An Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscript of 'Ar'ifi's Halnama ('Book of Ecstasy' or 'The ball and the Polo-stick'), copied by the scribe Murshad, Persia, Safavid, dated 936 AH/1529 AD

Persian manuscript on paper, 58 leaves, 10 lines to the page written in an elegant flowing Nasta'liq script in black ink on gold sprinkled paper, some pages with six lines to the page written horizontally and diagonally, verses separated by triangular clusters comprising 3 blue dots, headings in dark blue ink against panels of scrolling gold vines, opening illuminated double page with headpiece composed of interlacing split palmettes, flowers and chinoisérie cloudbands against blue and gold grounds, text written within cloudbands against a gold ground sprinkled with flowers, 7 finely executed miniatures, margins ruled in colours and gold, red morocco binding with gilt stamped covers decorated with a dense and rigorous design of flowers, cloudbands and split palmettes, doublures composed of gold and black filigreework against a light blue ground with a gold ropework border, in fitted cloth box with accompanying book relating to the text

In good overall condition, doublures a little rubbed, occasional staining and a few paper repairs, some rubbing to the miniatures, but calligraphy strong and gold bright, as viewed.
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Written in 1438 AD, the mystical and allegorical poem 'The Book of Ecstasy' (also known as 'The Ball and the Polo-stick') is the best known work of the Herati poet 'Arifi (d.1449 AD). He was known by his admirers as 'the second Salman', not only due to perceived similarities in writing styles, but also because the two poets both suffered, according to Mir 'Ali Shir, from 'weak and inflamed eyes' (see E.G. Brown, A Literary History of Persia, Vol.III, Cambridge, 1964, pp.495-7). The present manuscript is accompanied by a hardback illustrated translation of the present work, entitled The Ball and the Polo Stick, by R.S. Greenshields, London, 1932.