Enrica Medugno
Sale Coordinator
Lot 305R
An illustrated leaf from a manuscript relating to the use of plants in the treatment of ailments and their significance in dreams
Persia, Isfahan, mid-17th Century
18 – 26 May 2023, 12:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£800 - £1,200
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Oliver White
Head of Department
An illustrated leaf from a manuscript relating to the use of plants in the treatment of ailments and their significance in dreams
Persia, Isfahan, mid-17th Century
Persia, Isfahan, mid-17th Century
Persian manuscript on paper, 15 lines to the page (verso) written in nasta'liq script in black ink, with significant words written in naskhi script in red ink, inner margins ruled in red, blue and gold, some marginal comments
385 x 240 mm.
385 x 240 mm.
Footnotes
Provenance
Private UK collection.
Similar single leaves have been sold in these rooms, Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 2nd April 2009, lot 7; 8th October 2009, lot 27; 14th June 2012, 153, all from Qazwini's Aja'ib al-Makhluqat, On the Wonders of Creation. This is not the same text, though the illustrations and script seem to be closely related.
The text on this leaf, recto and verso, relates to unlucky days of the week, with the heading in red on yaum nahs mustamar, followed by lucky lunar and zodiac months; followed by 'ud salib (Paeonia officinalis linn., Himalayan Peony), its use, recipes for various ailments and its interpretation if it appears in dreams. The plant illustrated may be 'ud qumri (Aquilaria agallocha roxb), referred to in the heading in red below it. 'Ud qumri is said to be the best of several varieties of aloe wood.
Important Notice to Buyers
Some countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.