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Catalogue: Astronomy

Blue arrow pointing to the right [On astronomy]   (MS P 28, item 1)
Anonymous

This is an anonymous, untitled, Persian illustrated treatise on astronomy copied in 1552/959 by the copyist Ṣadr al-Dīn al-mutaṭabbib [the medical practitioner]. The treatise (here missing the beginning) appears to have consisted of 23 sections (maqsids).

No other copies have been identified

Illustrations

The front cover binding of MS P 28 which incorporated the covers from an 18th-century Persian/Turkish binding of light-brown leather over pasteboards. On each cover there is a blind-stamped mandorla panel stamp with two large pendants. The pattern of the central panel stamp is a concentric design of vines with two flower buds and two small flower heads around a central flower in full bloom. The two pendants have a single stemmed flower outlined by a row of dots. Blind-tooled vertical and diagonal lines connect the central panel stamp to the frame. The latter is formed of a single blind-tooled line and a row of S-stamps.
MS P 28, binding, front cover

The volume has a binding that incorporated the covers from an 18th-century (?) Persian/Turkish binding of light-brown leather over pasteboards. On each cover there is a blind-stamped mandorla panel stamp with two large pendants. The pattern of the central panel stamp is a concentric design of vines with two flower buds and two small flower heads around a central flower in full bloom. The two pendants have a single stemmed flower outlined by a row of dots. Blind-tooled vertical and diagonal lines connect the central panel stamp to the frame. The latter is formed of a single blind-tooled line and a row of S-stamps.


Folio 2b from an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy featuring a diagram of the heavenly spheres in red ink on the left center of the folio. The text is written in a small naskh tending toward ta‘liq script in black ink with headings in red and with red overlinings. The glossy brown paper has only laid lines visible.
MS P 28, fol. 2b

A diagram of the heavenly spheres in an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy. The copy was completed on 20 Dhu al-Qa‘dah 959 (= 7 November 1552) by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-mutaṭabbib [the medical practitioner].


Folio 3b from an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy featuring two planetary diagrams in red and black ink in the top right and bottom left corner of the folio. The text surrounding the diagrams is written in a small naskh tending toward ta‘liq script in black ink with headings in red and with red overlinings. The glossy brown paper has only laid lines visible.
MS P 28, fol. 3b

Four planetary diagrams in an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy. The copy was completed on 20 Dhu al-Qa‘dah 959 (= 7 November 1552) by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-mutaṭabbib [the medical practitioner].


Folio 4a from an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy featuring two planetary diagrams in red and black ink in the top right and bottom left corner of the folio. The text surrounding the diagrams is written in a small naskh tending toward ta‘liq script in black ink with headings in red and with red overlinings. The glossy brown paper has only laid lines visible.
MS P 28, fol. 4a

Folio 10a from an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy featuring the colophon. The text is written in a small naskh tending toward ta‘liq script in black ink. There are notes in the top and left margins. The glossy brown paper has only laid lines visible.
MS P 28, fol. 10a

The colophon of an anonymous and untitled Persian treatise on astronomy. According to this colophon (lines 16-19) the copy was completed on 20 Dhu al-Qa‘dah 959 (= 7 November 1552) by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-mutaṭabbib [the medical practitioner].


Physical Description

Persian. 10 leaves (fols. 1a-10a). Dimensions 18.2 x 12.2; text area 12.5 x 8) cm; 17 lines per page. No author or title are given.

The copy is dated in the colophon (fol. 10a, lines 16-19) 20 Dhu al-Qa‘dah 959 (= 7 November 1552) and was copied by Ṣadr al-Dīn al-mutaṭabbib [the medical practitioner].

The text is written in a small naskh tending toward ta‘liq script in black ink with headings in red and with red overlinings. There are catchwords (mostly cut off).

On fol. 2b there is a diagram of the heavenly spheres, and on fols. 3b-4a there are four planetary diagrams.

There are marginalia in several hands.

The glossy brown paper has only laid lines visible. The same paper has been used throughout the volume. It is waterstained, especially at the bottom. The paper is stained with grime and thumbing. The edges have been trimmed from their original size. Many folios have had the edges repaired, sometimes using recent watermarked paper.

The volume consists of 290 leaves and three preliminary leaves. Fols. 1a-10a (item 1) is the anonymous Persian illustrated treatise on astronomy copied in 1552/959 here catalogued, and fols. 10b-11a (item 2) is an anonymous treatise on vomiting (MS P 28, item 2). Fols. 11b-13a are blank except for later miscellaneous notes. Fols. 13b-14a (item 3) is a story concerning Moses (MS P 28, item 3) and fols. 14b-289b (item 4) is the Kifāyah-i Mujāhidīyah by Manṣūr ibn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf Ibn Ilyās (MS P 28, item 4). Fol. 290 has miscellaneous notes. The preliminary fol. [1a] is blank except for a penciled title for item 4 of the volume; preliminary fol. [1b] is blank, but for a casual note dated 1284 [= 1867-8]; preliminary fol. [2a] has a recipe and two owners' notes and a stamp; preliminary fol. [3a] has miscellaneous notes written at different angles on the page; preliminary [3b] has miscellanous notes, including a horoscope for 29 Jumadü I 1070 [= 11 February 1660]. There is also a small loose sheet (15 x 11 cm) of watermarked (GAIGLIOTTI) paper with 15 lines of alternating black and magenta writings, with instructions for a talismanic and magical procedure.

Binding

The volume has a binding that incorporated the covers from an 18th-century (?) Persian/Turkish binding of light-brown leather over pasteboards. On each cover there is a blind-stamped mandorla panel stamp with two large pendants. The pattern of the central panel stamp is a concentric design of vines with two flower buds and two small flower heads around a central flower in full bloom. The two pendants have a single stemmed flower outlined by a row of dots. Blind-tooled vertical and diagonal lines connect the central panel stamp to the frame. The latter is formed of a single blind-tooled line and a row of S-stamps. The spine has been repaired. There are dark-blue paper pastedowns and modern endpapers.

Provenance

The volume was in the collection of the Army Medical Library in 1946. No further information is available on its provenance.

References

Schullian/Sommer, Cat. of incun. & MSS., p. 339 entry P 28, item 1.

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