The Bookshop

Stud bound, in burgundy boards, Bawden design on cream paper to both boards printed in black. Full page illustrated title page by Bawden, vignettes and borders throughout. A very good copy.

Concertina-style miniature prayerbook, illuminated manuscript in Arabic, complete, 16 conjoined leaves, 48 by 48 mm; numerous illustrations including images of the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, attributions to Prophet Muhammad through depictions of his hand prints, foot prints, and his Seal of Prophecy, with further illustrations pertaining to the other prophets such as the sword of 'Ali, all heightened in gilt, versos and outer boards backed in contemporary marbled paper.

First edition, printed in Arabic type-set in red and black, complete, small 8vo (165 by 110 mm); Arabic text within ruled borders, key words and phrases printed in red, printed catch-words and wood-block printed devices, ownership and bibliographical inscriptions to front free endpapers (in Arabic and Italian, probably nineteenth-century), clean condition internally; contemporary blind embossed morocco, stamped in gilt with coptic-style central and corner medallions of a floral motif, upper cover a little darkened and soiled, otherwise a good copy.

Single volume, decorated manuscript on western imported paper, from a mixed stock including the watermark of a crescent moon in a shield and the letters 'EIV', in Arabic, complete, 124 leaves, 255 by 180 mm; single column, 16 lines informal cursive script in black with headings and important words in red, catch-words throughout, numerous contemporary and later marginal inscriptions, some light staining (as often), some gatherings becoming loose; contemporary provincial binding of strips of leather over wooden boards with flap, worn with sections of leather missing.

Illuminated manuscript on thick Shirazi paper, 6 books in one volume, in Farsi, 324 leaves (including a front and final free endpaper), 325 by 215 mm.; four columns, 21 lines elegant black nasta'liq with some headings and sections in red, six illuminated polychrome headings opening each of the books, each featuring bold colours and arabesque designs, text blocks ruled in red, turquoise and blue, catch-words throughout, some very light marginal water-staining, a few preliminary leaves skilfully re-margined, a few small repairs elsewhere, spine cracked with a few leaves and gatherings becoming loose, overall very bright and attractive volume; housed in eighteenth-century dark brown morocco over pasteboards, ruled in gilt with cut-out medallions to covers , decorated with gilt filigree detailing against a peach-coloured backdrop, rebacked, edges a little rubbed, preserved in leather-backed box contemporary to binding, lightly rubbed.

Illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, containing the first 7 aya of the first surah of the Qur'an (al-Fatihah 1:1 - 1:7), 490 by 380 mm.; single column, 5 lines large scribal nasta'liq diagonally inscribed, outlined in cloud shapes and set against an elaborately illuminated gold background decorated with intricately illustrated spiralling floral patterns with polychrome colour additions, lower right-hand corner containing the scribe's name and date of completion, panel framed within multiple polychrome and gilt rulings, including a banner formed of multiple gold cartouches in Safavid style of illumination; very clean and bright condition; leaf mounted to thick card.

First edition, 3 works in one vol., 8vo; woodcut printer's device to titles, woodcut head-pieces and decorative initials, each work with errata at end, some browning mostly confined to margins, occasional spotting, bookplate and ownership markings to front pastedown, old ink initials to first title; 18th century calf, edge wear, spine rubbed, upper cover detached; collates as complete.

Illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Farsi, 73 leaves (plus a contemporary free endpaper at the end), complete, 182 by 110 mm.; double column, 17 lines elegant and refined black nasta'liq, vibrant and fine illuminated polychrome and gold heading opening the text, twenty-six miniature paintings in the text, depicting important scenes in the romance and painted with vivid colours in the contemporary Qajar style, leaves double ruled in red, blue and gold, tissue-guards loosely inserted throughout; some very faint spotting to final few gatherings, overall very bright and attractive condition; housed in contemporary leather-backed gilt lacquered boards depicting floral sprays ruled and framed within corner-pieces and a gilt border, contemporary paper label to spine inscribed with title of the work in Farsi, spine ends very lightly worn, extremities slightly rubbed, overall bright and attractive binding.

Illuminated manuscript, in Arabic, on paper, 142 leaves (plus 5 contemporary leaves at the front and an additional 3 at the end of the volume) containing the forty poems preceded by two additional du'a and also including a contemporary fihrist at the end of the volume, 260 by 165 mm.; in two or four columns, 12 lines confident scribal and angular black naskh, most leaves with contemporary catch-words, contemporary foliation (corresponding to the fihrist) in red, 48 illuminated polychrome headings and decorated banners to open each of the sections, most of these heightened in gilt or silver, ruling throughout in gilt, some contemporary marginalia and corrections, preliminary and penultimate leaves with contemporary annotations and export stamps from Iran dated 1311 AS; some faint scattered stains, occasional chips or creases to outer edges of leaves, a few early paper repairs to outer edges (not affecting main body of text), overall very bright and attractive condition; housed in fine leather-backed lacquered boards, cut-out medallions with filigree details to covers deep-set with red and gold floral devices set against a striking black background accented by gilt corner pieces and a double-ruled border, outer corners and extremities slightly chipped with fractional loss to pigment, small tear to leather along spine.

Illuminated manuscript on paper, in Farsi, part four only (of seven), 322 leaves (plus one later endleaf at the rear), 375 by 235 mm; single column, 21 lines black naskh, significant words and sentences in red, illuminated headpiece in polychrome and gold opening the text, leaves ruled in turquoise, red and gold, some of this ruling oxidised causing closed tears (some of these repaired), a few marginal repairs to preliminary and penultimate leaves, some scattered spots, overall presentable example; housed in contemporary brown morocco with stamped central medallions and corner-pieces of gilt leather inlay, rebacked, doublures of brown morocco with central medallions and corner-pieces decorated with gilt filigree and coloured backgrounds, a little worn.