Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami (d.1209)

Manuscript; Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; Persian in black nasta’liq script; headings in gold; 149 folios with 2 unwans (fols.1 verso and 74verso), 86 paintings (17 recto, 18 verso, 19 recto, 23 recto, 23 verso, 24 recto, 25 recto, 29 recto, 29 verso, 30 verso, 31 verso, 32 verso, 34 verso, 35 verso, 36 recto, 37 recto, 40 verso, 41 recto, 41 verso, 42 verso, 43 recto, 43 verso, 44 verso, 45 recto, 45 verso, 46 recto, 46 verso, 47 recto, 49 verso, 50 recto, 51 recto, 53 recto, 53 verso, 54 recto, 54 verso, 55 recto, 56 recto, 56 verso,57 verso, 58 recto, 58 verso, 59 verso, 60 recto, 60 verso, 61 recto, 61 verso, 62 recto, 62 verso, 63 recto, 63 verso,65 recto, 65 verso, 66 verso, 67 verso, 68 verso, 70 recto, 72 verso, 84 verso, 86 recto, 87 verso, 89 verso, 93 recto, 94 verso, 95 verso, 96 recto, 97 recto, 98 recto, 98 verso, 99 recto, 100 verso, 101 verso, 102 recto, 102 verso, 103 verso, 106 recto, 112 recto, 115 verso, 177 recto, 120 verso, 121 verso, 124 recto, 127 recto, 129 recto, 142 recto, 146 verso, 147 recto) 1 seal (folio1 recto), inscriptions (fols.1 recto, 149 verso), and 2 colophons (fols. 73 verso and 149 verso); standard page: 4 columns, 25 lines of text.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in nineteenth-century brown leather over paper pasteboards with block-stamped medallions, corner pieces and doublures of marbled paper.

Historical period(s)
Aq Qoyunlu dynasty, Turkmen period, ca.1470
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 38.7 x 26.7 cm (15 1/4 x 10 1/2 in)
Geography
Iran, Probably Shiraz
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1986.61
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript

Keywords
Aq Qoyunlu dynasty (1378 - 1501), Henri Vever collection, Iran, Khamsa, nasta'liq script, Turkmen period (1378 - 1508)
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Manuscript; Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami; Persian in black nasta'liq script; headings in gold; 149 folios with 2 unwans (fols.1 verso and 74verso), 86 paintings (17 recto, 18 verso, 19 recto, 23 recto, 23 verso, 24 recto, 25 recto, 29 recto, 29 verso, 30 verso, 31 verso, 32 verso, 34 verso, 35 verso, 36 recto, 37 recto, 40 verso, 41 recto, 41 verso, 42 verso, 43 recto, 43 verso, 44 verso, 45 recto, 45 verso, 46 recto, 46 verso, 47 recto, 49 verso, 50 recto, 51 recto, 53 recto, 53 verso, 54 recto, 54 verso, 55 recto, 56 recto, 56 verso,57 verso, 58 recto, 58 verso, 59 verso, 60 recto, 60 verso, 61 recto, 61 verso, 62 recto, 62 verso, 63 recto, 63 verso,65 recto, 65 verso, 66 verso, 67 verso, 68 verso, 70 recto, 72 verso, 84 verso, 86 recto, 87 verso, 89 verso, 93 recto, 94 verso, 95 verso, 96 recto, 97 recto, 98 recto, 98 verso, 99 recto, 100 verso, 101 verso, 102 recto, 102 verso, 103 verso, 106 recto, 112 recto, 115 verso, 177 recto, 120 verso, 121 verso, 124 recto, 127 recto, 129 recto, 142 recto, 146 verso, 147 recto) 1 seal (folio1 recto), inscriptions (fols.1 recto, 149 verso), and 2 colophons (fols. 73 verso and 149 verso); standard page: 4 columns, 25 lines of text.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in nineteenth-century brown leather over paper pasteboards with block-stamped medallions, corner pieces and doublures of marbled paper.

Inscription(s)

Folio 1 recto: Seal "His slave Muhibb Ali."
Folio 1 recto: "the one who is in need/ is the beloved of God. The book of Khamsa [?], image [?], from small to large."
Folio 149 verso

Published References
  • Milo Cleveland Beach. The Imperial Image: Paintings for the Mughal Court., 2nd ed. Washington and Ahmedabad, India, 2012. cat. 13, 13A, 13B, pp. 81-4.
  • Jonathan M. Bloom, Sheila Blair. And Diverse are their Hues. p. 143 and 145, fig. 91 and 92.
  • Glenn D. Lowry, Susan Nemanzee. A Jeweler's Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection. Washington and Seattle. cat. 41-43, pp. 144-149.
  • Glenn D. Lowry, Milo Cleveland Beach, Elisabeth West FitzHugh, Susan Nemanzee, Janet Snyder. An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection. Washington and Seattle. cat. 237, pp. 206-211.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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