Lawa’ih (Effulgences of light) by Jami (d.1492)

Manuscript; Lawa’ih (Effulgences of light) by Jami; text: Persian in black and gold nasta’liq script with a few lines of Arabic; 25 folios with a double-page painting (1 verso, 2 recto), 1 sarlawh (folio 2 verso),1 colophon (folio 25 recto), inscriptions ( folio1 recto, 25 recto); standard page: 2 columns, 14 lines.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in a late sixteenth-century gold block-stamped leather over paper pasteboards with a scalloped medallion and cornerpieces. The doublures are of leather filigree on a multicolored paper ground. The envelope flap has a border and surface identical to that on the upper and lower covers.

View right to left

Maker(s)
Calligrapher: Mir Ali Haravi (died ca. 1550)
Patron: Nawwab Durmish Khan
Historical period(s)
Safavid period, ca.1521-1525
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 29 x 18.2 cm (11 7/16 x 7 3/16 in)
Geography
Iran, Probably Herat
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1986.38
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript

Keywords
Henri Vever collection, Iran, lute, percussion instrument, princess, Safavid period (1501 - 1722), WWII-era provenance
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Manuscript; Lawa'ih (Effulgences of light) by Jami; text: Persian in black and gold nasta'liq script with a few lines of Arabic; 25 folios with a double-page painting (1 verso, 2 recto), 1 sarlawh (folio 2 verso),1 colophon (folio 25 recto), inscriptions ( folio1 recto, 25 recto); standard page: 2 columns, 14 lines.
Binding: The manuscript is bound in a late sixteenth-century gold block-stamped leather over paper pasteboards with a scalloped medallion and cornerpieces. The doublures are of leather filigree on a multicolored paper ground. The envelope flap has a border and surface identical to that on the upper and lower covers.

Inscription(s)

Fol. 1 recto: In Turkish, "the history of Mulla Jami; illustrated history of Mulla Jami; illustrated Lawa'ih."
Fol. 25 recto, "written by this sinful slave Ali al-Katib. May God forgive his sins and disregard his faults. Written for the treasury of Nawwab Durmish Khan."

Label

The Lawa'ih (Effulgences of Light) is a mystical treatise written in prose but with numerous quatrains. It is divided into thirty sections, or "flashes." This copy of the manuscript is bound in an extremely fine late sixteenth-century gold block-stamped leather binding over paper pasteboards with doublures of leather filigree on multicolored paper ground.

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. 175, pp. 146-147.
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