A fine large Qur'an, copied by Zayn al-'Abidin Mahallati, illuminated by Haji Mirza Muhammad Taqi mudhahhib-bashi Shirazi, Persia, Qajar, dated 1308 AH/1890 AD

Arabic manuscript on polished paper, 244 leaves plus 2 flyleaves, 17 lines to the page, written in fine naskh script in black ink with cloud bands against a gold ground throughout, margins ruled in colours and gold, catchwords, surah headings in red thuluth within foliated panels, surah titles written in the top middle of each page, juz’ numbers in top left-hand corners of rectos and divination markers in top right-hand corners of versos, marginal commentaries in shikastah nasta’liq, 14 fully-illuminated pages of prayers, the risalah of Diya’ al-'uyun, talismanic charts and indexes in blue, black, red and gold inks before the double page frontispiece comprising surah al-fatiha and the opening of surah al-baqarah,fine lacquer binding decorated with birds amid flowers, doublures with corresponding decoration, in cloth-covered box

In very good overall condition, opening leaf strengthened, occasional very minor stains, minor abrasions to extremities, as viewed.
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This is a particularly fine Qajar Qur'an of the late nineteenth century, signed by both the scribe, illuminator, and scribe of the marginal commentaries. Although there are a few references to Imam 'Ali (such as 'ya 'ali' or a talismanic panel with the nada 'ali quatrain), the absence of interlinear Persian translations, quotes from Shi’i Imams in the marginal commentaries and no verbal description of Imam 'Ali or a reference to dhu’l-faqar, suggests that the manuscript may have been copied for a Sunni patron.

An interesting element of this manuscript is the inclusion, before the beginning of the Qur'an, of a text called risaleh-ye diya’ al-'uyun by an unidentified author. He is mentioned as the son of Nizam al-Din Muhammad Hadi (titled Shah Mirza and called Mirza Mahdi Khan Safavi). The colophon of this text also mentions its patron, a merchant (tajir) by the name of Aqa Samad of Shirvan, the copyist Yusuf Ibn Nur al-Din al-Husayni al-Nayrizi al-Shirazi (also unidentified) and the date, dhi-hijjah (sic) 1315 AH/1898 AD. Aqa Samad was a merchant from Shirvan who lived in Rasht, built a mosque there, and made numerous endowments to it. 

the scribe

Despite numerous recorded work by Zayn al-'Abidin al-Mahallati, little is known about his life, other than that he came from a family of theologians.  After his initial education he went to Isfahan and was trained by the known naskh calligrapher of the time Zayn al-'Abidin Isfahani ashraf al-kuttab ('most noble of scribes'). He later moved to Tehran where he copied many manuscripts and taught the art of calligraphy to numerous pupils.

However, from the colophons of his recorded works, which are all in naskh and riqa’, it is understood that he was a son of Muhammad 'Ali Mahallati, who worked mainly in Tehran producing copies of the Qur'an and religious texts mainly commissioned for Muzaffar al-Din Shah, including a copy of the 'Twelve Imams of Khwajah Nasir' in 1317 AH/1899. His recorded works, which also include an inscription in the Imamzadeh Yahya in Tehran, are dated between 1853 and 1909 (see M.Bayani, ahval va athar-e khosh-navisan, nasta’liq navisan, vol.4, 1358 sh, pp.67-8).

The scribe of the marginal commentaries in shikastah nasta’liq script is named as Mirza ‘Ali Muhammad Khan, the registrar (nazim) of the chancellery office, although he is unrecorded.

the illuminator

Haji Mirza Muhammad Taqi mudhahhib-bashi Shirazi was honoured with the title mudhahhib-bashi ('chief illuminator') by both Nasir al-Din Shah and Muzaffar al-Din Shah and described in the athar-e 'ajam by Fursat al-Dawlah Shirazi, who knew him well in Shiraz, as the master over all others. In his view, the art of illumination was connected with geometry as well as perspective, making it a science, indicating that Muhammad Taqi had knowledge of both. His best work is described as the work sold in these rooms, 15 April 1985, lot 117 (see M.A. Karimzadeh Tabrizi, The Lives & Art of Old Painters of Iran, vol. 2, London, 1990, p.674).