Manuscript of an epic based on Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, North I - Lot 238

Manuscript of an epic based on Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, North India, probably Delhi or provincial Mughal school, late 18th - early 19th century Manuscript on paper, 249 folios, text of 23 lines per page in four columns, in Persian nasta'liq in black ink. Some verses indicated obliquely in cartouches illuminated in gold and polychrome with floral decoration. Titles indicated with polychrome inks or gold in cartouches. Text illustrated with 51 miniatures, some of imposing size, painted in gouache, gold and silver. Missing illuminated frontispiece and colophon, and several unfinished pages (missing fillets and illuminations, unfinished paintings). Text composed mainly of the Shahnameh up to chapter XXII, the Story of Bijan and Manijeh (part 14, c. 76), followed by an extract from the Barzunameh from part V, c. 2 (l. 12, folio 244 recto) to part XII, c. 93. The first part comprises 234 folios and 48 paintings, the second 16 folios and 3 illustrations. Bound in black leather with embossed floral border in gold. Collector's label on front board "NO. 2369 OL", later handwritten annotations on first leaf and collector's label stating "N°. 331 HXH0". Typewritten label glued to the back cover of the binding at the end of the manuscript stating "Shahnamah. Pictures. 40. Pages. 293. Written in 1107 Hijri, in Kangra. No. B. 2. Ank. 275. Made in India. Binding size: 32 x 23.3 cm Incomplete manuscript with missing folios and unfinished elements (some framing fillets, illuminations, illustrations etc.), wetness, stains, small accidents and tears, restorations, blank leaves added at beginning and end, binding heavily worn and restored, fragments of its spine detached. Provenance: Belgian bibliophile private collection. This manuscript, written in Farsi, illustrates the taste of patrons in the Indian peninsula for dynastic histories and classical Persian culture. The choice of copying a Shahnameh (Book of Kings), the most famous Persian epic versified by Ferdowsi around the year 1000, was an obvious one, given the importance of this work for the elite, even beyond the borders of Iran. The copyist runs Ferdowsi's text up to chapter XXII (part 14, verse 76), then makes it clear that after telling the story of Bijan, he turns to that of Borzû, son of Sohrâb (l.9, folio 234 r.). He then continues directly with an extract from the Barzunameh, introduced by a title inscribed in green in a cartouche: "Beginning of the story of Borzû, son of Sohrâb". This second epic poem, consisting of 65,000 verses, recounts the adventures of the hero Borzû, grandson of the great Rostam. It is often attributed to the court poet Abul-'Alâ' 'Atâ ibn Ya'qûb, known as Ata'î Razi (d. 1078 or 1098), who worked in the service of the Ghaznevids in Khorasan. This poem is written in the same meter and style as the Shahnameh, from which it takes its protagonists. It was a huge success among the collections of poems written after the Book of Kings, so much so that some copyists added extracts to the Shahnameh manuscripts, as was the case here. Whether we're dealing with the Shahnameh or the Barzunameh text, it has been observed that the copyist of this manuscript took the liberty of abbreviating sections, deleting certain verses and changing their place, thus proposing variations on the officially published versions. This fantasy contributes to the originality of this work. {CR}In its current state, the work has no colophon, making it difficult to attribute it or to reconstruct the context of its creation. The style of the paintings and illuminations points to the North Indian style of the late Mughal period, although they cannot be attributed with certainty to any particular school. The rich illustrations are vividly colored, with solid colors similar to the Kashmiri palette. Gold plays an important role, contrasting with the generally dark skies with clouds finely ringed in gold, often seen in provincial Mughal and Delhiite paintings. Many scenes take place on the terraces of white marble palaces, bordered by the flowerbeds of their chahar bagh, treated with depth effects, a nod to the West. The treatment of architecture, [...] SEE FULL DESCRIPTION IN PDF CATALOG