Munājāt-i Ḥaz̤rat-i ʻAlī, [18th century?].

Elegant copy of the qaṣīdah in ʻayn, Munājāt ʻAlī, from the dīwān attributed to ʻAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ca. 600-661), accompanied by elucidation in Persian, possibly of Ḥaqīrī Tabrīzī (see al-Dharīʻah no.6860, vol.22, pp.237-238). Contributions to the cataloguing from Abbas Zarei Mehrvarz and Hossein Mottaghi.Origin: As appears in colophon at close, copy executed by al-Ḥājj Muḥammad Zakarīyā-yi Samarqandī. Date of transcription not specified ; paper, etc. may suggest 18th century.Former shelfmark: "543 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on upper board lining ; "111" inscribed in pencil on 'title page' (recto of leaf carrying incipit page).Binding: Pasteboards (thin, semi-limp) faced in blue-green textile with dark red leather over spine and edges / turn-ins (textile faced, leather edged, framed binding) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; board linings in untinted laid paper ; sewn in red thread, two stations ; overall in fair condition with minor staining and abrasion, sewing failing, cover detached at spine, etc.Support: European and non-European (likely Persian or Indian) laid paper, all highly sized and burnished ; bifolia appear to be composed of two leaves laminated together and mould markings are therefore difficult to examine in all but the second to last bifolium (which also carries a watermark, difficult to make out) ; some leaves tinted (green-blue / aquamarine and pale yellow ) with facing pages in the same color ; opening added bifolium (serving as flyleaves) in a paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (vertical, quite distinct) and no chain lines or watermarks visible), beige in color.Decoration: Illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening consisting of rectangular piece with empty gold cartouche flanked by swirling arabesque in gold with floral motifs in orange-red and pink all on a light-blue ground, surmounted by a scalloped semi-circular piece (dome) filled with same manner of swirling arabesque and floral motifs (in gold, orange-red, pink) on a light-blue ground, itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in gold with light-blue accents, and entire piece set in a heavy well of gold ; written area throughout surrounded by heavy frame in a series of narrow gold bands outlined by black fillets ; margin and panels within the written area also outlined in gold bands ; in the first few leaves (through fol.4a), elucidation in Persian surrounded by border evoking the design of the ʻunwān / sarlawḥ, a band of the same falls at the center of the written area ; written area (including outlined margin) gold-flecked to varying degrees.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; verses in a large, exquisite Indian style hand with elongation and somewhat exaggerated constrast in thickness between horizontal and vertical strokes ; elucidation in much smaller and compact hand.Layout: Written mainly in 4 lines of verse and 8 lines of elucidation per page, with lines of verse flanking lines of elucidation (written on the diagonal).Collation: ii, 4 I(8) ; catchwords present.Colophon: "Scribal," reads "تمت نسخۀ مناجات حضرت علي رضي الله تعالى عنه على يد اضعف الحقير العبد المذنب الحاج محمد زكرياى سمرقندى غفر له"Explicit: "وناجاك اخيار ببابك ركع يا رب ز توبر رسول صلوه سلام ... بر در كه تو ركوع آرند و قيام"Incipit: "لك الحمد يا ذا الجود والمجد والعلى تباركت تعطي من تشاء وتمنع ای صاحب جود مر ترا حمد و ثنا هستی تو بزرگوار با مجد و علا ..."Title from colophon.Ms. codex.Brockelmann, C. GAL,Āghā Buzurg al-Ṭihrānī. al-Dharīʻah ilá taṣānīf al-Shīʻah,Elegant copy of the qaṣīdah in ʻayn, Munājāt ʻAlī, from the dīwān attributed to ʻAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (ca. 600-661), accompanied by elucidation in Persian, possibly of Ḥaqīrī Tabrīzī (see al-Dharīʻah no.6860, vol.22, pp.237-238). Contributions to the cataloguing from Abbas Zarei Mehrvarz and Hossein Mottaghi.Mode of access: Internet.Acquired by purchase (funds donated by Horace Rackham).Clean copy