Near East & Islamic

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 338 leaves plus an additional free endpaper at each end, 140 x 95 mm; single column, 12 lines scribal black naskh, surah headings in red throughout, double-page decorated borders to opening two, central two and final two leaves of text executed in the typical Kashmiri style of illustration, with gilt borders and blue strokes extending outwardly from the text, verses marked with precise gilt roundels outlined in black, catch-words, some light browning and occasional finger soiling; modern blue cloth, gilt morocco label to spine.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Arabic, 198 leaves, complete, 105 by 65 mm; single column, 21 lines elegant black naskh per page, surah headings in ref thuluth against gilt banners throughout, opening two leaves with elaborately decorated gilt head-pieces and further gilt polychrome additions to the outer borders, fihrist at the front of the Qur'an and closing prayers at the end copied in blue and red within arabesque shapes set against decorative floral backgrounds, catch-words, a few small stains and light finger-soiling, overall very bright and attractive condition; contemporary lacquered boards, framed within gilt borders (later gilding), edges painted with floral motifs in gilt, rebacked, a handsome copy.

First edition, 2 volumes, 8vo, pp. xl, 323; [iv], 9, 289, text to second volume in Farsi, first volume with blind stamp of Wigan Public Library, internally very clean and crisp; modern half calf, gilt spines and marbled edges. an attractive set.

Single volume, second volume only of the text, decorated manuscript in Arabic, complete in alternating quires of 8 and 12 leaves with a bifolium at the end to complete the text, 162 leaves (plus one contemporary and 3 later endleaves), 218 by 118 mm; single column of 11-12 lines in sepia naskh hand of the author al-Sharif al-Radi himself, title on recto of first leaf, colophon at end of text in same hand, on distinctively Persian dark-cream paper, most leaves with mould markings (of 7-8 laid reed lines per centimetre, and with no chain lines apparent), final free endpaper with numerous ownership inscriptions (pre-fourteenth century), occasional marginal commentary (also pre-fourteenth century), some early damp-staining and mottling to leaves to entirety of volume affecting upper and outer corners, a few repairs to preliminary leaves including a closed tear to first leaf, strip of modern paper pasted along length of pastedown (probably from modern description once pasted there and subsequently removed), later endpapers and doublures inserted; fourteenth-century leather boards, stamped in blind and ruled with geometric patterns, skilfully rebacked, resewn and edges repaired, very presentable and attractive condition.

Two volumes, both printed in Farsi and German, complete, 8vo (each c. 235 by 160 mm); Farsi titles printed in red and black within red borders, engraved head-pieces opening the text to each volume also printed in red, bookplates to upper pastedowns of each volume, internally clean and crisp condition; contemporary full russet morocco spines ruled in compartments within slightly raised bands, covers double-ruled in green, later paper labels pasted to the spines of each volume, spines faded and extremities lightly rubbed, repair to upper edge of front cover of Tarikh-e Khani.

Single volume, decorated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 650 leaves, first 8 leaves in later manuscript facsimile (of the same style as the rest of the manuscript) else apparently textually complete, 300 x 195 mm; single column, 13 lines bold bihari script, top, middle and bottom lines in red, remaining lines of text in black throughout, 'Allah' copied in red throughout, Surah openings marked with banners formed of geometric rectangles often in red and green with gilt decorations, marginal ornamentation marking important divisions of the Qur'an, these mostly in circular or arabesque shapes in lilac, green, turquoise and red, with gilt additions, catch-words, damp-staining to upper and lower edges of text-block, some early and crude marginal repairs (rarely affecting text); housed in early decorated leather boards, decorative borders stamped in blind to covers, worm-holes (repaired), rubbed, edges repaired and rebacked.

New Edition (fourth thus), 2 volumes, 8vo, vol. 1: xii, [2], 248pp., 266pp., [14 (table of contents)] ; vol. 2: [8], 519pp, [13]; large folding map and 3 engraved plates (2 of these folding), ink inscriptions to front free endpapers else clean and bright internally, small tear with loss to outer margin of p.99 (H2) in vol. 1 (not affecting text); fine contemporary tree calf, red morocco labels to spines, lettered in gilt, head of volume 1 lightly rubbed, a very handsome set.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, complete, 231 leaves, 260 by 165 mm; single column, 16 lines fine black naskh script, surah headings in red throughout, occasional marginal additions copied int he same hand, catch-words throughout, leaves ruled in gilt and blue, verses marked by gilt roundels throughout, some very faint scattered ink smudges overall very clean and crisp condition; contemporary fine hand-painted lacquered boards, outer covers with elegant floral compositions set against a striking bronzed background, framed within a border of floral cartouches, inner covers in red with gilt spiralling vines, backed in leather, very clean and attractive condition.

Single volume, lithographed from a manuscript in Arabic, 160pp., complete, 125 by 80 mm; printed from a manuscript in single column, 7 lines bold naskh script with vocalisation and diacritics, leaves a little browned and some very small chips to outer edges of margins (not affecting text), numerous early ink inscriptions in English including a list of contents and a part-translation of the colophon; contemporary quarter leather over marbled boards, a little rubbed.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 161 leaves plus a final free blank at the end of the volume, complete, 173 by 103 mm; single column, 11 lines fine black naskh, chapter headings in gld throughout, contemporary catch-words, text-block ruled in gold and blue, final two leaves loose becoming loose otherwise in excellent and very clean condition; contemporary diced red leather morocco, covers ruled in border of small circular tooling in blind, extremities vvery slightly rubbed, a very nice copy.