An illustrated leaf from a manuscript in prose, Persia, 16th Century

Persian manuscript on paper, four lines recto of text in nasta'liq script in black ink within cloudbands, inner margins ruled in gold and blue, outer border with stylised vegetal motifs in gold
painting 125 x 80 mm.; leaf 245 x 150 mm.

Provenance
Dr Thomas Ewart Marston (1905-1984), curator of Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature art at Yale University Library.
Minna Marston, his wife, and thence by descent.

Dr. Marston was elected trustee of the Yale University Library Association in 1933 and was the curator of Mediaeval and Renaissance literature at the library until his retirement in 1972. He had a BA from Yale and and MA and PhD from Harvard University. He was the author of Britain's Imperial Role in the Red Sea Area: 1800-1878 and co-author of The Vineland Map and the Tartar Relation.

The text has not been identified, but the story tells of a man, possibly a sufi, who meets a king, and who is asked the reason why he wore black on his head (i.e. a turban). However, the illustration does not show a black turban and it is unusual to show a sufi with a sword.

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