Lot 28
  • 28

Four manuscripts: 1) Razi, Diwan, Persia, Safavid, dated 932 AH/1526 AD; 2) Kashf al-wujuh al-ghurr li-ma’ani nazm al-durr by ‘Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani, Mesopotamia, dated 880 AH/1475 AD; 3) Hamdullah Hamdi, Leyla wa Majnun, Anatolia, Ottoman, dated 905 AH/1499-1500 AD; 4) Jami (d.1492), Yusuf va Zuleykha, Persia, dated 973 AH/1565-66 AD

Estimate
3,000 - 4,000 GBP
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Description

  • ink on paper - all bound manuscript
  • 1) 16.5 by 9.5cm.2) 17.1 by 12cm.3) 16.8 by 10.1cm.4) 21.4 by 13.5cm.
1) Persian manuscript on paper, 47 leaves plus 4 fly-leaves, 8 lines to the page written in black nasta’liq, ruled in gold and blue, titles in blue within cartouches decorated with floral scrolls, illuminated heading in gold and polychrome, surmounting 4 lines of black nasta’liq within clouds against a gold ground, in later card binding.
2) Arabic manuscript on paper, 237 leaves plus a fly-leaf, 15 lines to the page, written in clean naskh in black ink, some sentences underlined in red, in later leather binding.
3) Ottoman Turkish manuscript on paper, 124 leaves plus 6 fly-leaves, text arranged in 2 columns, 17 lines to the page, ruled in gold, titles in gold, some pages replaced, gold and polychrome heading, in leather gilt-stamped binding, with flap
4) Persian manuscript on paper, 273 leaves plus 2 fly-leaves, text arranged in 2 columns, 12 lines to the page, written in nasta’liq in black ink, titles in gold, ruled in green, orange, gold and blue, polychrome and gold headpiece, in gilt-stamped binding, lacking flap

Condition

Diwan: In generally good condition, stains and minor holes, rubbing as viewed. A commentary on the Ta'iyyah: INgood condition, the first age with the lower left corner missing, the rest of the manuscript clean and with only minor stains, as viewed. Layla and Majnun: in good condition, minor losses to the painting of the illumination, minor smudges, minor stains, ). A second colophon gives the name of the scribe as Mustafa ibn 'Umar al-Brusawi and a date in the beginning of Rabi' al-Awwal 928 (Jan-February 1522). Though the date is not improbable, the inscription is in a different hand and could well be from another manuscript. Yusuf va Zuleykha: in reasonably good condition, some tears, stains, rubbing, several ownership notes, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Hamdullah Hamdi was born in 1449 in Göynük and is reported to have taught in the madrasa of Sultan Mehmed I in Bursa before having a dream in which his father told him to abandon the esoteric sciences and become the disciple of the Sufi Ibrahim Tennuri in Kayseri. Other sources state that he offered his mathnavi Yusuf va Zuleykha to Sultan Bayezid II, but after the sultan showed no interest in the work, removed the opening section in praise of the sultan and instead wrote a passage on his misfortune. In other works, including the Leyla wa Majnun, Hamdullah complains of the lack of encouragement for the arts, and even states that if Firdawsi or Nizami had lived during his own age, they too would not have succeeded in attracting patronage. He died in 1503 and was buried next to his father in Göynük. His Leyla wa Majnun is one of the earliest Turkish treatments of the subject. Other copies of the work are in the Süleymaniye Library (Ayasofya, nr. 3901/2), Istanbul University Library (TY, nr. 800), National Library (Ali Emiri Efendi, Manzum, nr. 1164, 1165), Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (A.F. 334, Suppl. 391) and the British Library (Or. 1163).