Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d.1325); recto: left-hand half of a double-page Illumination; verso: text: Initial prayers on prime being of the divine presence

Detached bifolio from a dispersed copy of Khamsa (Quintet) by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi; text: Persian in black nasta’liq script; headings in white, gold, red and blue; recto: left-hand half of a double-page illumination, two columns, ten lines; verso: text: Initial prayers on prime being of the divine presence, four columns, twenty one lines; one of a group of three: the binding (S1986.472) and folios (S1986.72.1-2) are accessioned separately.
Border: The text is set in an illuminated border.

View right to left

Historical period(s)
Safavid period, circa 1575-1600
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 35.5 x 24.1 cm (14 x 9 1/2 in)
Geography
Iran, Qazvin
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1986.72.2
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
Henri Vever collection, illumination, Iran, Khamsa, nasta'liq script, Safavid period (1501 - 1722)
Provenance

To 1911
Claude Anet (1868-1931), Paris, France. [1]

From 1911 to 1942
Henri Vever (1854-1942), Paris and Noyers, France, purchased from Claude Anet, Paris, France on October 19, 1911. [2]

From 1942 to 1986
Family member, Paris and Boulogne, France, by inheritance from Henri Vever, Paris and Noyers, France. [3]

From 1986
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, purchased from a family member, Paris and Boulogne, France. [4]

Notes:

[1] Claude Anet was the pseudonym of writer Jean Schopfer. 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. 400. See also 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. 231.

[2] See note 1.

[3] See the Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection of January 9, 1986, Collections Management Office.

[4] See note 3.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Henri Vever 1854-1942
Claude Anet 1868-1931
Francois Mautin 1907-2003

Description

Detached bifolio from a dispersed copy of Khamsa (Quintet) by Amir Khusraw Dihlavi; text: Persian in black nasta'liq script; headings in white, gold, red and blue; recto: left-hand half of a double-page illumination, two columns, ten lines; verso: text: Initial prayers on prime being of the divine presence, four columns, twenty one lines; one of a group of three: the binding (S1986.472) and folios (S1986.72.1-2) are accessioned separately.
Border: The text is set in an illuminated border.

Label

Nizami's Khamsa inspired several subsequent poets to compose their own versions of the text. One of the most talented such poets was Amir Khusraw Dihlavi-meaning "from Delhi"-who also wrote in Persian. Born in Patiyal in northern India, Amir Khusraw excelled in both lyrical and epic poetry and enjoyed the patronage of several successive Indian rulers.

This finely illuminated frontispiece and the gold-stamped covers formed part of the same copy of the Khamsa. Completed in sixteenth-century Iran, the covers were separated from the text sometime before the early twentieth century. The verses on the cover extol the qualities and attributes of books, considered a person's ideal companion.

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. 207, p. 177.
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

Related Objects