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Source Description
Walters manuscript W.625 is an illuminated copy of the collection of poems known as Masnavi-i ma'navi by Jalal al-Din Rumi (died 672 AH/AD 1273), likely produced in Timurid Iran. The Masnavi-i ma'navi, which is a didactic poetical work divided into 6 books or booklets (daftars), is of particular importance in the tradition of Sufism. According to the colophon, written in Arabic, this copy was completed in 865 AH/AD 1461 by Ahmad ibn Hajji Abi Bakr al-Katib (fol. 311a). Each of the 6 books is introduced by a preface in Arabic or Persian, executed largely in gold Tawqi' script (fols. 1b-2a, 51b-52a, 95b-96a, 155b-156a, 203b-204a, and 256b-257a). The text proper is written in black Nasta'liq script, with illuminated titlepieces inscribed in a decorated New Abbasid (Broken Cursive) Style (fols. 2b, 52b, 96b, 156b, 204b, and 257b). The dark red leather binding is not original to the manuscript and dates to the 13th century AH/AD 19th.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
22125
label
Collection of Poems (masnavi)
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
22125
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Collection of Poems (masnavi)
description
Walters manuscript W.625 is an illuminated copy of the collection of poems known as Masnavi-i ma'navi by Jalal al-Din Rumi (died 672 AH/AD 1273), likely produced in Timurid Iran. The Masnavi-i ma'navi, which is a didactic poetical work divided into 6 books or booklets (daftars), is of particular importance in the tradition of Sufism. According to the colophon, written in Arabic, this copy was completed in 865 AH/AD 1461 by Ahmad ibn Hajji Abi Bakr al-Katib (fol. 311a). Each of the 6 books is introduced by a preface in Arabic or Persian, executed largely in gold Tawqi' script (fols. 1b-2a, 51b-52a, 95b-96a, 155b-156a, 203b-204a, and 256b-257a). The text proper is written in black Nasta'liq script, with illuminated titlepieces inscribed in a decorated New Abbasid (Broken Cursive) Style (fols. 2b, 52b, 96b, 156b, 204b, and 257b). The dark red leather binding is not original to the manuscript and dates to the 13th century AH/AD 19th.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
865 AH/AD 1461
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
illuminated manuscripts
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
24.5
height
16
dimensionsRaw
Folio H: 9 5/8 x W: 6 5/16 in. (24.5 x 16 cm)
Source extras
cul
Islamic; Persian
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med
ink and pigments on buff-colored laid paper covered with dark red leather with gold
creator_ids
15728
15727
collection_ids
MSS
ISL
MIS
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
d0aae6c29688dfa3