JAMAL AL-DIN ABU MUHAMMAD NIZAMI (D.1209): KHAMSA COPIED BY SAYYIDI...

JAMAL AL-DIN ABU MUHAMMAD NIZAMI (D.1209): KHAMSA
COPIED BY SAYYIDI 'ALI AL-MUDHAHHIB, SHIRAZ, IRAN, DATED RABI' I AH 898 / NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1492-93 AD
Poetry, Persian manuscript on paper, 350ff. with three fly-leaves, each folio with 21ll. black nasta'liq arranged in four columns, gold intercolumnar rules, text occasionally written on the diagonal with gold and polychrome floral decoration in the triangular panels between, text panels with gold, black and blue rules, headings in gold against a polychrome scrolling floral ground, plain paper margins, catchwords and later pagination, opening bifolio with 7ll. black nasta'liq in clouds reserved against flowering gold and polychrome ground, within finely illuminated gold and polychrome panels, opening of each book with a similarly illuminated gold and polychrome headpiece, 22 illustrations in opaque pigments and gold within the text, colophon dated, seal impressions and previous owners' notes on the opening and closing fly-leaves, occasional further seal impressions throughout, text block painted blue, in later gilt decorated red morocco binding, marbled paper doublures, later paper labels on the cover and spine
Text panel 8 1⁄8 x 4 ½in. (21.4 x 11.4cm.); folio 12 7⁄8 x 8in. (32.5 x 20.2cm.)

Provenance
Acquired by Nur Khan (?) in Aurangabad, 27 Shawwal AH 1127⁄26 October 1715 AD
Darab 'Ali Khan Bahadur, by AH 1237⁄1821-2 AD, per seal impression
Murshidabad Palace Library by 1882
By repute, Private Collection, India, before 1944, thence by descent
Moved to USA, 1960s, thence by descent