Shahnama Project : Shahnama

Firdausi

Shahnama Project

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>The date, 1007 hijri, is written at the end of the text (f. 374r), but not in the framework of a normal colophon. The text is handsomely produced, perhaps in Iran rather than Central Asia, though see some similarities with PNS 90 in the same collection, concerning the colour scheme of the jadval (marignal ruling).</p><p>The binding is cardboard with a green leather edge. The covers have stamped gold paper medallions with herbal ornament and the name of the binder: Mir Sayyid Mirak Sahhaf. At the moment the binding is covered with a white cloth. The codex is in rather good condition, only the bottom part spoiled by water. The first and the last folia are restored: the paper is oriental, thin, yellowed, glossy. The added paper is of European origin.</p><p>Incipit: Kunun bar sukhanha fazayish kunim / Jahan afarin-ra sitayish kunim.</p><p>There are lacunae, missing baits and some folia bound in the wrong order.</p><p>F. 148r contains the praise of the Prophet and Sultan Mahmud (before the rule of Shapur) which is absent in other MSS. Many of the text rubrics are left blank.</p><p>Explicit: Chu khahishgari-vu ba naz-am namud / bar in … bar zaban-am gushud</p><p>The manuscript starts with the reign of Luhrasp and covers only the second half of the Shahnama. A further division of the text at ff. 221v-222r (starting with the reign of Khusrau Anushirvan) shows that it was originally conceived in four sections. Section three ends on f. 220v; f. 221r is blank; f. 221v includes an 'unvan for the start of section four, and f. 222r has blank spaces left for ornamentation that was never carried out. The two 'unvans (ff.1v and 221v) were maybe executed by two hands in gold and polychrome. The first is more thoroughly done, but the gold and blue are faded. The second produces the impression of being unfinished, anyway it suffered from water. The text is in frames of gold, black and red lines.</p><p>The codex has 59 miniatures of Indo-Persian commercial style, retouched in places, clearly not executed at the time of the production of the text, appearing to be 18th-century Indian work, or else Indian style illustration that had become popular in Bukhara (the provenance of the ms). There are several original subjects, not encountered in other MSS. Only a few illustrations are currently available.</p></p>