Summary:
Careful copy of an excerpt from a Persian-Persian dictionary from Bāb al-alif through Bāb al-nūn, followed by an excerpt from a work on Persian prosody and preceded by assorted poetic excerpts.
Subject(s):
Persian language--Dictionaries.
Persian language--Versification.
Manuscripts, Persian--Michigan--Ann Arbor.
Incipit:
"باب الالف مع الالف افدستا بفتح [همزه] و دال مهمله و سکون فا و سین مهمله حمد خدای عز و جل و ستایش شگفت و نیکو چه اینکلمه مرکبست از اخذ [افد] که بمعنی شگفت است ..."
Contents:
1. p.4-p.9 : [assorted poetic excerpts].
2. p.10 : [blank].
3. p.11-p.266 : [Kitāb-i lughāt].
4. p.267-p.276 : [Risālah-i ʻarūz̤-i Fārsī]
Physical Details:
Collation:
II (4), IV-2 (10), IV-1 (17), III+1 (24), 8 IV(88), II (92), 5 IV(132), III-1 (137) ; almost exclusively quaternions with added binion at opening ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes insert).
Script:
Nastaʻlīq ; clear, spacious hand in a medium line ; serifless with effect of tilt to the left and of words descending to baseline, elongation of horizontal strokes, pointing in strokes rather than distinct dots, mainly closed counters, freely ligatured.
Support:
European laid paper of several types (mainly machine laid) ; opening type (also appearing later in the volume) with a crosshatch of "laid lines," chain lines spaced 26-27 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermark of "JP" in medallion with bird on ball above (see p.11, 18, 19, 102, 104, 109, etc.) ; next type with 10 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 25-28 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermarks of "AL MASSO" (see p.28, 30, 31, etc.) and scrollwork with bird above tower (see p.24, 26, etc.) ; next type with crosshatch of "laid lines," chain lines spaced 26-27 mm. apart (horizontal) and watermarks of "AL MASSO" and scrollwork with bird above tower and "GIOR MAGNANI" below (see p.52, 54, 58, 59 63, etc. and compare Heawood 3748) ; next type with crosshatch of "laid lines," chain lines spaced 26-27 mm. apart (horizontal) and watermarks of stag leaping above pond (stag courant) and "BAGLIETTO" (see p.120, 122, 123, 125, etc.) ; still another type with crosshatch of "laid lines," chain lines spaced 25-28 mm. apart (horizontal) and watermark of "Florino GPP" below flower ; well-burnished ; staining and tide lines.
Binding:
Covers in black leather with orange-brown interior (limp binding without boards) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; once stab sewn in heavy white cord ; worked chevron endbands in yellow and purple, fair condition and detaching from text block with spine lining (through which they are sewn) ; overall in fair condition with cover fully detached, some abrasion, staining, etc.
Accompanying Materials:
Slip with notes in hand of Eleazar Birnbaum, "Author ? | Title: [KITĀB-i LUGHAT] Title on fore-edge | In Persian. | A brief dictionary Persian-Persian from rāʼ it is very sketchy | At the end part of a Persian technical treatise on prosody. (incomplete) | No date, possibly 17th cent ? | Ownership note on fly leaf 1292 A.H. (1875 A.D.) | E Birnbaum June 1964" (paginated pp.1-2).
Origin:
Lacks dated colophon ; paper, etc. would suggest mid 19th century. Ownership statement on front flyleaf (p.3) provides rough terminus ante quem of 1875.
Ownership and History:
Former owners' marks on opening add leaf (p.3) include listing of volumes / titles, inventory number "MS 1906" with extent/collation statement "131 folios", and ownership statement dated Jumādá I [?] 1292 [June-July? 1875] in name of one Muḥammad Ṣādiq ... [?] ( محمد صادق ) accompanied by small oval seal impression ; marginal corrections.
Former Owner(s):
05 Muḥammad Ṣādiq, fl. 1875, former owner. Nuttall, Frank E., 1875-1943, former owner. 05 محمد صادق, مالك سابق.
Posted by evyn on January 31, 2011
Tags: F. E. Nuttall Collection, Fully Catalogued, Persian MSS
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