Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 5), from a manuscript of Prayers | Harvard Art Museums | KenAI

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 5), from a manuscript of Prayers

ManuscriptsPersian19th century

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 5), from a manuscript of Prayers

dated 1837

Description

The small manuscript opens with a minutely illuminated double-page frontispiece. The text is copied 15 lines to a page in naskh by ‘Alī Aṣghar b. Muḥammad Shafī‘ al-Arsanjānī in H. 1253 (1837). The manuscript comprises 127 folios, including 4 flyleaves. It contains 80 illuminated headings, one at the beginning of each prayer. All text folios are embellished with interlinear gilding. The manuscript is made for the servant, the humble Aqā Mullā Aḥmad son of the late Karbalā’i Muḥammad ‘Alī Shīrāzī. The leather binding is decorated with gold painted borders and stamped, painted and inlaid central and corner pieces, bearing flower paintings in green and purple/crimson. Inside covers are light brown plain leather with gold borders.

Classification

Manuscripts

Medium

Ink, colors, and gold on paper

Culture

Persian

Period

Qajar period

Century

19th century

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Islamic & Later Indian Art

Dimensions

17 x 10.5 cm (6 11/16 x 4 1/8 in.)

Provenance

Ezzat-Malek Soudavar, Geneva, Switzerland (by 2014), by descent; to her son Abolala Soudavar, Houston, Texas (2014), loan; to Harvard Art Museums, 2015. 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.

Related Artworks

Note and Custom's Stamp (recto), Bistun's Introduction to Sa`di (verso), folio 3 from a Manuscript of the Complete Works of Sa`di

Note and Custom's Stamp (recto), Bistun's Introduction to Sa`di (verso), folio 3 from a Manuscript of the Complete Works of Sa`di

Unknown Artist, c. 1805

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

19th-20th centuryPersian

Painting (recto), Poetry (verso), folio 153 from a Manuscript of the Complete Works of Sa`di

Painting (recto), Poetry (verso), folio 153 from a Manuscript of the Complete Works of Sa`di

Unknown Artist, c. 1805

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

19th-20th centuryPersian

Names of God, folio from a manuscript

Names of God, folio from a manuscript

Unknown Artist, 18th-19th century

Ink and gold on paper

18th-19th centuryPersian

Folio 291 from a Qur'an: Sura 57: 27-29, Sura 58: 1-begin 2 (recto), Sura 58: 2-7 (verso)

Folio 291 from a Qur'an: Sura 57: 27-29, Sura 58: 1-begin 2 (recto), Sura 58: 2-7 (verso)

Unknown Artist, c. 1533

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

16th and 19th centuryPersian

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 5), from a manuscript of Prayers

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 5), from a manuscript of Prayers

Unknown Artist, dated 1837

Ink, colors, and gold on paper

19th centuryPersian

Folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Qur'an: Ownership Note and Custom's Stamp (recto), Sura titles (verso)

Folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Qur'an: Ownership Note and Custom's Stamp (recto), Sura titles (verso)

Unknown Artist, 17th and 19th centuries

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

17th and 19th centuriesPersian

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 9), from a manuscript of Ta‘qibat-i Namaz

Text folio (text recto; text verso of folio 9), from a manuscript of Ta‘qibat-i Namaz

Unknown Artist, 1817

Ink and gold on paper

19th centuryPersian

Frontispiece (recto), Introduction to the Gulistan (recto and verso), folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Gulistan by Sa`di

Frontispiece (recto), Introduction to the Gulistan (recto and verso), folio 2 from a Manuscript of the Gulistan by Sa`di

Unknown Artist, 16th and 19th century

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

16th and 19th centuryPersian

Chapter 7 (recto), Chapter 7 and 8 (verso), folio 101 from a Manuscript of the Gulistan by Sa`di

Chapter 7 (recto), Chapter 7 and 8 (verso), folio 101 from a Manuscript of the Gulistan by Sa`di

Unknown Artist, 16th and 19th century

Ink and gold on paper

16th and 19th centuryPersian

Colophon (text recto; blank verso of folio 10), from a manuscript of Ta‘qibat-i Namaz

Colophon (text recto; blank verso of folio 10), from a manuscript of Ta‘qibat-i Namaz

Unknown Artist, 1817

Ink and gold on paper

19th centuryPersian

Manuscript of the Qur‘an, with lacquer binding

Manuscript of the Qur‘an, with lacquer binding

Unknown Artist, 1831-1832

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

19th centuryPersian

The right half of the illuminated frontispiece (illuminated sarlawh verso, blank recto of folio 3), from a manuscript of prayers

The right half of the illuminated frontispiece (illuminated sarlawh verso, blank recto of folio 3), from a manuscript of prayers

Unknown Artist, dated 1837

Ink, colors, and gold on paper

19th centuryPersian