ManuscriptsPersian16th and 19th century

Manuscript of the Tuhfat al-Ahrar (The Gift to the Noble) by Jami, with lacquer binding

1577, early 17th century, 1870-1871

Description

The manuscript opens with a faded ink drawing of a seated bearded man holding prayer beads in a landscape. The drawing is water damaged, and the inscription attributing the work to Mu`in Musavvir is written over a damaged portion. The main text, Tuhfat al-Ahrar by Jami, opens with rather damaged double illuminated pages. The text is copied in nastaliq script in black ink, mostly in two columns and 12 lines to a page. The text pages have been remounted on a different paper and all the margins are decorated with floral gilded work. The colophon gives the name of the scribe 'Ali Riza al-Katib and the date 985 H (1577-78). The scribe is most likely the renowned Safavid calligrapher 'Ali Riza `Abbasi. The lacquer binding has on its maroon outer covers a central medallion with pendants and corner pieces decorated with birds and /or flowers. The inner covers showing the same color scheme have small flower bouquets in the center and small corner pieces. The edges of the inner and outer covers bear a series of cartouches with Persian verses in nasta'liq script. The text is a fairly long poem of rhyming couplets (mathnavi). In the final verse, which appears on the doublure of the back cover, the name of the artist Fathallah [Shirazi] is mentioned, and the date 1287 H (1870-71) is given. Judging from contents of the poem, the Safavid manuscript was rebound with lacquer covers by the order of Hamza Mirza Hishmat al-Dawla (d. 1297/1880), who was an uncle of the Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah (r. 1848-1896) and the minister of war. Since the poem refers to Hishmat al-Dawla as the ruler of Tus (a city near Mashhad in the Khurasan province), the lacquer binding should date from the patron’s tenure as governor of Khurasan. Other lines of the poem suggest that the refurbished codex was intended as a marriage gift (mahr) to the patron’s new bride. Transcription and translation by Farshid Emami, graduate student intern AY2016 Front cover چشمِ بد دور از این مرقعِ نغز کز سطورش بخور خورده به مغز رقمی دلبر و خطی زیبا عنبر و مشک سوده بر دیبا May evil eye be away from this exquisite album (muraqqa’), From whose lines perfume reaches the senses. A heart-ravishing script and beautiful calligraphy, [like] Ambergris and musk encrusted on brocade. طُرفه چون طرفِ بوستان بربیع حرف حرفش گلِ شگرفِ بدیع جنت روح تازه لوح از او خط ریحان گرفته روح از او Fresh like a garden in spring, Every letter, [like] a rare new flower. The garden of soul has [gained] fresh air from it, The basil/riyhān script has gained soul from it. با سمن ضمیر آن شکفته قرین یا بنفشه است خفته بر نسرین جرم تیر است بر ثریا حل یا شب قدر را ببدر محل شامِ وصلِ نگارِ صبح‌لقا است ظلماتی محیطِ آبِ بقا است سلکِ دُر مِلکِ طلق بلکه یمش زده کلک علیرضا رقمش عیسوی نور و جامه عباسی شبهی رنگ و سنگ الماسی غم به بند و نشاط بگشاید نقد اگر خواهیش خرد شاید Its soul has blossomed with trefoil, Or [it is] like violet slumbering on wild rose (nasrin). The body of Mercury dissolved on the Pleiades, Or [it is as if] the full moon has occurred on the shab-i qadr. (i.e. laylatu’l qadr, the night the Qur’an descended from the Heaven) It is the night of union with the dawn-faced beloved, It is the darkness surrounding the water of life. Not a stream, but rather a sea, of pearl is its property, The pen of [the Safavid calligrapher] ‘Ali-riza [‘Abbasi] has written its script. The light of Jesus and black garment (as that of the ‘Abbasids), The color of black stone and diamond. It removes sadness and gives jubilance, If you pay in cash it is worth buying. Doublure of the front cover هست از هر دری که بگشایی خُلد نظاره تماشایی مختلف نقش جلدی ار جویی هر الف راست چون قد طوبی From every part that you open [this album], It is [like] a spectacular paradise worthy of beholding. If you probe, each cover has a different painting, Each alif is upright like the stature of the heavenly tree (tuba). مَدّش از گونه‌گون صور دلخواه حدّ هر سوره دان به بسم الله خطّ غلمان بدیع دایره‌اش هر نمط خاصه نون نادره‌اش Its elongated letters (madds) are in myriad desirable shapes, The limit of every chapter is bism-allah. Each circle is like the line of the youths, Each nun is in a different manner. کان قیریست آب برده ز لعل گوهریرا از او در آتش نعل یا که شبدیز خسرویست کزین هم ستامش گهرنشان هم زین چه رکاب و عنان ناموسش های دو چشم و یای معکوسش باز هر جا که چشمه میم است بدم ذوق عین تسلیم است خلدی انهار با قصور در او خط غلمان و و خال حور در او کلماتش قصور علیتین نقطه خال جمال حورالعین It is a mine of tar whose substance is ruby, The jeweler is restless because of it. Or it is the horse (shabdiz) of a selected king (khusraw), With encrusted saddle and trappings. A paradise with streams and palaces in it, The lines of youths and moles of houris in it. Its words are the apartments of heaven, Dots are like the mole of beauty for hur al-’ayn (wide-eyed white-skinned woman). Back cover ای به خط بسته دل مرقع بین نوعروسِ گشاده برقع بین نوعروسی کرشمه قانونش او چو لیلی و عقل مجنونش Oh you who are enamoured by calligraphy behold [this] album! Behold the unveiled bride! A bride whose manner [is] coquetry, She is like Layla and the mind [like] her Majnun. حشمه الدوله میرِ جم‌ناموس عمً شه، خسرو مداین طوس با چنین نوعروس شکرخند کرد از انظار خسروی پیوند Hishmat al-Dawla, the governor (mir) whose rule is like [the mythical ruler] Jamshid, The king’s uncle, the ruler of the cities of [the] Tus [region], With such sweet-smiled bride, Joined in marriage from kingly views. به نظر خسروانه بهرش داد دست پیمان فشاند و مهرش داد مهرش از نقد مهر جان پرورد دست پیمان ز کنج باد آورد He gave her dues in a kingly manner, He made a contract and gave her a wedding gift (mahr). .... مصر شکر بشاهدیست کزو که به شیریتش خرد خسرو خواند شیرین ببر چو شکر تنگ عمً خسرو امیر عرصه جنگ خسروی شو بر عدل او به جهان به رصیت شکر باصفهان ملک خاور به کوری دشمن نوازنده چون رخ بتِ اَرمن این شنیدی که بار به در درخت نغمه ها زد بگوش خسرو سخت خسروی ره شنیده او صد ره از شباهنگ سدره طوبی له [...] The king’s uncle, the general of the realm of war, Summoned Shirin to his embrace like sugar. غمزه پر شور و لب شکرریزش اینت شیرین که حمزه پرویزش یا چو شیرین چو غمزه آغازد خسروی همچو حمزه دل بازد این شکرلب عروس شیرین را که کند تازه شور دیرین را خسرو ملک شرق شد داماد عقدِ شیرین‌لبان مبارک باد Her coquetry creates uproar, her lips scatter sugar, What an admirable Shirin, whose Parviz (king lover) is Hamza (Refers to the patron and Prophet Muhammad’s uncle) Or like Shirin when she embarks on coquetry, A king falls in love like Hamza. This sugar-mouthed sweet bride, Who revives anew the old desire, The king of the eastern domain became the groom, May the marriage of the sweet-lipped be fortunate! The doublure of the back cover دولت از حشمتش نوآیین شد ملک خسرو چو حسن شیرین شد کوس ناموس کرد بختش راست طوس چون تخت طاقدیس آراسته Fortune was revived because of his magnificence, The domain of Khusraw became like the beauty of Shirin. ... Tus is adorned like the Taqdis (the throne of Khusraw) عبد خسرو رقم نوآیین زد کلک شاپور نقش نوآیین زد باز شیرین به شانه بر پرویز تا ز گلگون فسانه شبدیز بدر خسرویش رنج روان بندگان را بدل بگنج روان روشن امروز چشم خسرو از او گلشن ملک ناصری نو از او The servant of Khusraw drew a new line, The brush of Shapur painted a new image. Once again, Shirin is on the shoulders of Parviz, The horse of Shirin… Today... بست شیرین مجلدش را رنگ تلخ شد کام مانی و ارژنگ مات این خسرو صور بهزاد چون بشیرین سنگ دل فرهاد رهبرش خسروی خرد جاوید همه خسروان ازو بزرگ امید نو ازو بزم خسرو آیین باد می تلخش به کام شیرین باد داغ فرمانش دهر بوقلمون رام شبدیز و نرم سم گلکون باد شیرین دم خدم و احباب از می خسرویش خاصه شهاب ۱۲۸۷ Its binding were finished with sweet colors, Mani and Arzhang are sad (out of envy). The king of images Bihzad is amazed at this, As Shirin is to Farhad. کار دنیا و کار دین هموار در کفش چون طلای دست افشار هست اگر خصم نیو چوبین تن کم ز تیغش چو دیو از آهن [...] الغرض شد چو این مرقع نو نزل شیرین مجلس خسرو نقشه پرداز خسروی درگاه فحلِ شاپورخامه فتح الله In short, when this album was made anew, [it became like] the seat of Shirin [and] the assembly of Khusraw. [by] The painter of the kingly court, The unique Fath-allah, whose brush is like that of Shapur.

Classification

Manuscripts

Medium

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

Culture

Persian

Period

Safavid period

Century

16th and 19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

25.1 × 14.9 × 2.1 cm (9 7/8 × 5 7/8 × 13/16 in.) Text area: 14.4 × 6.9 cm (5 11/16 × 2 11/16 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.