Near East & Islamic

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.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on fibrous polished buff paper, in Farsi, textually complete (lacking 4 leaves at the end of Book 6 that are replaced in eighteenth and nineteenth century manuscript facsimile, 337 leaves plus 4 leaves text, 245 by 170 mm; four columns, 21 lines early nasta'liq script in black, headings in red throughout, 6 gold and lapis illuminated headings in the Timurid style, each opening one of the 6 books of the Mathnavi, contemporary catch-words throughout, columns ruled in blue, some very slight water-staining to margins and a few scattered smudges to text, overall attractive condition; early sixteenth-century stamped leather binding with flap, with cut-out cartouches to leather decorated by corner-pieces and central medallions with foliate designs and coloured in gold, spine and flap hinge rebacked and repaired, an attractive early binding.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on fine polished paper, in Farsi, 121 leaves, 250 by 165 mm; double column, 15 lines fine black nasta'liq script, headings in gold or blue throughout, illuminated polychrome headpiece opening the text, richly decorated in gold and lapis, with 7 additional illuminated banners in the text (each of these opening the ghazals of a new poet), remains of silk markers to outer edges of each section, catch-words throughout, leaves ruled in gilt, orange and blue throughout, a few small smudges, outer margin of first leaf repaired (not affecting text), overall very bright and attractive condition internally; housed in a fine contemporary hand-painted black leather binding with flap, painted in gilt with spiralling floral motif, with sunken central medallions and corner-pieces decorated with gilt filigree details, ruled in gilt, with very fine tan leather doubleurs, central medallions and corner-pieces with delicate incised leather filigree work over navy and green silk backdrops, spine and flap rebacked and edges repaired, overall fine and very attractive binding.

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.

First edition; 3 volumes, folio; printed in Latin, Spanish and Arabic, half-titles, engraved vignettes (opening the text) and errata leaves present in each volume, contemporary Greek ink inscriptions to front free endpapers of each volume, some very small marginal wormholes and occasional light soiling, overall very bright and attractive condition; contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments within raised bands, red and green morocco labels to spine with lettering in gilt, lightly rubbed and scuffed at extremities.

First (and only) edition, 8vo, xxii, 461 pp., [1], including half-title, plus the errata leaf at end, printed in French and Ottoman Turkish, some very slight dusting and scattered stains, overall clean and crisp internally; bound in contemporary Ottoman leather over boards, covers ruled in blind, spine gilt in compartments with flora motif, spine and extremities lightly rubbed, a good copy.

Single volume, two parts in one, decorated manuscript on green paper, in Farsi, complete, both parts 71 leaves plus additional blanks at front and back, 220 by 138 mm; single, double and four columns, between 16 and 24 lines black naskh script copied in a very elegant hand, headings in red, contemporary pagination to first part, bookplate pasted to first leaf, very clean and crisp condition; contemporary limp red leather, covers ruled in blind, a very clean example.