Lot 19R
A GROUP OF THREE ILLUMINATED PRAYER SCROLLS AND TWO TALISMANIC DIAGRAMS, WRITTEN ON VELLUM Qajar Persia, 19th Century(5)
25 October 2021, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£4,000 - £6,000
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A GROUP OF THREE ILLUMINATED PRAYER SCROLLS AND TWO TALISMANIC DIAGRAMS, WRITTEN ON VELLUM
Qajar Persia, 19th Century
Qajar Persia, 19th Century
Arabic and Persian manuscript on vellum, text written in small naskhi and cursive script in black, blue and red ink within panels and cartouches, illuminated headpieces in gold, framed
prayer scrolls 645 x 35 mm.; 410 x 45 mm.; 380 x 50 mm.; talismanic diagrams 385 x 140 mm.; 175 x 175 mm.(5)
prayer scrolls 645 x 35 mm.; 410 x 45 mm.; 380 x 50 mm.; talismanic diagrams 385 x 140 mm.; 175 x 175 mm.(5)
Footnotes
None of the group is signed by a scribe or dated. The square talismanic diagram comprises verses from the Qur'an and prayers, with the repetition of certain words (meaning uncertain), and the names of the four Archangels in the corners. There is a note in the margin which gives the name Muhammad Husain, a representative of some sort (the remainder is illegible), who may have been the person for whom it was made.
The text of the rectangular diagram consists of Qur'an, sura II, al-baqarah, verse 255 in the borders of the two roundels, as well as prayers and magic letters and numbers.
The three scrolls, written in a highly cursive script, which is sometimes illegible, can be identified as hirz ('amulet of') but the titles are not clear. One of them has the hirz quoted from the Twelve Imams and ends with a combination of magic letters and numbers. They have verses from the Qur'an and prayers in the form of invocations.
For two examples of such talismanic charts on vellum from the Qajar period, one dated AH 1337/AD 1919, the other circa 1900, see F. Maddison, E. Savage-Smith, Science, Tools and Magic: Part One, London 1997, pp. 110-112, nos. 44 and 45.
Important Notice to Buyers
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