Shamsah va Qahqahah, [1237, i.e. 1822].

Exquisite copy of excerpts from the collection of stories by Mīrzā Barkhvurdār ibn Maḥmūd Turkmān [Turkamān], Mumtāz Farāhī.Origin: As appears in colophon on p.358, transcription completed 17 Ramaḍān 1238 [ca. 28 May 1822].Accompanying materials: Slip with excerpts (in Persian, black ink) paginated (pp.149-150).Former shelfmark: "431 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on front flyleaf (p.1).Binding: Heavy pasteboards covered in painted lacquerwork, spine in dark brown leather ; Type III binding (without flap) ; doublures in fine painted lacquerwork of swirling floral vegetal composition radiating from a central many-petalled flower in gold on a black ground and surrounded by vegetal border (composition of upper doublure mirrors that of lower doublure) ; upper and lower covers bear paintings of nearly identical floral composition in mirror image to one another on a dark red background, namely a stand of peonies, poppies, roses, etc. surrounded by other floral forms all in shades of pink, light blue and white with stalks and leaves in various shades of green, and surrounded by decorative band of vegetal motifs on a black ground framed in gold-painted borders ; sewn in pink and dark yellow thread, two stations, failing with some gatherings loose ; worked endbands damaged and nearly gone (head and tail) ; overall in fair condition with some abrasion and losses to lacquerwork and pasteboard, etc.Support: non-European (likely Persian or Indian) laid paper with 11 laid lines per cm. (vertical and horizontal, some curving, fairly distinct) and no chain lines visible, thin, crisp and transluscent though sturdy, well-sized and burnished to glossy, gray to off-white in tone ; minor pest damage.Decoration: Exquisite illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.4 consisting of a narrow rectangular piece carrying the basmalah set off by gold cloud-bands and flanked by elaborate floral vegetal compositions on fields of gold and blue with red accents (evoking a series of domes), surmounted by another narrow rectangular piece with empty gold cartouche flanked by elaborate floral vegetal composition on fields of gold and blue with red accents (evoking a perimeter of domes), itself surmounted by a large scalloped dome in gold (with blue mandorla at the center) set against a w-shaped piece in blue (approaching lapis lazuli) all filled with swirling vegetal composition with floral motifs in sades of orange, pink, lavender, blue, yellow, etc. and set in an elaborate well of cartouches in blue, gold, and red filled with floral compositions and bordered in bands of red and white, entire piece set in a well of heavy interlace in gold and black, defined by white bands ; on incipit and facing page (pp.4-5), splendid illuminated marginal decoration consisting of a swirling vegetal composition with sāz leaves and floral forms in gold, orange, pink, blue, etc. ; written area of incipit and facing page bordered in bands of blue and gold with text set off by gold cloud-bands ; elsewhere written area surrounded by gold frame with defining black fillets and outermost blue rule, divisions within and margin defined by gold rules.Script: Nastaʻlīq ; elegant hand ; serifless, with effect of words descending to baseline, closed counters, and elongated horizontal strokes.Layout: Written in 19 lines per page, written area occasionally divided to set off poetry ; frame-ruled.Collation: 22 IV(176), II (180) ; almost exclusively quaternions ; final leaf left blank ; catchwords present ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (includes insert).Colophon: "Scribal," reads "... با قليمى رسا بند و ازان تاريخ با سجال نه خود مراجعت كردند و نه مكتوبى از ايشان رسيد دوخ روز از دام مكر و جمله و تزوير ايشان نسخات باقيه بعيش و نشاط مشغول كرديد بتوفيق الله تعالى در صبح يوم الاربعاء سابع عشر شهر رمضان المبارك باتمام رسيد وكان تحرير ذلك في سنه ۱۲۳۸"Incipit: "چهره پرداز عرایس حریم عجز و نیاز و مصور نگارخانۀ فرنگ آب و رنگ مضمون اين نسخۀ مسرت طراز ..."Title from inscription on front flyleaf (p.1) and from opening matter on p.5.Ms. codex.Exquisite copy of excerpts from the collection of stories by Mīrzā Barkhvurdār ibn Maḥmūd Turkmān [Turkamān], Mumtāz Farāhī.Mode of access: Internet.Acquired by purchase (funds donated by Horace Rackham).Inscription in pencil on front flyleaf (p.1) "431 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" ; ownership statement on front flyleaf (p.1) ; occasional glosses and marginal corrections