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

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.

View right to left

Historical period(s)
Safavid period, 1562-63 (970 A.H.)
Medium
Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 20.7 x 13 cm (8 1/8 x 5 1/8 in)
Geography
Iran, Astarabad
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1986.56
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript

Keywords
archery, death, Henri Vever collection, Iran, Khamsa, king, nasta'liq script, Safavid period (1501 - 1722), WWII-era provenance, youth
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
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.

Inscription(s)

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.

Published References
  • 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. 204, p. 173.
  • Fereshteh Daftari. The Influence of "Persian Art" on Gauguin, Matisse, and Kandinsky. Ann Arbor. p. 175, 314.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use