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Walters Ms. W.593, Wonders of creation
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Walters Ms. W.593, Wonders of creation
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Manuscript
Wonders of creation
Text title
Vernacular: Ø¹Ø¬Ø§ÙØ¨ اÙÙ
Ø®ÙÙÙØ§Øª ÙØºØ±Ø§Ùب اÙÙ
ÙØ¬Ùدات
Author
Authority name: TÌ£uÌsiÌ, MuhÌ£ammad ibn MahÌ£muÌd, 12th cent.
As-written name: Shams al-DÄ«n Muḥammad ibn MaḥmÅ«d ibn Aḥmad al-SalmÄnÄ« al-ṬūsÄ«
Name, in vernacular: Ø´Ù
س Ø§ÙØ¯ÙÙ Ù
ØÙ
د ب٠Ù
ØÙ
ÙØ¯ ب٠اØÙ
د Ø§ÙØ³ÙÙ
اÙÙ Ø§ÙØ·ÙسÙ
Note: The author's name is given in the roundels on fols. 1a and 3b. He lived in the sixth century AH / twelfth CE.
Abstract
This is an illuminated and illustrated copy of a Persian version of the famous Ê¿AjÄâib al-makhlÅ«qÄt (Wonders of creation) by ZakariyÄʾ al-QazwÄ«nÄ« (d. 682 AH / 1283 CE), composed by Shams al-DÄ«n Muḥammad al-ṬūsÄ« (fl. sixth century AH / twelfth CE). The text, in black nastaÊ¿lÄ«q script, may have been written by an Iranian scribe in the tenth century AH / sixteenth CE in Ottoman Turkey. It opens with an illuminated medallion inscribed with the author's name (fol. 1a), followed by a double-page illuminated incipit (fols. 1b-2a). The text is illustrated with one hundred eighty-one paintings of different sizes that offer an interesting iconography for ṬūsÄ« manuscripts. The red leather binding is not contemporary with the manuscript and probably dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE.
Date
10th century AH / 16th CE
Language:
The primary language in this manuscript is Persian. The secondary language of this manuscript is Arabic.
Extent
Foliation: ii+232+ii
Collation
Catchwords: Written obliquely on versos
Comments:
Dimensions
23.5 cm wide by 36.0 cm high
Written surface
13.0 cm wide by 22.5 cm high
Layout
- Columns: 1
- Ruled lines: 21
- Framing lines in gold and blue
Contents:
fols. 1b - 232a:
- Title: Ê¿AjÄyib al-makhlÅ«qÄt va-gharÄyib al-mawjÅ«dÄt
- Author: TÌ£uÌsiÌ, MuhÌ£ammad ibn MahÌ£muÌd, 12th cent.
- Incipit: بسÙ
اÙÙÙ...ØÙ
د Ø¨ÙØØ¯ خاÙÙ٠را ÙÙ Ø¹Ø¬Ø§ÙØ¨ Ù
Ø®ÙÙÙØ§Øª...
- Text note: Main chapter headings and some quotations in Arabic
- Hand note: Written in nastaʿlīq script in black, red, and gold ink
- Decoration note: One hundred eighty-one illustrations; double-page illuminated incipit; illuminated medallion inscribed with author's name; framing lines in gold and blue
Decoration:
fol. 1a:
- Title: Illuminated medallion inscribed with author's name
- Form: Frontispiece; Medallion
- Label: This illuminated medallion is inscribed with the author's name, Shams al-DÄ«n Muḥammad ibn MaḥmÅ«d ibn Aḥmad al-SalmÄnÄ« al-ṬūsÄ«.
fol. 1b:
- Title: Double-page illuminated incipit
- Form: Incipit
- Label: This is the right side of a double-page illuminated incipit inscribed with the title of the manuscript and the first lines of the preface.
fol. 2a:
- Title: Double-page illuminated incipit
- Form: Incipit
- Label: This is the left side of a double-page illuminated incipit inscribed with the title of the manuscript and the first lines of the preface.
fol. 3b:
- Title: The prophet Abraham and the four birds he brought to life
- Form: Illustration
fol. 9b:
- Title: Four angels carrying the throne of God (the orbit)
- Form: Illustration
fol. 10b:
- Title: The angel IsrÄfÄ«l with his trumpet
- Form: Illustration
fol. 11a:
- Title: Two angels
- Form: Illustration
fol. 12a:
- Title: Two angels
- Form: Illustration
fol. 13a:
- Title: An angel looks at a dead man lying on the ground
- Form: Illustration
fol. 18a:
- Title: The sun depicted as a king
- Form: Illustration
fol. 19b:
- Title: The moon represented by two angels embracing each other
- Form: Illustration
fol. 20a:
- Title: Saturn with several attributes, including a dragon, a simurgh, and jugs
- Form: Illustration
fol. 20b:
- Title: Jupiter as a king enthroned
- Form: Illustration
fol. 21a:
- Title: Mars with many attributes
- Form: Illustration
fol. 21b:
- Title: Venus accompanied by six women
- Form: Illustration
fol. 22a:
- Title: Mercury as a prince
- Form: Illustration
fol. 24a:
- Title: Aries and Taurus
- Form: Illustration
fol. 24b:
- Title: Gemini
- Form: Illustration
fol. 25a:
- Title: Cancer and Leo (and the sun combined)
- Form: Illustration
fol. 25b:
- Title: Virgo and Libra
- Form: Illustration
fol. 26a:
- Title: Scorpio
- Form: Illustration
fol. 26b:
- Title: Sagittarius and Capricorn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 27a:
- Title: Aquarius
- Form: Illustration
fol. 27b:
- Title: Pisces; an old woman under a tree and a child jumping from the tree
- Form: Illustration
fol. 28a:
- Title: The Prophet Muhammadâs ascension into heaven
- Form: Illustration
fol. 32a:
- Title: A fabulous creature in Sind that appears at a fire-temple
- Form: Illustration
fol. 33a:
- Title: SiyÄvush on horseback
- Form: Illustration
fol. 33b:
- Title: Zoroaster visits Rustam
- Form: Illustration
fol. 34b:
- Title: A rainbow with the faces of the sun and moon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 35b:
- Title: A man on a headless horse
- Form: Illustration
fol. 36b:
- Title: Demons riding a boar and a bear
- Form: Illustration
fol. 37b:
- Title: A battle of Amir of Khurasan against the Turks
- Form: Illustration
fol. 38b:
- Title: A large, winged fish
- Form: Illustration
fol. 39b:
- Title: Enthroned Caliph HÄrÅ«n al-RashÄ«d and an old Arab who brought him water from the desert
- Form: Illustration
fol. 40b:
- Title: NÅ«shÄ«rvÄn sleeping on the throne he built on top of the dam in the land of the Khazars
- Form: Illustration
fol. 41b:
- Title: The killing of AfrÄsiyÄb is discovered in the lake of Khanjast
- Form: Illustration
fol. 42a:
- Title: An idol on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea
- Form: Illustration
fol. 42b:
- Title: A man lowers an inscribed tablet from the bridge on the river SabḥÄn to calm its waters
- Form: Illustration
fol. 43a:
- Title: Kay Khusraw watches fabulous creatures in Lake Zarah
- Form: Illustration
fol. 44a:
- Title: Divers return jewels thrown into Lake Shīrah to a king
- Form: Illustration
fol. 44b:
- Title: Divers in the Sea of Ê¿UmÄn save themselves by feeding the fish and monsters
- Form: Illustration
fol. 46a:
- Title: Two men in a boat watch sirens and a large turtle at the Sea of Qusá¹aná¹inÄ«yah
- Form: Illustration
fol. 46b:
- Title: An angel warning the prophet Khiz̤r not to explore the depths of the Sea of Harkand
- Form: Illustration
fol. 47a:
- Title: An idol in the River Andalus warns people not to continue their journey
- Form: Illustration
fol. 48b:
- Title: Alexander the Great, his soldiers, and the prophets Khiá¸r and Elijah at the Fountain of Life
- Form: Illustration
fol. 50b:
- Title: A king on horseback at a spring near BÄmiyÄn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 51a:
- Title: A naked woman exposes her private parts in front of an idol, a demon, and two men with a dog
- Form: Illustration
fol. 52b:
- Title: First half of a map of the world
- Form: Illustration
fol. 53a:
- Title: Second half of a map of the world
- Form: Illustration
fol. 55a:
- Title: Birds brought from Arabia
- Form: Illustration
fol. 56a:
- Title: Alexander the Great on horseback and two angels holding Mount QÄf
- Form: Illustration
fol. 56b:
- Title: Warriors on horseback fight enormous ants at Jabal al-aḥmar
- Form: Illustration
fol. 59a:
- Title: Lighthouses with a cat, a monkey, and the heads of animals and humans
- Form: Illustration
fol. 60b:
- Title: Two men watch a dragon and white vultures eating meat with diamonds sticking to it
- Form: Illustration
fol. 61b:
- Title: A woman, accompanied by a child, leads a bull with a demon lying at its feet
- Form: Illustration
fol. 68a:
- Title: Two young men shooting at snakes in a tree in the presence of a demon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 68b:
- Title: A civet cat in a cage
- Form: Illustration
fol. 73a:
- Title: A king enthroned during the feast of Nawrūz
- Form: Illustration
fol. 74a:
- Title: A dragon guards the treasure found by AnÅ«shÄ«rvÄn and his vizier BÅ«zurjmihr
- Form: Illustration
fol. 75a:
- Title: The Caliph Muḥammad Amīn and a winged horse coming out of a pool into which his ring had fallen
- Form: Illustration
fol. 77a:
- Title: BahrÄm GÅ«r hunting while Fitnah plays a harp
- Form: Illustration
fol. 78b:
- Title: The mosque compound in Mecca with the kaʿbah in the center
- Form: Illustration
fol. 80a:
- Title: A fight at the mosque in Medina to protect the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad
- Form: Illustration
fol. 81a:
- Title: Five men watch flames appear once every year in the Temple of David in Jerusalem
- Form: Illustration
fol. 81b:
- Title: King Solomon enthroned in the company of animals, humans, and demons
- Form: Illustration
fol. 82b:
- Title: The hanging of a man believed to be Jesus
- Form: Illustration
fol. 83a:
- Title: Jesus and a dragon with a tree growing from its mouth
- Form: Illustration
fol. 85b:
- Title: Three tombs of the prophets Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in Bethlehem
- Form: Illustration
fol. 87b:
- Title: A lion and a ram tied to a post to delineate the boundary of the city of Baghdad
- Form: Illustration
fol. 88b:
- Title: Two thieves collect fruit in the garden of Solomon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 89b:
- Title: Queen Sheba enthroned with a number of men paying her homage
- Form: Illustration
fol. 90b:
- Title: Alexander the Great meets two harpies perched on top of two pillars in the town of JÄbalasÄ
- Form: Illustration
fol. 91a:
- Title: An idol defends the fortress of JÄriyah with a bow and arrows
- Form: Illustration
fol. 92b:
- Title: A rooster made of copper puts pears into glass bowls
- Form: Illustration
fol. 94a:
- Title: A widow of a deceased king of Ceylon strikes his coffin with a sword
- Form: Illustration
fol. 95a:
- Title: Alexander the Great watches the wall being built between Gog and Magog
- Form: Illustration
fol. 96a:
- Title: Minaret in the town of Sarīrah
- Form: Illustration
fol. 97a:
- Title: One of two brothers sits on the wall on the river Nile
- Form: Illustration
fol. 98a:
- Title: Running lions near the town of Ṭabarīyah
- Form: Illustration
fol. 99a:
- Title: A large fish with four legs, known as SaqanqÅ«r, at Fusá¹Äá¹
- Form: Illustration
fol. 100b:
- Title: White squirrels on trees in KÄshghar
- Form: Illustration
fol. 102a:
- Title: Moses removes a large stone from a well to water his sheep
- Form: Illustration
fol. 103a:
- Title: Three men worship an idol of MÅ«ltÄn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 104a:
- Title: The devil copulates with a pig with his offspring on the right side
- Form: Illustration
fol. 105b:
- Title: The interior of a mosque in HaramÄn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 106b:
- Title: A warrior on horseback with two other men in front of a fortress in Yemen
- Form: Illustration
fol. 107b:
- Title: People turned into stone in a city in Ḥaá¸ramawt
- Form: Illustration
fol. 108b:
- Title: King Solomon, enthroned, speaks to the king of the Fortress of Qaá¹rÄn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 111a:
- Title: A tree on Mount LÄbÄ«s with the heads of humans and animals growing from it
- Form: Illustration
fol. 115a:
- Title: The devil, a man killing a lion, and the vine
- Form: Illustration
fol. 116b:
- Title: A man being saved by clinging to the feet of a bird and a dog pulling out mandrakes with female heads
- Form: Illustration
fol. 118a:
- Title: Ê¿AlÄ« ibn AbÄ« ṬÄlib on horseback killing a dragon with the Prophet Muhammad and BilÄl looking on
- Form: Illustration
fol. 119a:
- Title: Three depictions of idols and worshipers from India and Andalusia
- Form: Illustration
fol. 119b:
- Title: Three depictions of idol worship
- Form: Illustration
fol. 120a:
- Title: Four depictions of idol worship
- Form: Illustration
fol. 120b:
- Title: Two depictions of idol worship
- Form: Illustration
fol. 122a:
- Title: Two men touch a nude statue
- Form: Illustration
fol. 122b:
- Title: AnÅ«shÄ«rvÄnâs veiled body lying on a throne, visited by the Caliph al-MaʾmÅ«n and another man
- Form: Illustration
fol. 123a:
- Title: A man watches a fantastic animal
- Form: Illustration
fol. 124a:
- Title: An official shows Alexander the Great treasure hidden in large jars
- Form: Illustration
fol. 125b:
- Title: A man fights a lion
- Form: Illustration
fol. 126b:
- Title: A man, watched by a lion and a jackal, tries to catch a monkey in a tree
- Form: Illustration
fol. 130a:
- Title: A man, watched by an ape, tries to milk a lioness
- Form: Illustration
fol. 132b:
- Title: An angel leads a demon who told a story to King Solomon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 133b:
- Title: A group of women beat a man whom they mistook for an intruder
- Form: Illustration
fol. 134b:
- Title: Three kings of the people of Ê¿Äd tossed up into the air for mocking Moses
- Form: Illustration
fol. 136a:
- Title: Giant women, who later became part of Alexander the Greatâs army, battle warriors on horseback
- Form: Illustration
fol. 136b:
- Title: Alexander the Great and his men meet a giant near BÄbil
- Form: Illustration
fol. 137b:
- Title: A warrior, hidden behind a rock, watches a man-like creature
- Form: Illustration
fol. 139a:
- Title: Demon warriors slaughtered in battle
- Form: Illustration
fol. 141a:
- Title: A man watches two hunters follow an animal with a human head
- Form: Illustration
fol. 142a:
- Title: A sculpture of a man on horseback venerated by people of North Africa
- Form: Illustration
fol. 143b:
- Title: A king pierces himself with a sword in front of an idol
- Form: Illustration
fol. 144b:
- Title: GarshÄsf bends an iron bow in the presence of the king of RÅ«m and his daughter
- Form: Illustration
fol. 146a:
- Title: Ê¿AlÄ«, on horseback, kills a lion to save his friend SalmÄn
- Form: Illustration
fol. 149a:
- Title: Galen, in the presence of Hippocrates, tries to remove a worm from the head of a Roman king
- Form: Illustration
fol. 150b:
- Title: An amir of Khurasan is surprised at the figure of a man
- Form: Illustration
fol. 152a:
- Title: A king of Khurasan has his leg treated by a physician
- Form: Illustration
fol. 153a:
- Title: A king and a man, brought to a fortress by a bird, fall from the building while wrestling
- Form: Illustration
fol. 153b:
- Title: A woman brings a bowl of milk on her head
- Form: Illustration
fol. 155a:
- Title: A vizier speaks with a king of Iá¹£á¹akhr
- Form: Illustration
fol. 157b:
- Title: Old holy men in a cave in India
- Form: Illustration
fol. 158b:
- Title: Two men carry the coffin of Alexander the Great
- Form: Illustration
fol. 159a:
- Title: A lover of one of the wives of NÅ«shÄ«rvÄn is brought before him and BÅ«zurjmihr
- Form: Illustration
fol. 160a:
- Title: A man kneels before a man-eating monk
- Form: Illustration
fol. 162a:
- Title: The demon HalhÄl with an animal head and feet
- Form: Illustration
fol. 162b:
- Title: A king watches a demon copulating with his donkey
- Form: Illustration
fol. 163b:
- Title: A man visits the enthroned devil
- Form: Illustration
fol. 164b:
- Title: The demon AkvÄn carries Rustam sleeping on a rock
- Form: Illustration
fol. 166a:
- Title: Three men carry three other men with weak legs
- Form: Illustration
fol. 167a:
- Title: A woman-demon falls off the horse of a man
- Form: Illustration
fol. 168b:
- Title: A king watches strange creatures (people of the sea)
- Form: Illustration
fol. 170a:
- Title: A man and woman make love
- Form: Illustration
fol. 170b:
- Title: A young man and a girl with a baby in her arms appear before the throne of King Solomon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 172b:
- Title: A sīmurgh fights a dragon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 173b:
- Title: Two ostriches with camel heads kill a wolf
- Form: Illustration
fol. 175b:
- Title: Seven cranes with swords in their bills and flames shooting up
- Form: Illustration
fol. 176b:
- Title: King Solomon questions an owl sitting on a grave
- Form: Illustration
fol. 177a:
- Title: Two storks attack another stork and a crow with a snake around its neck
- Form: Illustration
fol. 178a:
- Title: A bird like a peacock with a lionâs head
- Form: Illustration
fol. 178b:
- Title: A man watches a strange animal from behind a cart
- Form: Illustration
fol. 179a:
- Title: An elephant
- Form: Illustration
fol. 181b:
- Title: A sea-cow
- Form: Illustration
fol. 182b:
- Title: A sea-horse with large wings
- Form: Illustration
fol. 183a:
- Title: A man with wings and feet like a horse and two other men eating
- Form: Illustration
fol. 184a:
- Title: An angel, the prophet Ezra, and his donkey
- Form: Illustration
fol. 185b:
- Title: The Prophet Muhammad on horseback kills Abū Khalaf at Badr
- Form: Illustration
fol. 186b:
- Title: ʿUmūrīyah, a daughter of King Faylaqūs, milks a goat
- Form: Illustration
fol. 188a:
- Title: A rhinoceros fights an elephant
- Form: Illustration
fol. 190b:
- Title: A lion kills ʿUtbah ibn Abī Lahab
- Form: Illustration
fol. 192b:
- Title: A tiger and a lion in combat
- Form: Illustration
fol. 193b:
- Title: Abraham in the fire with the angels Gabriel and Michael on the left
- Form: Illustration
fol. 194b:
- Title: A hyena places its foot on a dogâs shadow, forcing it to come down from a building
- Form: Illustration
fol. 195b:
- Title: The Seven Sleepers and their dog
- Form: Illustration
fol. 197a:
- Title: Dogs fighting beavers and a fish with a moon face (representing Sirius) in its mouth
- Form: Illustration
fol. 199a:
- Title: Musicians make noise with their instruments to force a bear out of a ruined mill
- Form: Illustration
fol. 200a:
- Title: An enthroned king watches copulating donkeys and pigs with two lions (above) in wait for their prey
- Form: Illustration
fol. 201b:
- Title: A dog kills a fox in the presence of a gesticulating man
- Form: Illustration
fol. 203a:
- Title: A prophet on horseback (representing the people of Israel) fights two warriors
- Form: Illustration
fol. 204a:
- Title: Two women beat a civet cat in a cage to make it produce its distinctive musk
- Form: Illustration
fol. 207a:
- Title: Two men approach the prophet Jonah
- Form: Illustration
fol. 208b:
- Title: Various types of fish in the water
- Form: Illustration
fol. 210a:
- Title: Two men with bows and arrows shoot at each other while trying to kill lions; two saqanqūrs in the water
- Form: Illustration
fol. 213a:
- Title: IsfandiyÄr ibn GarshÄsb fights a dragon
- Form: Illustration
fol. 215a:
- Title: A king in front of a man on a cow with scorpions; a man, with his hands tied, about to be executed with a sword
- Form: Illustration
fol. 217a:
- Title: A man watches two oversized locusts from behind a hill
- Form: Illustration
fol. 219a:
- Title: The Prophet Muhammad and Abū Bakr hide in a cave on their way to Medina, with the help of a spider
- Form: Illustration
fol. 220a:
- Title: King Solomon, with his entourage of angels, demons, and birds, talks to the king of the ants
- Form: Illustration
fol. 222a:
- Title: A man who put himself in the place of a donkey is led by a rope by the donkeyâs owner
- Form: Illustration
fol. 223b:
- Title: A woman, trying to prevent her lover leaving the house, lies to her husband about the manâs identity
- Form: Illustration
fol. 224a:
- Title: A robber ties up a cloth merchant while his companions clean out the house
- Form: Illustration
fol. 226a:
- Title: A man fights the devil
- Form: Illustration
fol. 229a:
- Title: King Solomon enthroned in the presence of a prophet, angels, demons, animals, and birds
- Form: Illustration
Binding
The binding is not original.
Probably thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE; red leather with flap; blind-tooled central oval
Provenance
Old shelf mark in Hindu-Arabic numerals 1834 inscribed on the tail-edge and below an erased seal on fol. 1a
Acquisition
Ex libris Henry Walters on the upper board inside
Bibliography
Storey, C. A. Persian Literature: A Bio-Bibliographical Survey, Vol. 2. (London: Luzac, 1927- ), 121-2.
Rührdanz, Karin. âAn Ottoman Illustrated Version of Muhammad al-Tusiâs Ajaâib al-Makhluqat.â Arab Historical Review for Ottoman Studies 19/20 (1999): 455-475.
Richard, Francis. Splendeurs persanes: manuscrits du XIIe au XVIIe siècle. (Paris: Bibliothèque nationale, 1997), no. 33.
Contributors
Principal cataloger: Gacek, Adam
Catalogers: Landau, Amy; Smith, Sita
Copy editor: Bockrath, Diane
Conservators: Jewell, Stephanie; Quandt, Abigail
Contributors: Barrera, Christina; Emery, Doug; Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William; Simpson, Shreve; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Valle, Chiara
Publisher
The Walters Art Museum
License
Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.
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