Author
Qazvin
Publication Date
1550-1560
Type
Document
Language
Persian
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
Yes
Physical Dimensions
595 mm x 450 mm (height x width)
Library
Chester Beatty
Record ID
Per 395.2
Library Location
Persian collection
Date
1550-1560
Notes
The Prophet and Imām `Alī at the gates of Qamūṣ fortress in Khaybar, folio from the Book of Divination (Fālnāma). This folio is from a large-scale manuscript of the Book of Divination (Fālnāma), produced for the Safavid Shah Ṭahmāsp (r. 1524-1576), and now dispersed in international collections. There are two folios in the Chester Beatty (CBL Per 395.1 and 395.2). The Fālnāma is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but consulted for divination (as bibliomancy): the seeker opens a page at random, and that chosen page-opening provides the intended augury, in answer to their question. The text (beginning: "O augury user...") is on the left and a large painting (often depicting sacred figures and prophets) is on the right. For this page-opening, depicting the Prophet Muḥammad and his son-in-law Imām `Alī at the battle of Khaybar (in 628), the future is very positive. Folio, ink, colours and gold on paper, Persian text in nasta`liq script (recto), and full-page painting (verso), from the dispersed Book of Divination (Fālnāma) produced for Safavid Shah Ṭahmāsp (d. 1576), text copied by Malik Daylamī, Qazvin, Iran, c. 1550-1560. The recto text sets out the augury result for the previous page-opening (the previous folio in the sequence is in Geneva Musee d'art et d'histoire). The painting (on verso) depicts Imām `Alī and the Prophet Muḥammad at the gates of the Jewish fortress of al-Qamūṣ at Khaybar (the augury text for this painting is on the next folio in the sequence, which is CBL Per 395.1r).
Materyal
Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold
Nesne Adı
Folio / Bi-Folio (Codex)
Yazı Tipi
Nasta'liq script
