Divân-ı Baki Efendi, [1176, i.e. 1762 or 1763].

Elegant copy of the collected poems of the celebrated Turkish poet, Baki Efendi (d.1600).Origin: As appears in colophon at close of opening section (p.57), copied by Muḥammad al-Amīn (Mehmet Emin) with transcription completed 1176 [1762 or 3].Accompanying materials: a. Inventory cataloguing slip in hand of Winifred Smeaton Thomas -- b. Acquisitions slip from Yahuda.Former shelfmark: From front flyleaf and spine label, "IL 123a" (likely supplied by Yahuda, see acquisitions slip).Binding: Pasteboards covered in block-printed paper (repeated square with dots pattern in contrasting blue and white forming a fish scale effect) with brown leather over spine, fore edge flap, and edges/turn-ins (framed binding) ; Type II binding (with flap) ; board linings/doublures in block-printed paper (repeated 8-petaled flower in purple with yellow and pink circle background accents) ; sewn in dull pink thread, two stations ; worked chevron endbands in pink and cream, good condition ; overall in somewhat poor condition with significant abrasion, lifting and losses of leather, upper cover detaching, etc. ; housed in box for protection.Support: European laid paper with 11 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 22-24 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermarks of grapes (raisin) under crown and name (see p.26, 27, etc.) ; 'gold'-flecked ; break-through at frame in leaf carrying pp.57-58.Decoration: Illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening on p.2 consisting of rectangular piece with cartouche carrying title in red "ديوان باقى افندى رحمة الله عليه" surmounted by scalloped semi-circular piece (dome) filled with swirling floral vegetal decoration in lavender, pink, orange-red, gold, and red on fields of blue and gold, itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue with orange-red accents and all set in a well of lavender with blue crosses ; another illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān) on p.68 echoes the first, consisting of rectangular piece with cartouche carrying title in red "ديوان باقى افندى رحمة الله عليه رحمة واسعة" flanked by floral motifs in orange-red, white, lavender and gold on fields of blue and gold, surmounted by scalloped semi-circular piece (dome) filled with swirling floral vegetal decoration in light blue, lavender, pink, white, orange-red, gold, and red on fields of blue and gold, itself surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue with gold and red accents and all set in a well of pink with blue crosses; written area and two columns within surrounded by gold frame ; keywords, some headings and catchwords rubricated.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; at least two elegant, medium hands ; sans serif with effect of words descending to baseline, characteristic letterforms ; final leaves (from p.312) in more of a naskh-nastaʻlīq, slightly more compact, more highly ligatured and partially seriffed with slight effect of words descending to baseline.Layout: Written in roughly 12 lines of verse per page, on the diagonal in two columns with each hemistich to a diagonal line for roughly 24 hemistiches per page ; headings not on the diagonal ; written area divided to two columns to set off the verses.Collation: IV (8), V (18), VII+1 (33), 13 V(163), VI (175) ; chiefly quinions ; several leaves ruled but left blank between opening section and following (pp.58-66), p. 67 carries text that has been crossed out, final leaves also ruled but left blank (pp.345-348) ; catchwords present (rubricated) ; in mid to latter quires, foliation visible in lower outer corner of the verso of each leaf ; pagination in pencil, Western numerals, supplied during digitization (inlcudes back flyleaf).Colophon: "Scribal," triangular, reads "كتبه العبد الضعيف المذنب الفقير محمد الامين غفر الله ذنوبه سنه ۱۱۷٦"Explicit: "افرين صد افرين اول طبع كوهر باشنه"Incipit: "بحمد الله شرف بولدى ينه ملك سليمانى جلوس اتدى سعادت تحتنه اسكندر ثانى ..."Title from headpieces at openings on p.2 and p.68.Ms. codex.Ḥājjī Khalīfah. Kashf al-ẓunūn,Brit. Mus. Cat. Turkish MSS.,Elegant copy of the collected poems of the celebrated Turkish poet, Baki Efendi (d.1600).Mode of access: Internet.Acquired in 1926 from the bookseller Isaac Benjamin S.E. Yahuda via purchase transacted on his behalf by Abraham Shalom Yahuda (1877-1951), his younger brother.Several former owners' marks on 'title page' (p.1) including possible former shelfmark or inventory mark with "١٣," signature of İsmail Bey ( اسماعيل بك ), large oval seal impression, circular seal impression, an ownership statement dated 25 Rajab [?] 1226 [ca. 15 August 1811] ; in name of Genç Mehmet Paşazade İbrahim ( كنچ محمد پ اشا زاده الحاج ابراهيم ) accompanied by a portion of an oval seal impression dated 1218 [1803 or 4] ; former owners' mark on back flyleaf (p.350) ; occasional glosses