutakhallis bi'l-Vaqar, 1281 (1864-65). The lacquer binding has a floating bouquet of mixed flowers on the outside. The inner covers are decorated with a central medallion and pendants filled with flowers set against a red ground filled with a floral arabesque in gold.

Classification

Manuscripts

Medium

Watercolor, gold-colored pigments, platy hematite particles, and lacquer on pasteboard (covers) Ink, gold, and colors on paper (text)

Culture

Persian

Period

Qajar period

Century

19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

29.8 × 18.8 × 1.6 cm (11 3/4 × 7 3/8 × 5/8 in.) Text area: 19.8 × 10.5 cm (7 13/16 × 4 1/8 in.)

Provenance

Ezzat-Malek Soudavar, Geneva, Switzerland (by 2014), by descent; to her son Abolala Soudavar, Houston, Texas (2014), gift; to Harvard Art Museums, 2014. Note: Ezzat-Malek Soudavar (1913-2014) formed this collection over a period of sixty years. She purchased the works of art on the international art market.