Folio from an Arabic translation of De Materia Medica by Dioscorides (ca. 40-90 C.E.); recto: Physician and an ill man; verso: text

Detail of a pattern
Image 1 of 2
IIIF

Terms of Use

Usage Conditions Apply

At A Glance

  • Period

    1224 (621 A.H.)
  • Geography

    Baghdad, Iraq
  • Material

    Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
  • Dimension

    H x W (overall): 33 x 25.6 cm (13 x 10 1/16 in)
  • Accession Number

    S1986.98
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_S1986.98

Object Details

  • Calligrapher

    Abdallah ibn al-Fadl
  • Description

    Detached folio from an Arabic translation of De Materia Medica by Pedanius Dioscorides; text: Arabic in black naskh script, headings in red; recto: illustration and text, Physician and an ill man, one column, nine lines of text; verso: text, one column, thirteen lines; one of a group of nine folios.
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Henri Vever (1854-1942)
    Georges Demotte (1877-1923)
    Arthur Sambon (1867-1947)
    Tabbagh Frères
    Fredrik Robert Martin (1868-1933)
    Francois Mautin (1907-2003)
  • Provenance

    Fredrik Robert Martin (1868-1933). [1]
    Tabbagh Frères, Paris, France. [2]
    Arthur Sambon (1867-1947), Paris, France. [3]
    To 1912
    Georges Demotte (1877-1923), Paris, France. [4]
    From 1912 to 1942
    Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Georges Demotte, Paris, France on November 30, 1912. [5]
    From 1942 to 1986
    Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [6]
    From 1986
    Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [7]
    Notes:
    [1] See Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 7: Chart of Recent Provenance" in An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection, Glenn D. Lowry et al (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 401.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See note 1.
    [4] See Glen D. Lowry and Susan Nemazee, "Appendix 2: Ledger of Acquisitions, 1894 and 1907-17" in A Jeweler’s Eye: Islamic Arts of the Book from the Vever Collection (Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1988), p. 232.
    [5] See note 4.
    [6] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.
    [7] See note 6.
  • Origin

    Baghdad, Iraq
  • Credit Line

    Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
  • Type

    Manuscript
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

    There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

    The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring