Folio from a Manafi al-Hayawan (Usefulness of animals) by Ibn Bakhtishu (d.1058); recto: illustration and text: a deer and magpies; verso: text

Object Details

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of Manafi' al-hayawan (Usefulness of animals) by Ibn Bakhtishu; text: Persian in black and red naskh script with title in Arabic in blue kufic script; recto: illustration and text: A deer and magpies, 2 lines; verso: text: 10 lines; one of a group of 6 folios.

• Provenance

  ?-at least 1914

  Likely Hagop Kevorkian, New York, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  By 1927-1930

  V. Everit Macy (1871-1930), likely purchased from Hagop Kevorkian, New York [2]

  1930-1938 

  Estate of the Late V. Everit Macy [3] 

  1938 

  Sale, New York, American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Inc., “The V. Everit Macy Collection: Including Rare and Important Persian and Mesopotamian Pottery, Persian and Indian Miniatures, Persian Brocades and Velvet Carpets,” January 6-8, 1938, lot 433 [4] 

  1938 

  Kirkor Minassian, New York, purchased at January 6-8, 1938 American Art Association Anderson Galleries Inc. Sale, New York, NY [5] 

  From 1938

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Kirkor Minassian, New York [6]

  Notes:

  [1] See Charles of London, “The Kevorkian Collection: Including Objects Excavated under His Supervision” [exhibition catalog] (New York: Galleries of Charles of London, March-April 1914), no. 9, “Magpies and Mountain Sheep”. Catalog number 3 includes thirty-one miniatures which are described as being from a manuscript of “Manafi al-Hayawan.” While the manuscript does not contain a date, owing to the absence of several folios, it was assigned to the 13th century. The related Freer Gallery of Art objects F1944.54 and F1944.55 were included in this exhibition as catalog numbers 26 and 8, respectively. Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962) was an archaeologist, connoisseur, and one of the most significant dealers of the first half of the twentieth century. Kevorkian had eponymous galleries in New York and Paris, specializing in Islamic, Armenian, Ancient, and Classical art, where

  he sold works to galleries and private collectors around the world. In 1952 he established the Kevorkian Fund

  , which remains active and supports scholarship focusing on art history and archaeology, museum collections, lectures, and fellowships.

  [2] See American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Inc., “The V. Everit Macy Collection: Including Rare and Important Persian and Mesopotamian Pottery, Persian and Indian Miniatures, Persian Brocades and Velvet Carpets,” January 6-8, 1938, lot 433. The miniature is described as “Birds and Running Gazelle,” with an additional note stating: “Exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1927-9”. Valentine Everit Macy was an industrialist, philanthropist, and public commissioner. He was a Trustee and a benefactor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a collector of Near Eastern Art.

  [3] See note 2. The cover page for this posthumous auction states, “Property of the Estate of the Late V. Everit Macy. Sold by Order of the Executors.”

  [4] See note 2.

  [5] See note 6. See also object file for copy of letter from Kirkor Minassian to J.E. Lodge, dated January 6, 1938. Minassian wrote, “I understand that you would like to have four items from the Macy’s sale”, and he includes lot 433, “Birds and running gazelle.” Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944) was a collector and dealer in Islamic and Near Eastern antiquities, with galleries in New York and Paris. In 1929, Minassian gave the Library of Congress objects including a Kufic script from an eighth century Koran as well as a number of Sumerian clay tablets. Following his death, his wife Antoinette (1874-1961) and his daughter Adrienne (1913-1994), succeeded him in his business.

  [6] See object file for copy of Kirkor Minassian invoice to the Freer Gallery of Art, dated January 17, 1938, and approved by the Secretary of the Smithsonian on January 18, 1938. The object is item no. 2, described as a “Persian miniature of a running gazelle and birds.”

  Research updated September 28, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Near Eastern Art—Paintings, Metalwork (August 18, 1967 to February 10, 1972)

  Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)

  Special Exhibition (February 9, 1954 to April 20, 1954)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Persian Manuscripts (May 5, 1933 to September 22, 1947)

• Previous custodian or owner

  V. Everit Macy (1871-1930)

  Estate of V. Everit Macy

  Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944)

• Origin

  Iran

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Estate of V. Everit Macy, Minassian, Kirkor, Macy, V. Everit

• Topic

  Kufic script, Art, Animals, Magpie, Arts of the Islamic World, Mongol period (1220 - 1380), Il-Khanid dynasty (1256 - 1353)

• Culture

  Muslims, Iranians

• Language

  Naskh script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts