معروف بغدادی از برجسته‌ترین خوشنویسان قرن هشتم و نهم هجری قمری است که بیشتر
به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مش... more معروف بغدادی از برجسته‌ترین خوشنویسان قرن هشتم و نهم هجری قمری است که بیشتر به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مشهور بوده‌است. آگاهی محدود ما دربارۀ زندگی شخصی و حرف‌های او از گزارش‌های مختصر منابع تاریخی و تذکره‌ها میسر میشود. علیرغم شهرت وی در تندنویسی، آثار اندکی از او به‌جا مانده‌است. در ایران نسخۀ جُنگ معروف بغدادی در کاخ گلستان شناخته شده و در جهان غرب نیز نسخۀ خمسۀ نظامی مختصراً معرفی شده‌است. در این پژوهش، پس از مروری بر زندگی و فعالیت هنری این خوشنویس، به آثار رقمدار و بدون رقم وی میپردازیم.
Known for his speed of transcribing, Maʿrūf Baghdādī was one of the most prominent calligraphers ... more Known for his speed of transcribing, Maʿrūf Baghdādī was one of the most prominent calligraphers of 14 th-and 15 th-century Iran. Our understanding about his life and career is confined to the limited information provided by historical and art-historical sources that refer to him in regard to his legendary penmanship. However, despite the accounts about his unique copying skills, not many manuscripts in his hand have come down to us. His few signed works include a copy of the Khamsa of Niẓāmī (British Library, Or. 13802), an anthology of poetry known as Jung-i Maʿrūf Baghdādī (Golestan Palace Library, no. 2184), and Ḥāfiẓ Abrū's chronicle, the Kulliyyāt-i Tārīkhī (Topkapi Palace Library, B. 282). With the expansion of digitised resources of libraries and collections, it is more feasible now to identify unexplored objects and to gather a more comprehensive portfolio of scribes, artists and craftsmen. In the case of Maʿrūf, having access to publicly shared online images played a pivotal role in distinguishing one of his unsigned works that had not been previously identified. This short
The paper deals with a particular illustrated manuscript of the Tabaqat-i Nasiri in which scenes ... more The paper deals with a particular illustrated manuscript of the Tabaqat-i Nasiri in which scenes of Persian heroes are also depicted and illuminated. Analyzing this manuscript, but also the codicological tradition of the Prince Baysunghur era and various other manuscripts, the author raises the question whether in reality the author of these illustrations had in mind Persian princes when he depicted characters of epic heroes.
https://www.casopiskultura.rs/publikacije/persian-heroes-or-timurid-princes-the-case-of-an-illustrated-manuscript-of-the-tabaqat-i-nasiri/
The rise of digital humanities has revolutionized scholarly pursuits, particularly in literature,... more The rise of digital humanities has revolutionized scholarly pursuits, particularly in literature, where the accessibility of digital images of manuscripts from private collections holds immense significance. While public archives house valuable manuscripts, many treasures remain hidden in private holdings. The integration of digital tools and the digitization of these private collections offer unprecedented opportunities to understand established literary works better. This article explores how access to digital images from private collections enhances textual analysis, illuminates the evolution of literary editions, and unveils obscured facets of known literary legacies, marking a transformative era in scholarly exploration at the intersection of technology and the humanities.
https://digitalorientalist.com/2023/12/19/digital-contributions-of-auction-houses-the-emergence-of-the-chahar-maqalas-oldest-manuscript/
The Rasāyil, a sumptuous manuscript produced at the royal library of the Timurid Prince Baysunghu... more The Rasāyil, a sumptuous manuscript produced at the royal library of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur in Herat, in 1427, contains seven rare treatises copied by the renowned calligrapher Shams al-Sultani. This article discusses the manuscript’s literary content and artistic features, and presents the intriguing discovery that the ‘anthology’, obtained by Bernard Berenson in 1910, is not the complete codex and indeed bears signs of mutilation. Thankfully, most of the lost components are extant, housed unsuspectingly in three other collections. These discoveries enable a virtual reconstruction of the codex in the form it was produced for the prince.
Scribal Habits in Near Eastern Manuscript Traditions, 2020
Our knowledge of royal libraries is even less than our knowledge of their artists and is limited ... more Our knowledge of royal libraries is even less than our knowledge of their artists and is limited to information found in a few art-historical sources and tazkiras. Exceptionally, an art-historical document, written in 830/1427 and entitled the ʿArża-dāsht, gives us unique insights into the production progress of Persian manuscripts at the atelier of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur (1399-1433) in Herat. This single folio provides rare evidence of the artistic activities and operation of a Timurid workshop and offers a wealth of tantalising information, including the speed and sequence of manuscript production.
Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making ca... more Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making calligraphy and drawing artworks, predominantly in the second half of the 19th century.
Part one of this article briefly introduces the technique and its history, before discussing prevalent themes and subjects. It then presents an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. In part two it considers the use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran, such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making ca... more Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making calligraphy and drawing artworks, predominantly in the second half of the 19th century.
Part one of this article will briefly introduce the technique and its history, before discussing the prevalent themes and subjects. It will then present an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. Part two will consider use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran (then Persia), such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Voyages and Travel Accounts in Historiography and Literature, 2020
The Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār (The Gift of the Noble) is a mystic-didactic poem in mathnavī form by the pro... more The Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār (The Gift of the Noble) is a mystic-didactic poem in mathnavī form by the prominent Persian poet ‘Abd al-Raḥman Jami (1414–1492). It was composed in 894 AH/1489 AD in honour of the influential Naqshbandi Sufi, Khwaja ‘Ubaydullah Aḥrar (1404–1490). In this work, Jami followed the manner of the Makhzan al-Asrār, an ethicophilosophical poem by the well-known poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209). In 947/1540-41, around half a century after Jami’s death, a copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was transcribed in Herat – the city where the poet resided – which begins with Jami’s prose preface (punctuated with verses) to the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār, followed by the poem. This copy is now preserved at the Harvard Art Museums, no. 2019.106. The earliest printed edition of Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was published in London in 1848, edited by Forbes Falconer, containing a preface compiling the accounts of Jami in three tazkiras, including Daulatshah Samarqandi’s Tazkirat al-Shu‘ara’. The editor relied heavily on a copy of Haft Aurang (Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār and four other mathnavis) penned by ‘Ali Hijrani, in Herat, dated 934/1528 (formerly in the collection of N. Bland, Esq. of Randall’s Park), and an undated, but old copy (formerly, ms. 1317, East-India Company). A comparison between this edition and our manuscript shows great resemblance and also proves the precision of the scribe in transcribing. Harvard’s copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār has evidently had an eventful journey through time. Although the text block dates to 1540–41, the marbled margins are probably from the eighteenth century and the binding is similar to a technique found in nineteenth-century productions. It provides an unusual case for analysis from different points of view. In what follows, first I briefly mention some of its significant codicological features and then discuss its historical and art historical value.
The manuscript AKM518 at the Toronto Aga Khan Museum contains one hundred Arabic sayings attribut... more The manuscript AKM518 at the Toronto Aga Khan Museum contains one hundred Arabic sayings attributed to the fourth caliph of Islam, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, with each saying accompanied by a two-verse paraphrase in Persian. The text begins with a decorated heading and is embellished with gold rulings throughout. It was transcribed by the prominent scribe Shaykh Mahmud in 1464–65 and was very probably commissioned by the bibliophile Qara Quyunlu ruler, Pir Budaq, in Baghdad just a year before the latter’s demise. It is one of the two last manuscripts transcribed by Shaykh Mahmud.
This paper introduced for the first time a collection of poems by Hilali Chagatai, penned by the ... more This paper introduced for the first time a collection of poems by Hilali Chagatai, penned by the famous ‘Royal Scribe’ (Kātib al-Sulṭānī) Mīr ‘Alī Haravī (flourished 915–951/1509–1544). This Shaibanid production is a feast for the eyes: the lyrical verses are arranged in a calligraphic layout, framed by exquisitely decorated margins, and enclosed in a beautiful lacquer binding and doublures.
Two manuscripts of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī and the Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al... more Two manuscripts of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī and the Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār known as the Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf were copied for the Timurid Prince Bāysunghur in his kitābkhāna in Herat, in 834 and in 835. Today, Bāysunghur’s copy of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy is kept at the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg and his Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf is held in the Keir Collection in the Dallas Museum of Art. This article introduces these difficult to access and little studied codices and provides a brief codicological account of each. After presenting a review of scholarship on the Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf, and introducing the previously misidentified Bāysunghurī manuscript, emphasises the textual value of this complete manuscript containing parts 1 to 4, which is also the earliest extant copy of part three. The article also addresses aesthetic features of Bāysunghur’s Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf and discusses its four subsequently added illustrations in connection with two further manuscripts containing images that are likely by the same artist: a Muṣībat-nāma of ʿAṭṭār and a Dīvān of Qāsim Anvār.
Keywords: Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār (Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf), Bāysunghur, Timurid manuscripts, Keir Collection, Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī.
The earliest Divan of Khwājū Kirmānī (1290-1352) was collected and transcribed during the poet's ... more The earliest Divan of Khwājū Kirmānī (1290-1352) was collected and transcribed during the poet's lifetime. The bulk of that Divan, dated 750/1349, is now housed in the Tehran Malek Library and was published as a facsimile in 2013. Challenging the common belief that it is a complete manuscript, this paper brings to light two other manuscripts and argues that they were all once parts of a single codex. One fragment of the original codex is preserved in the British Library, and another in the Central Library of the University of Tehran. This article aims to reconstruct the original codex and to establish the order in which Khwājū’s poems originally appeared. This involved subjecting the three fragments to detailed textual analysis, comparing the content with more than 30 other manuscripts of Khwājū’s works from libraries around the world. This research also consolidates the previously suggested date for the poet's death with a more exact dating based upon codicological considerations. Finally, the artistic value of the codex is considered as exemplifying Injuid arts of the book at their peak.
در این جستار به یکی از اصطلاحات عرضه داشتِ جعفر بایسنغری، واژهٔ «کشتی»، پرداخته شده تا مفهوم احتم... more در این جستار به یکی از اصطلاحات عرضه داشتِ جعفر بایسنغری، واژهٔ «کشتی»، پرداخته شده تا مفهوم احتمالی آن، رمزگشایی شود. با بررسی کاربردهای گوناگون کشتی در سده های مختلف و شواهد موجود این نتیجه حاصل می شود که این اصطلاح در کتاب آرایی به پیمانهٔ ویژهٔ مصرف طلا و نقره اطلاق می شده است.
Shahnama Studies III: The Reception of the Shahnama, 2018
There are two known Shahnama manuscripts commissioned by the Timurid prince, Baysunghur. The more... more There are two known Shahnama manuscripts commissioned by the Timurid prince, Baysunghur. The more famous is preserved in the Tehran Golestan Palace Library, Ms. 716; the less well known is in the library of Malek Museum, Ms. 6031. The latter is combined with another work of poetry, the Khamsa of Nizami. Both manuscripts are dated AH 833/AD 1430. The Malek manuscript has not attracted much scholarly attention and doubts have been expressed about its authenticity as a product of Baysunghur’s library, particularly concerning the two illustrations that are inserted in between the two books of poetry and on two sides of a single folio. This article explores the question whether the Malek manuscript was produced and illustrated in Baysunghur’s library and discusses the provenance of the work. A thorough description of the Malek manuscript, compared where appropriate with the Golestan copy, leads to the conclusion that both texts do indeed have the same origin, but that the Malek manuscript’s illustrations cannot date from earlier than the second half of the 19th century.
Prince Bāysunghur (1399-1433) is one of the most famous bibliophiles and patrons in the annals of... more Prince Bāysunghur (1399-1433) is one of the most famous bibliophiles and patrons in the annals of Persian painting and the arts of the book. He was involved in artistic activities from a very young age and became an accomplished poet, a good calligrapher and an enthusiastic patron of the arts. The head of his royal library, Jaʿfar Tabrīzī, was almost certainly responsible for preparing a report for the prince on every stage of the progress on the workshop's projects. The report was entitled ʿArża-dāsht (petition) and a fragment of one such report is now preserved in the Topkapi Palace Library (Album H. 2153, folio 98a). The technical terms used in the report are not all in current use and are therefore difficult to interpret. One such ambiguous term is 'kishtī', which has long been referred to as puzzling, and translations of which have varied. This article investigates the meaning and usage of the word kishtī in Persian literature and the arts of the book. The author suggests that kishtī was a small oval vessel used to measure the amount of gold consumed in the royal library. Therefore, in this petition, Jaʿfar was not only reporting on the progress of the artistic projects, but was also asking for more supplies of gold. This interpretation is confirmed with reference to examples of shells used as containers depicted in
معروف بغدادی از برجسته‌ترین خوشنویسان قرن هشتم و نهم هجری قمری است که بیشتر
به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مش... more معروف بغدادی از برجسته‌ترین خوشنویسان قرن هشتم و نهم هجری قمری است که بیشتر به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مشهور بوده‌است. آگاهی محدود ما دربارۀ زندگی شخصی و حرف‌های او از گزارش‌های مختصر منابع تاریخی و تذکره‌ها میسر میشود. علیرغم شهرت وی در تندنویسی، آثار اندکی از او به‌جا مانده‌است. در ایران نسخۀ جُنگ معروف بغدادی در کاخ گلستان شناخته شده و در جهان غرب نیز نسخۀ خمسۀ نظامی مختصراً معرفی شده‌است. در این پژوهش، پس از مروری بر زندگی و فعالیت هنری این خوشنویس، به آثار رقمدار و بدون رقم وی میپردازیم.
Known for his speed of transcribing, Maʿrūf Baghdādī was one of the most prominent calligraphers ... more Known for his speed of transcribing, Maʿrūf Baghdādī was one of the most prominent calligraphers of 14 th-and 15 th-century Iran. Our understanding about his life and career is confined to the limited information provided by historical and art-historical sources that refer to him in regard to his legendary penmanship. However, despite the accounts about his unique copying skills, not many manuscripts in his hand have come down to us. His few signed works include a copy of the Khamsa of Niẓāmī (British Library, Or. 13802), an anthology of poetry known as Jung-i Maʿrūf Baghdādī (Golestan Palace Library, no. 2184), and Ḥāfiẓ Abrū's chronicle, the Kulliyyāt-i Tārīkhī (Topkapi Palace Library, B. 282). With the expansion of digitised resources of libraries and collections, it is more feasible now to identify unexplored objects and to gather a more comprehensive portfolio of scribes, artists and craftsmen. In the case of Maʿrūf, having access to publicly shared online images played a pivotal role in distinguishing one of his unsigned works that had not been previously identified. This short
The paper deals with a particular illustrated manuscript of the Tabaqat-i Nasiri in which scenes ... more The paper deals with a particular illustrated manuscript of the Tabaqat-i Nasiri in which scenes of Persian heroes are also depicted and illuminated. Analyzing this manuscript, but also the codicological tradition of the Prince Baysunghur era and various other manuscripts, the author raises the question whether in reality the author of these illustrations had in mind Persian princes when he depicted characters of epic heroes.
https://www.casopiskultura.rs/publikacije/persian-heroes-or-timurid-princes-the-case-of-an-illustrated-manuscript-of-the-tabaqat-i-nasiri/
The rise of digital humanities has revolutionized scholarly pursuits, particularly in literature,... more The rise of digital humanities has revolutionized scholarly pursuits, particularly in literature, where the accessibility of digital images of manuscripts from private collections holds immense significance. While public archives house valuable manuscripts, many treasures remain hidden in private holdings. The integration of digital tools and the digitization of these private collections offer unprecedented opportunities to understand established literary works better. This article explores how access to digital images from private collections enhances textual analysis, illuminates the evolution of literary editions, and unveils obscured facets of known literary legacies, marking a transformative era in scholarly exploration at the intersection of technology and the humanities.
https://digitalorientalist.com/2023/12/19/digital-contributions-of-auction-houses-the-emergence-of-the-chahar-maqalas-oldest-manuscript/
The Rasāyil, a sumptuous manuscript produced at the royal library of the Timurid Prince Baysunghu... more The Rasāyil, a sumptuous manuscript produced at the royal library of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur in Herat, in 1427, contains seven rare treatises copied by the renowned calligrapher Shams al-Sultani. This article discusses the manuscript’s literary content and artistic features, and presents the intriguing discovery that the ‘anthology’, obtained by Bernard Berenson in 1910, is not the complete codex and indeed bears signs of mutilation. Thankfully, most of the lost components are extant, housed unsuspectingly in three other collections. These discoveries enable a virtual reconstruction of the codex in the form it was produced for the prince.
Scribal Habits in Near Eastern Manuscript Traditions, 2020
Our knowledge of royal libraries is even less than our knowledge of their artists and is limited ... more Our knowledge of royal libraries is even less than our knowledge of their artists and is limited to information found in a few art-historical sources and tazkiras. Exceptionally, an art-historical document, written in 830/1427 and entitled the ʿArża-dāsht, gives us unique insights into the production progress of Persian manuscripts at the atelier of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur (1399-1433) in Herat. This single folio provides rare evidence of the artistic activities and operation of a Timurid workshop and offers a wealth of tantalising information, including the speed and sequence of manuscript production.
Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making ca... more Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making calligraphy and drawing artworks, predominantly in the second half of the 19th century.
Part one of this article briefly introduces the technique and its history, before discussing prevalent themes and subjects. It then presents an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. In part two it considers the use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran, such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making ca... more Fingernail art is a little known and studied Persian artistic medium, which was used in making calligraphy and drawing artworks, predominantly in the second half of the 19th century.
Part one of this article will briefly introduce the technique and its history, before discussing the prevalent themes and subjects. It will then present an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. Part two will consider use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran (then Persia), such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Voyages and Travel Accounts in Historiography and Literature, 2020
The Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār (The Gift of the Noble) is a mystic-didactic poem in mathnavī form by the pro... more The Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār (The Gift of the Noble) is a mystic-didactic poem in mathnavī form by the prominent Persian poet ‘Abd al-Raḥman Jami (1414–1492). It was composed in 894 AH/1489 AD in honour of the influential Naqshbandi Sufi, Khwaja ‘Ubaydullah Aḥrar (1404–1490). In this work, Jami followed the manner of the Makhzan al-Asrār, an ethicophilosophical poem by the well-known poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209). In 947/1540-41, around half a century after Jami’s death, a copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was transcribed in Herat – the city where the poet resided – which begins with Jami’s prose preface (punctuated with verses) to the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār, followed by the poem. This copy is now preserved at the Harvard Art Museums, no. 2019.106. The earliest printed edition of Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was published in London in 1848, edited by Forbes Falconer, containing a preface compiling the accounts of Jami in three tazkiras, including Daulatshah Samarqandi’s Tazkirat al-Shu‘ara’. The editor relied heavily on a copy of Haft Aurang (Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār and four other mathnavis) penned by ‘Ali Hijrani, in Herat, dated 934/1528 (formerly in the collection of N. Bland, Esq. of Randall’s Park), and an undated, but old copy (formerly, ms. 1317, East-India Company). A comparison between this edition and our manuscript shows great resemblance and also proves the precision of the scribe in transcribing. Harvard’s copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār has evidently had an eventful journey through time. Although the text block dates to 1540–41, the marbled margins are probably from the eighteenth century and the binding is similar to a technique found in nineteenth-century productions. It provides an unusual case for analysis from different points of view. In what follows, first I briefly mention some of its significant codicological features and then discuss its historical and art historical value.
The manuscript AKM518 at the Toronto Aga Khan Museum contains one hundred Arabic sayings attribut... more The manuscript AKM518 at the Toronto Aga Khan Museum contains one hundred Arabic sayings attributed to the fourth caliph of Islam, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, with each saying accompanied by a two-verse paraphrase in Persian. The text begins with a decorated heading and is embellished with gold rulings throughout. It was transcribed by the prominent scribe Shaykh Mahmud in 1464–65 and was very probably commissioned by the bibliophile Qara Quyunlu ruler, Pir Budaq, in Baghdad just a year before the latter’s demise. It is one of the two last manuscripts transcribed by Shaykh Mahmud.
This paper introduced for the first time a collection of poems by Hilali Chagatai, penned by the ... more This paper introduced for the first time a collection of poems by Hilali Chagatai, penned by the famous ‘Royal Scribe’ (Kātib al-Sulṭānī) Mīr ‘Alī Haravī (flourished 915–951/1509–1544). This Shaibanid production is a feast for the eyes: the lyrical verses are arranged in a calligraphic layout, framed by exquisitely decorated margins, and enclosed in a beautiful lacquer binding and doublures.
Two manuscripts of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī and the Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al... more Two manuscripts of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī and the Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār known as the Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf were copied for the Timurid Prince Bāysunghur in his kitābkhāna in Herat, in 834 and in 835. Today, Bāysunghur’s copy of the Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy is kept at the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg and his Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf is held in the Keir Collection in the Dallas Museum of Art. This article introduces these difficult to access and little studied codices and provides a brief codicological account of each. After presenting a review of scholarship on the Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf, and introducing the previously misidentified Bāysunghurī manuscript, emphasises the textual value of this complete manuscript containing parts 1 to 4, which is also the earliest extant copy of part three. The article also addresses aesthetic features of Bāysunghur’s Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf and discusses its four subsequently added illustrations in connection with two further manuscripts containing images that are likely by the same artist: a Muṣībat-nāma of ʿAṭṭār and a Dīvān of Qāsim Anvār.
Keywords: Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār (Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf), Bāysunghur, Timurid manuscripts, Keir Collection, Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī.
The earliest Divan of Khwājū Kirmānī (1290-1352) was collected and transcribed during the poet's ... more The earliest Divan of Khwājū Kirmānī (1290-1352) was collected and transcribed during the poet's lifetime. The bulk of that Divan, dated 750/1349, is now housed in the Tehran Malek Library and was published as a facsimile in 2013. Challenging the common belief that it is a complete manuscript, this paper brings to light two other manuscripts and argues that they were all once parts of a single codex. One fragment of the original codex is preserved in the British Library, and another in the Central Library of the University of Tehran. This article aims to reconstruct the original codex and to establish the order in which Khwājū’s poems originally appeared. This involved subjecting the three fragments to detailed textual analysis, comparing the content with more than 30 other manuscripts of Khwājū’s works from libraries around the world. This research also consolidates the previously suggested date for the poet's death with a more exact dating based upon codicological considerations. Finally, the artistic value of the codex is considered as exemplifying Injuid arts of the book at their peak.
در این جستار به یکی از اصطلاحات عرضه داشتِ جعفر بایسنغری، واژهٔ «کشتی»، پرداخته شده تا مفهوم احتم... more در این جستار به یکی از اصطلاحات عرضه داشتِ جعفر بایسنغری، واژهٔ «کشتی»، پرداخته شده تا مفهوم احتمالی آن، رمزگشایی شود. با بررسی کاربردهای گوناگون کشتی در سده های مختلف و شواهد موجود این نتیجه حاصل می شود که این اصطلاح در کتاب آرایی به پیمانهٔ ویژهٔ مصرف طلا و نقره اطلاق می شده است.
Shahnama Studies III: The Reception of the Shahnama, 2018
There are two known Shahnama manuscripts commissioned by the Timurid prince, Baysunghur. The more... more There are two known Shahnama manuscripts commissioned by the Timurid prince, Baysunghur. The more famous is preserved in the Tehran Golestan Palace Library, Ms. 716; the less well known is in the library of Malek Museum, Ms. 6031. The latter is combined with another work of poetry, the Khamsa of Nizami. Both manuscripts are dated AH 833/AD 1430. The Malek manuscript has not attracted much scholarly attention and doubts have been expressed about its authenticity as a product of Baysunghur’s library, particularly concerning the two illustrations that are inserted in between the two books of poetry and on two sides of a single folio. This article explores the question whether the Malek manuscript was produced and illustrated in Baysunghur’s library and discusses the provenance of the work. A thorough description of the Malek manuscript, compared where appropriate with the Golestan copy, leads to the conclusion that both texts do indeed have the same origin, but that the Malek manuscript’s illustrations cannot date from earlier than the second half of the 19th century.
Prince Bāysunghur (1399-1433) is one of the most famous bibliophiles and patrons in the annals of... more Prince Bāysunghur (1399-1433) is one of the most famous bibliophiles and patrons in the annals of Persian painting and the arts of the book. He was involved in artistic activities from a very young age and became an accomplished poet, a good calligrapher and an enthusiastic patron of the arts. The head of his royal library, Jaʿfar Tabrīzī, was almost certainly responsible for preparing a report for the prince on every stage of the progress on the workshop's projects. The report was entitled ʿArża-dāsht (petition) and a fragment of one such report is now preserved in the Topkapi Palace Library (Album H. 2153, folio 98a). The technical terms used in the report are not all in current use and are therefore difficult to interpret. One such ambiguous term is 'kishtī', which has long been referred to as puzzling, and translations of which have varied. This article investigates the meaning and usage of the word kishtī in Persian literature and the arts of the book. The author suggests that kishtī was a small oval vessel used to measure the amount of gold consumed in the royal library. Therefore, in this petition, Jaʿfar was not only reporting on the progress of the artistic projects, but was also asking for more supplies of gold. This interpretation is confirmed with reference to examples of shells used as containers depicted in
At the beginning of the 15th century, the rich tradition of manuscript production, which was a le... more At the beginning of the 15th century, the rich tradition of manuscript production, which was a legacy of the Jalayirids and Iskandar Sultan, continued to develop under the Timurid bibliophile Prince Baysunghur (1397-1433). During this period the newly formed Persian calligraphic script, nastaʿlīq, became very popular and evolved under calligraphy masters, such as Jaʿfar Tabrīzī, the head of Prince Baysunghur’s library and atelier. His students Aẓhar Tabrīzī, and Shaykh Maḥmūd were his most prominent descendants in the tutelage lineage. Among the most significant figures in the development of nastaʿlīq, Aẓhar Tabrīzī was one of the most prolific scribes in the 15th century. He started his training in Bāysunghur’s atelier at the beginning of the 830s, and by his final years in the 880s he had copied numerous manuscripts under various patrons, including a copy of the Khusrau u Shirin, now housed in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, Persian MS. 6. This introduction investigates Aẓhar’s career and professional life in a period of around 50 years. After a survey of his works through decades and at different courts, it concentrates on the aesthetic and textual features of the illustrated copy of Khusrau u Shirin, which Azhar copied in his mature years in an elegant nastaʿlīq.
Under the patronage of Timurid aristocracy, Persian music undertook significant development in th... more Under the patronage of Timurid aristocracy, Persian music undertook significant development in the 15th century, before it experienced drastic decline in the Safavid courts during the 16th century, when a great number of artists and musicians migrated to South Asia to seek Mughal patronage. The dedicated study of premodern Persian musicology can enrich our understandings of literary, historical, and figural works by helping us consider the many sounds of the past.
Institute of Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, 2022
A unique Persian treatise entitled Kaghaz-nama, composed by Izz al-Din Matla'i in the 13th centur... more A unique Persian treatise entitled Kaghaz-nama, composed by Izz al-Din Matla'i in the 13th century, describes the process of making cotton paper in Iran. According to this treatise the material for this kind of paper was gathered from all over the country and was sent to Baghdad, the centre of paper production, to be processed and prepared. Although the treatise is published in Iran, it has remained obscure to Western scholars. This paper explores the Kaghaz-nama as the oldest extant treatise on paper-making and investigates cotton paper production in the context of traditional paper-making in Persianate lands. It also attempts to locate the author, and identify its date of copying.
Fingernail calligraphy was first employed in the late Safavid era and reached its pinnacle in
n... more Fingernail calligraphy was first employed in the late Safavid era and reached its pinnacle in
nineteenth-century Iran in the Qajar period. Fingernail art (ṣan‘at-i nakhun) was usually
executed using nail pressure of the thumb and ring or middle finger, from both sides of the
paper in order to make an embossed effect. The most eminent masters of fingernail art in both
calligraphy and painting were Muhammad Husayn Shirazi and Malek Aqlami, working in the
19th century. This neglected art is found sparsely in albums of the Qajar period, one of which
belongs to the collection of the late Ezzat- Malek Soudavar, now on loan to the Harvard Art
Museums. It contains figural compositions and calligraphic specimens in the scripts nastaʿlīq,
thulth, naskh, shikasta and even siyaq (used in accounting). On the first flyleaf of the Harvard
album 30.2015 there is a note providing the date Jumada II 1284/October 1867, which
chronologically is close to the time the master of fingernail art Muhammad Husayn Shīrāzī was
active (fl. 1279).
This paper surveys the art of fingernail calligraphy and painting in this 19-folio album and
discusses the identity of the artist. I also compare it with the exquisite albums of fingernail art
in the Golestan Palace Library, Cambridge University Library and elsewhere, which have never
been published.
Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 2021
Our knowledge about royal libraries is even less than what we know about the artists and only lim... more Our knowledge about royal libraries is even less than what we know about the artists and only limited to some entries in a few art-historical sources and taẕkiras. Exceptionally, an art-historical document, written in 830/1427 and entitled the ʿArża-dāsht, gives us unique insights into the production progress of Persian manuscripts at the atelier of the Timurid Prince Baysunghur (1399–1433) in Herat. This single folio, written by the head of the royal library and workshop, provides rare evidence of the artistic activities and operation of that Timurid workshop, and offers a wealth of tantalising information, including the scribal work rate and the sequence of manuscript production. This paper will discuss the meaning of some obscure terms used in this report and then it will consider the date, mainly on the basis of the colophons in the manuscripts mentioned by the workshop supervisor. Finally, it will discuss the Timurid scribal habits and provide an estimate of the work speed of the royal scribes.
The Text and Transmission Joint Research Seminars, KU Leuven, Belgium, Nov 22, 2021
Comparative study of the textual content in the Persian manuscripts produced at the library of Pr... more Comparative study of the textual content in the Persian manuscripts produced at the library of Prince Baysunghur in Herat demonstrates that each text was principally a new addition. A board of literal literati and cultivated characters decided on the base texts and methodology of the new additions prepared at the command of the Prince. This paper investigates various approaches to the text editing under Prince Baysunghur. It also discusses the role and the influence of the chief librarian Jafar Taprizi in treating the literary editions and in composing new history books.
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Papers by Shiva Mihan
به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مشهور بوده‌است. آگاهی محدود ما دربارۀ زندگی شخصی و حرف‌های
او از گزارش‌های مختصر منابع تاریخی و تذکره‌ها میسر میشود. علیرغم شهرت وی در
تندنویسی، آثار اندکی از او به‌جا مانده‌است. در ایران نسخۀ جُنگ معروف بغدادی در کاخ
گلستان شناخته شده و در جهان غرب نیز نسخۀ خمسۀ نظامی مختصراً معرفی شده‌است.
در این پژوهش، پس از مروری بر زندگی و فعالیت هنری این خوشنویس، به آثار رقمدار و بدون
رقم وی میپردازیم.
https://www.casopiskultura.rs/publikacije/persian-heroes-or-timurid-princes-the-case-of-an-illustrated-manuscript-of-the-tabaqat-i-nasiri/
https://digitalorientalist.com/2023/12/19/digital-contributions-of-auction-houses-the-emergence-of-the-chahar-maqalas-oldest-manuscript/
https://digitalorientalist.com/2022/02/15/shahnama-studies-in-the-digital-era/
Part one of this article briefly introduces the technique and its history, before discussing prevalent themes and subjects. It then presents an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. In part two it considers the use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran, such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Part one of this article will briefly introduce the technique and its history, before discussing the prevalent themes and subjects. It will then present an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. Part two will consider use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran (then Persia), such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
The earliest printed edition of Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was published in London in 1848, edited by Forbes Falconer, containing a preface compiling the accounts of Jami in three tazkiras, including Daulatshah Samarqandi’s Tazkirat al-Shu‘ara’. The editor relied heavily on a copy of Haft Aurang (Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār and four other mathnavis) penned by ‘Ali Hijrani, in Herat, dated 934/1528 (formerly in the collection of N. Bland, Esq. of Randall’s Park), and an undated, but old copy (formerly, ms. 1317, East-India Company). A comparison between this edition and our manuscript shows great resemblance and also proves the precision of the scribe in transcribing.
Harvard’s copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār has evidently had an eventful journey through time. Although the text block dates to 1540–41, the marbled margins are probably from the eighteenth century and the binding is similar to a technique found in nineteenth-century productions. It provides an unusual case for analysis from different points of view. In what follows, first I briefly mention some of its significant codicological features and then discuss its historical and art historical value.
https://kcctreasures.com/2019/01/18/a-persian-indian-crowning-jewel-at-kings/
The article also addresses aesthetic features of Bāysunghur’s Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf and discusses its four subsequently added illustrations in connection with two further manuscripts containing images that are likely by the same artist: a Muṣībat-nāma of ʿAṭṭār and a Dīvān of Qāsim Anvār.
Keywords: Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār (Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf), Bāysunghur, Timurid manuscripts, Keir Collection, Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī.
This article aims to reconstruct the original codex and to establish the order in which Khwājū’s poems originally appeared. This involved subjecting the three fragments to detailed textual analysis, comparing the content with more than 30 other manuscripts of Khwājū’s works from libraries around the world. This research also consolidates the previously suggested date for the poet's death with a more exact dating based upon codicological considerations. Finally, the artistic value of the codex is considered as exemplifying Injuid arts of the book at their peak.
This article explores the question whether the Malek manuscript was produced and illustrated in Baysunghur’s library and discusses the provenance of the work. A thorough description of the Malek manuscript, compared where appropriate with the Golestan copy, leads to the conclusion that both texts do indeed have the same origin, but that the Malek manuscript’s illustrations cannot date from earlier than the second half of the 19th century.
به واسطۀ سرعت قلمش مشهور بوده‌است. آگاهی محدود ما دربارۀ زندگی شخصی و حرف‌های
او از گزارش‌های مختصر منابع تاریخی و تذکره‌ها میسر میشود. علیرغم شهرت وی در
تندنویسی، آثار اندکی از او به‌جا مانده‌است. در ایران نسخۀ جُنگ معروف بغدادی در کاخ
گلستان شناخته شده و در جهان غرب نیز نسخۀ خمسۀ نظامی مختصراً معرفی شده‌است.
در این پژوهش، پس از مروری بر زندگی و فعالیت هنری این خوشنویس، به آثار رقمدار و بدون
رقم وی میپردازیم.
https://www.casopiskultura.rs/publikacije/persian-heroes-or-timurid-princes-the-case-of-an-illustrated-manuscript-of-the-tabaqat-i-nasiri/
https://digitalorientalist.com/2023/12/19/digital-contributions-of-auction-houses-the-emergence-of-the-chahar-maqalas-oldest-manuscript/
https://digitalorientalist.com/2022/02/15/shahnama-studies-in-the-digital-era/
Part one of this article briefly introduces the technique and its history, before discussing prevalent themes and subjects. It then presents an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. In part two it considers the use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran, such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
Part one of this article will briefly introduce the technique and its history, before discussing the prevalent themes and subjects. It will then present an exquisite album at the Harvard Art Museums, which contains unique examples of fingernail calligraphic scripts. Part two will consider use of the technique in countries neighbouring Iran (then Persia), such as India, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
The earliest printed edition of Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār was published in London in 1848, edited by Forbes Falconer, containing a preface compiling the accounts of Jami in three tazkiras, including Daulatshah Samarqandi’s Tazkirat al-Shu‘ara’. The editor relied heavily on a copy of Haft Aurang (Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār and four other mathnavis) penned by ‘Ali Hijrani, in Herat, dated 934/1528 (formerly in the collection of N. Bland, Esq. of Randall’s Park), and an undated, but old copy (formerly, ms. 1317, East-India Company). A comparison between this edition and our manuscript shows great resemblance and also proves the precision of the scribe in transcribing.
Harvard’s copy of the Tuḥfat al-Aḥrār has evidently had an eventful journey through time. Although the text block dates to 1540–41, the marbled margins are probably from the eighteenth century and the binding is similar to a technique found in nineteenth-century productions. It provides an unusual case for analysis from different points of view. In what follows, first I briefly mention some of its significant codicological features and then discuss its historical and art historical value.
https://kcctreasures.com/2019/01/18/a-persian-indian-crowning-jewel-at-kings/
The article also addresses aesthetic features of Bāysunghur’s Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf and discusses its four subsequently added illustrations in connection with two further manuscripts containing images that are likely by the same artist: a Muṣībat-nāma of ʿAṭṭār and a Dīvān of Qāsim Anvār.
Keywords: Tajziyat al-amṣār wa tazjiyat al-aʿṣār (Tārīkh-i Vaṣṣāf), Bāysunghur, Timurid manuscripts, Keir Collection, Tārīkh-i Jahāngushāy of Juvaynī.
This article aims to reconstruct the original codex and to establish the order in which Khwājū’s poems originally appeared. This involved subjecting the three fragments to detailed textual analysis, comparing the content with more than 30 other manuscripts of Khwājū’s works from libraries around the world. This research also consolidates the previously suggested date for the poet's death with a more exact dating based upon codicological considerations. Finally, the artistic value of the codex is considered as exemplifying Injuid arts of the book at their peak.
This article explores the question whether the Malek manuscript was produced and illustrated in Baysunghur’s library and discusses the provenance of the work. A thorough description of the Malek manuscript, compared where appropriate with the Golestan copy, leads to the conclusion that both texts do indeed have the same origin, but that the Malek manuscript’s illustrations cannot date from earlier than the second half of the 19th century.
Among the most significant figures in the development of nastaʿlīq, Aẓhar Tabrīzī was one of the most prolific scribes in the 15th century. He started his training in Bāysunghur’s atelier at the beginning of the 830s, and by his final years in the 880s he had copied numerous manuscripts under various patrons, including a copy of the Khusrau u Shirin, now housed in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, Persian MS. 6.
This introduction investigates Aẓhar’s career and professional life in a period of around 50 years. After a survey of his works through decades and at different courts, it concentrates on the aesthetic and textual features of the illustrated copy of Khusrau u Shirin, which Azhar copied in his mature years in an elegant nastaʿlīq.
nineteenth-century Iran in the Qajar period. Fingernail art (ṣan‘at-i nakhun) was usually
executed using nail pressure of the thumb and ring or middle finger, from both sides of the
paper in order to make an embossed effect. The most eminent masters of fingernail art in both
calligraphy and painting were Muhammad Husayn Shirazi and Malek Aqlami, working in the
19th century. This neglected art is found sparsely in albums of the Qajar period, one of which
belongs to the collection of the late Ezzat- Malek Soudavar, now on loan to the Harvard Art
Museums. It contains figural compositions and calligraphic specimens in the scripts nastaʿlīq,
thulth, naskh, shikasta and even siyaq (used in accounting). On the first flyleaf of the Harvard
album 30.2015 there is a note providing the date Jumada II 1284/October 1867, which
chronologically is close to the time the master of fingernail art Muhammad Husayn Shīrāzī was
active (fl. 1279).
This paper surveys the art of fingernail calligraphy and painting in this 19-folio album and
discusses the identity of the artist. I also compare it with the exquisite albums of fingernail art
in the Golestan Palace Library, Cambridge University Library and elsewhere, which have never
been published.