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.
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.
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