- Language(s)
-
Persian
- Published
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[1516].
- Subjects
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Anṣārī al-Harawī, ʻAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad,
>
Anṣārī al-Harawī, ʻAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad, /
1006-1089.
>
Anṣārī al-Harawī, ʻAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad, / 1006-1089. /
Ṭabaqāt al-Ṣūfīyah.
Sulamī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn,
>
Sulamī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn, /
d. 1021.
>
Sulamī, Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn, / d. 1021. /
Ṭabaqāt al-Ṣūfīyah.
Manuscripts, Persian
>
Manuscripts, Persian /
Michigan
>
Manuscripts, Persian / Michigan /
Ann Arbor.
Muslim saints
>
Muslim saints /
Biography
>
Muslim saints / Biography /
Early works to 1800.
Sufism
>
Sufism /
Biography
>
Sufism / Biography /
Early works to 1800.
Headpieces (layout features)
>
Headpieces (layout features) /
Islamic empire
>
Headpieces (layout features) / Islamic empire /
16th century.
- Summary
-
Fine copy of ʻAbd al-Raḥmān al-Jāmī's (817-898/1414-1492) prized collection of biographies of Ṣūfīs and saints accompanied by a comprehensive study of Sufism.
- Note
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Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center, Isl. Ms. 669
Origin: As appears in colophon on fol.320a, copy finished on Tuesday the last of Dhū al-Qaʻdah 921 [ca. 5 January 1516].
Accompanying materials: Scrap of laid paper found between fol.196-197 (p.392-393) with excerpt from another work in hand similar to the hand in which some glosses are supplied.
Former shelfmark: From spine label and inscription on interior of upper cover, "IL 239" (likely supplied by Yahuda).
Binding: Heavy pasteboards covered in black cloth and black leather over spine (quater binding) ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves of green wove paper ; spine ridges with gold-stamped fillets and accents, as well as title and author"طبقات الصوفية | الجامي" ; in fair condition, though leather is badly worn and rotting, and upper cover is detaching from spine leaving upper board exposed.
Support: Mainly European paper with laid lines running vertically, spaced roughly 10 laid lines per cm., single chain lines running horizontally spaced roughly 32-38 mm. apart, and font with lid and cross / flower (or cardinal's mitre / chapeau) watermark (see p.4, 88, 92, 100, etc.), heavily sized and burnished (burnishers marks visible) ; few inclusions ; a few leaves with laid lines running horizontally and chain lines running vertically ; at least one leaf of non-European paper (see p.96).
Decoration: Illuminated frontispiece on fol.1a (p.1) evokes book cover decoration ; large gold-filled scalloped mandorla (likely intended to carry title or ex libris but empty) with pendants carrying floral design in black light blue-green and pink-lavender, all outlined in black fillet with white band ; corner pieces carry vegetal design in blue, white, red, pink-lavender, light blue-green, gold, and black outlines on a field of gold with lapis lazuli accents ; remaining area of panel is filled with swirling vegetal design in red, white, pink-lavender, light-blue, gold, and black outlines on a field of lapis lazuli, entire area outlined in white band with black fillet ; entire piece is framed in a series of gold bands (varying thicknesses) outlined by black fillets ; simple illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) on fol.1b (p.2) consists of triangular piece in gold filled with gold vegetal design ; elaborate frame consisting of two gold bands (of two different thicknesses) outlined by black fillets and an outermost blue fillet appears throughout; incipit and facing page (fol.1b-2a / p.2-3) decorated with gilt cloud-bands ; textual dividers in the form of three dots, etc. in red ; text rubricated with section headings, names for each biographical entry, textual dividers, some overlinings, etc. in red.
Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; elegant Ottoman hand in a medium to bold line ; characteristically serifless with gentle effect of words descending to the baseline, sweeping descenders, final or free-standing nūn with point nearly assimilating with return stroke of wide, tall bowl, point, hāʼ mudghamah looking like two inverted commas, one over the other, pointing (two and three dots) in distinct or conjoined dots.
Layout: Written in 21 lines per page; frame-ruled (impression of ruling board evident).
Collation: i, 12 VI (144), V (154), 13 VI (310), V+1 (321), i ; chiefly sexternions ; catchwords present ; final leaf blank but without missing text, likely once served as flyleaf, not accounted for in foliation ; foliation in black ink, Hindu-Arabic numerals continues through fol.320 ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals (supplied during cataloguing).
Colophon: "Scribal," roughly triangular, essentially unpointed, reads: "والحمد لله على الاتمام والصلوه على خير الانام وآله البرره الكرام والسلام على من اتبع الهدى تم الكتاب بعون الملك الوهاب يوم الثلثاء في اخر شهر المبارك ذى القعده في تاريخ سنة ٩٢١"
Explicit: كارشان جز نفى ذات و وصف فعل خويش نيست ای خدا چبود كه جامى را كنى در كارشان. رباعيه في تاريخ اتمامه ... و سيوم گشت تمام
Incipit: الحمد لله الذي جعل مرائي قلوب اوليائه مجيالى وجهه الكريم والاح منا على صفايح وجوهم لوايح نوره القديم
Title from preface on fol.2b (p.4).
Ms. codex.
Conspicuous lack of ownership marks ; occasional glosses, marginal corrections, and notabilia (side heads).
- Physical Description
-
321 leaves :
paper ;
210 x 145 (144 x 84) bound to 220 x 155 mm.