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Source Description
Walters manuscript W.579 is an illuminated manuscript of a prayer (wird) called Miftah al-najah, attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, the 4th caliph of Islam. According to the colophon, it was completed by Shaykh Kamal ibn 'Abd al-Haqq al-Sabzawari, the calligrapher and illuminator, in Astarabad (present-day Gorgan, Iran) in 941 AH/AD 1534. The text, divided into 5 compartments, is in calligraphic vocalized Naskh in black ink and vocalized Thuluth in gold ink outlined in black. Illuminated rosettes with colored dots serve as verse markers. The decorated colophon (fol. 8b) is written in Tawqi'/Riqa' in gold ink. Later bequest (waqf) seal impressions of the Vizier al-Shahid 'Ali Pasha, dated 1130 AH/AD 1717, appear on fols. 2a, 2b, and 3a. The brown leather binding with interconnected gold-tooled lobed medallions and discs and doublures with filigree decoration is contemporary with the manuscript.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
936
label
Prayer Book
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
936
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Prayer Book
description
Walters manuscript W.579 is an illuminated manuscript of a prayer (wird) called Miftah al-najah, attributed to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, the 4th caliph of Islam. According to the colophon, it was completed by Shaykh Kamal ibn 'Abd al-Haqq al-Sabzawari, the calligrapher and illuminator, in Astarabad (present-day Gorgan, Iran) in 941 AH/AD 1534. The text, divided into 5 compartments, is in calligraphic vocalized Naskh in black ink and vocalized Thuluth in gold ink outlined in black. Illuminated rosettes with colored dots serve as verse markers. The decorated colophon (fol. 8b) is written in Tawqi'/Riqa' in gold ink. Later bequest (waqf) seal impressions of the Vizier al-Shahid 'Ali Pasha, dated 1130 AH/AD 1717, appear on fols. 2a, 2b, and 3a. The brown leather binding with interconnected gold-tooled lobed medallions and discs and doublures with filigree decoration is contemporary with the manuscript.
provenance
Vizier al-Shahid 'Ali Pasha, ca. 1130 AH/AD 1717 (?) [mode of acquisition unknown] [waqf-seal impression of the Vizier dated 1130 AH/AD 1717 with the original shelf mark 1414 on fols. 2a, 2b, and 3a]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
941 AH/AD 1534
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
illuminated manuscripts
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
23.5
height
16.5
dimensionsRaw
Folio H: 9 1/4 x W: 6 1/2 in. (23.5 x 16.5 cm)
Source extras
cul
Islamic
RelatedObjects
79972
79971
77626
77625
76636
med
ink and pigments on laid paper covered with gold-tooled brown leather
creator_ids
15670
15670
16703
collection_ids
MSS
ISL
MIS
exhibition_ids
186
2713
2730
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
921da9841703df9f