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Catalogue: Belle Lettres - Gallery


Folio 1b from Nūr al-Din ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad Jāmī's Kitāb Salāmān va Absāl (The Book of Salāmān and Absāl) featuring a fine illuminated opening in gilt and opaque watercolors. The thin, brittle, biscuit paper has laid lines only visible. It is copied in an elegant, professional, nasta‘liq script with alternating couplets written diagonally. The couplets are written in rectilinear areas outlined in fine ink and gilt frames within larger frames formed of black ink lines filled with green opaque watercolor and gilt. The headings are written in gold and blue inks.
MS P 16, fol. 1b
Folio 35b from Nūr al-Din ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad Jāmī's Kitāb Salāmān va Absāl (The Book of Salāmān and Absāl) featuring a miniature painting, now slightly defaced, in opaque watercolors, gilt and inks, of a couple having sexual intercourse. The thin, brittle, biscuit paper has laid lines only visible. It is copied in an elegant, professional, nasta‘liq script with alternating couplets written diagonally. The couplets are written in rectilinear areas outlined in fine ink and gilt frames within larger frames formed of black ink lines filled with green opaque watercolor and gilt. The headings are written in gold and blue inks.
MS P 16, fol. 35b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and tiny red accents. A woman sits on a tree while using a water-pipe and a female attendant stands behind. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 12b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. A sage sits under a tree while a woman and her attendant approach bearing a dish of good. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 13b

A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and tiny blue and red accents. A turbaned figure sits crosslegged on a tiger skin under a tree, with an attendant behind and two courtiers kneeling in front. The silhouette of a city can be seen on the horizon. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 14a
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. Four women stand under a tree, observing a bird in the tree top. Two small antelope look on from the lower right corner. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 14b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. A woman, with female attendant standing behind, accepts a gift or message from a male courier. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 15a
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. Two women are sitting in front of bolster pillows, talking and drinking and attended by four attendants. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 15b

A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. A woman reclines on pillows and smokes a water-pipe, with an attendant standing behind with a fan, while she receives another woman in the foreground. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 16b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. One woman carries a large vase of flowers while another carries a glass container. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 17b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. An ascetic sits on a mountain side while pairs of animals (tigers, antelope, birds, and foxes) sit quietly around him. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 18a
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. An elderly man lies prostrate on the ground, having dropped his turban and walking stick, while a woman (with attendant behind her) sprinkles water on his face. This drawing is signed 'the work of ('amal) Shaykh Muhammad'. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 18b

A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. An ascetic stands holding a fish overhead and a second fish in his other hand, with the radiant sun prominent in the upper left corner. This drawing has been partially defaced. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 19b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. An elderly ascetic or sage sits under a tree while two women approach bearing gifts and a male attendant in the foreground reads from a book. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 20b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. A warrior figure bearing arms, a shield, and a leopard-skin turban, holds overhead with one arm a large devil. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 21b
A full-page miniature drawing in black ink with gilt and blue and red accents. A man and a woman sit on a swing, partially embracing while two female attendants stand on either side. From an anonymous and untitled collection of Persian love poetry. The gray-brown, semi-glossy paper has horizontal, sagging laid lines.
MS P 24, fol. 22b
Welcome Getting started Medieval Islam Catalogue Bio-bibliographies Glossary Abbreviations Credits About the Author Concordances A 1 - A 29 A 30 - A 59 A 60 - A 89 A 90 - A 92 P 1 - P 29 Authors, Translators & Commentators Copyists & Illustrators Owners & Patrons

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Last reviewed: 31 December 2014
Last updated: 13 December 2013
First published: 15 January 2004