Book of poetry

Object Details

Description

Manuscript; Book of poetry; Ottoman Turkish in black and red nasta'liq script; 34 folios with a double-page frontispiece (fols. 1 verso,1 recto); illuminated headings; dated colophon (folio 34recto); standard page: 2 columns, 22 lines of text.

Binding: The manuscript is bound in leather over paper pasteboards with leather filigree designs on the exterior covers.

Inscriptions

Folio 34 recto: "it belongs to the poor [soul] in need of the mercy of the Lord of mankind, Sayyid Lutfullah b. Azizada Sayyid Ibrahim al-Yanyawi. Completed in the year [A.H.] 1190, [A.D. 1776-77]."

Affixed to exterior, front cover, lower left corner, rectangular sticker with blue border: "32" written in blue ink

Front flyleaf affixed to upper left corner, rectangular sticker with blue octagonal border: illegible number that has been worn away

Front flyleaf: "No. 24" written in black ink and crossed out

Front flyleaf: "no. 10381" written in black ink

Front flyleaf: "N /OT" written in black ink

Front flyleaf: "no 98" written in pencil

Front flyleaf: "HV rtzx" written in pencil

Front flyleaf: "fin du XV ͤ S." written in pencil

Front flyleaf: "32" written and circled in pencil

Provenance

?-1942

Henri Vever (1854-1942), method of acquisition unknown [1]

1942-1947

Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947), bequest of Henri Vever [2]

1947-1986

Francois Mautin (1907-2003), bequest of Jeanne Louise Monthiers and Henri Vever [3]

From 1986

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased from Francois Mautin [4]

Notes:

[1] An accomplished French jeweler and collector, Henri Vever (1854-1942) amassed a large and impressive collection of works of art during his lifetime. His holdings in Japanese prints and Islamic arts of the books, especially from Iran and India, were among the most important assembled in the early twentieth century. This work was in Vever's collection at the time of his death in 1942.

[2] Upon Henri Vever's death on September 25, 1942, his wife, Jeanne Louise Monthiers inherited this work. See exhibits F and G of Agreement of Purchase and Sale of the Henri Vever Collection, January 9, 1986, copy in object file.

[3] Upon the death of Jeanne Louise Monthiers, as stipulated in the will of Henri Vever, the family's assets were divided evenly between his two grandchildren. His only grandson, Francois Mautin inherited the collection known as "The Henri Vever Collection of Oriental Art and Manuscripts Including Persian and Indian Art and Manuscripts." This work is part of that collection. See exhibits F and G as cited in note 2.

[4] The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery purchased the entirety of the collection from Francois Mautin on January 9, 1986. See purchase agreement, copy in object file.

Research completed June 2, 2022

Collection

Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Previous custodian or owner

Francois Mautin (1907-2003)

Jeanne Louise Monthiers (1861-1947)

Henri Vever (1854-1942)

Credit Line

Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler

1776-77 (1190 A.H.)

Period

Ottoman period

Accession Number

S1986.31

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Manuscript

Medium

Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Dimensions

H x W (overall): 33.2 x 21.2 cm (13 1/16 x 8 3/8 in)

Origin

Turkey

Related Online Resources

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Topic

Ottoman period (1307 - 1922)

poetry

nasta'liq script

illumination

Turkey

Arts of the Islamic World

Henri Vever collection

Record ID

fsg_S1986.31

Metadata Usage (text)

Not determined

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3d12f3989-b4c2-4059-92db-1a8c8a330859