Khamsa (Quintet) by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d.1325)

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At A Glance

Period

1562-63 (970 A.H.)
Geography

Astarabad, Iran
Material

Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimension

H x W (overall): 20.7 x 13 cm (8 1/8 x 5 1/8 in)
Accession Number

S1986.56
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_S1986.56

Object Details

Description

Manuscript; Khamsa (Quintet) by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi; Persian in black nasta'liq script; 238 folios with a frontispiece (fols. 1 verso, 2 recto), 5 sarlawhs (fols. 2 verso, 44 verso, 99 verso,134 verso, 180 verso), 13 paintings (30 recto, 46 verso, 54 verso, 107 recto, 120 verso, 148 recto, 152 recto, 160 verso, 167 recto, 172 recto, 197 recto, 202 verso, 207 recto), 1 dated colophon and inscriptions on folio 238 recto; 2 seals (fols. 1 recto, 1 verso); standard page: 4 columns, 19 lines of text.

Binding: The manuscript is bound in black leather over paper pasteboards with block-stamped exterior covers and doublures of red leather.
Inscriptions

Fol. 238 recto: The book was finished with the help of the munificent Lord during the month of Jumada 1 in the year [A.H.] 970 [A.D. December 1562-January 1563]; seals: (fol. 1 recto, oval) Ali Muhammad; (fol. 1 verso, square) Muhammad Ali Abd al-Baqi al-Husayni.
Provenance

?-1942

Henri Vever (1851-1942), method of acquisition unknown [1]

1942-1947

Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [2]

1947-1986

Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [3]

From 1986

The National Museum of Asian Art, by purchased from Francois Mautin [4]

Notes:

[1] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. This object was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942.

[2] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited the object. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

[3] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This object is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 3.

[4] The Museum purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file. This work is part of the Museum’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection.

Research updated on June 27, 2024
Collection

Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Previous custodian or owner

Henri Vever (1854-1942)

François Mautin (1907-2003)
Origin

Astarabad, Iran
Credit Line

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

Manuscript
Restrictions and Rights

Usage Conditions Apply

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