خمسۀ نظامی

Walters Ms. W.606, Five poems (quintet)

Walters Ms. W.606, Five poems (quintet)

Khamsah-i Niẓāmī

خمسه نظامى

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3 (author)

Ilyās ibn Yūsuf Niẓāmī Ganjavī (author)

الياس بن يوسف نظامى گنجوى (author)

Mūsá al-Mudhahhib (scribe)

This is an illuminated and illustrated Khamsah (quintet) by Niẓāmī Ganjavī (d. 605 AH / 1209 CE), copied by Muḥammad Mūsá al-Mudhahhib ('the Limner') in Safavid Iran in 924 AH / 1518 CE. The manuscript opens with a double-page illustration (fols. 1b-2a), which is followed by a double-page illumination (fols. 2b-3a). In total, there are six Arabic colophons, one at the end of each of the first four poems and two for the two parts of the final poem (Kitāb-i Sharafnāmah-i Iskandarī and Kitāb-i Iqbālnāmah). The dates of these colophons indicate that the various poems were not executed consecutively. The writing of the text extended over a period of approximately three months, 6 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 923 AH / 1517 CE to 7 Rabīʿ I 924 AH / 1518 CE. The text is written in black nastaʿlīq script with blue subject/section headings. In addition to illuminated titlepieces and headpieces, there are twenty-six illustrations. The binding is not original to the manuscript. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W606/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian. The secondary language of this manuscript is Arabic.

Twenty-six illustrations; double-page illustration (fols. 1b-2a); double-page illumination (fols. 2b-3a); titlepieces (fols. 32b, 113b, 169b, 234b, and 320b); headpieces (fols. 32b, 113b, 169b, 234b, and 320b); framing lines in gold and blue

fol. 1b Double-page illustrated frontispiece Illustration; frontispiece This is the right side of a double-page illustrated frontispiece depicting a court scene with music and dancing.

fol. 2a Double-page illustrated frontispiece Illustration; frontispiece This is the left side of a double-page illustrated frontispiece depicting a royal pavilion and horses laden with gifts.

fol. 2b Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the right side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece for the first poem of the Khamsah, Makhzan al-asrār. The upper and lower panels have an inscription in Persian containing the name of the author.

fol. 3a Double-page illuminated frontispiece Frontispiece This is the left side of a double-page illuminated frontispiece for the first poem of the Khamsah, Makhzan al-asrār. The upper and lower panels have an inscription in Persian containing the name of the author.

fol. 15a Anūshīrvān, his vizier Dastūr, and the owls Illustration

fol. 32b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit page introduces the second poem of the Khamsah, Khusraw va Shīrīn.

fol. 48a Khusraw watching Shīrīn bathing Illustration

fol. 56a Khusraw kills a lion outside Shīrīn's tent Illustration

fol. 61b Khusraw fights against Bahrām Chūbīnah Illustration

fol. 75b Farhād carries Shīrīn on her horse Illustration

fol. 100a Khusraw and Shīrīn in their bridal chamber Illustration

fol. 106a Death of Shīrīn Illustration Shīrīn, having stabbed herself with a dagger, lies on her husband’s casket to die.

fol. 113b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit page introduces the third poem of the Khamsah, Laylá va Majnūn.

fol. 126b Majnūn and his father visit the mosque in Mecca Illustration

fol. 133b Nawfal and his men fight Laylá’s tribe Illustration

fol. 161a Laylá and Majūn faint at the sight of each other Illustration

fol. 169b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit page introduces the fourth poem of the Khamsah, Haft paykar.

fol. 181a Bahrām Gūr kills a dragon Illustration

fol. 188a Bahrām Gūr kills a wild ass while Fitnah plays the harp Illustration

fol. 201a Bahrām Gūr in the yellow pavilion Illustration

fol. 211a Bahrām Gūr in the blue pavilion Illustration

fol. 217a Bahrām Gūr in the sandalwood pavilion Illustration

fol. 227b Bahrām Gūr questions a shepherd who hung his dog on a tree Illustration

fol. 234b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit introduces the Sharafnāmah-i Iskandarī, the first part of the fifth poem of the Khamsah, Iskandarnāmah.

fol. 252a Alexander the Great fights the Ethiopians Illustration

fol. 265b Alexander the Great laments the death of Darius Illustration

fol. 278b Alexander the Great admires his portrait made by Nushābah Illustration

fol. 297a Alexander the Great fights the army of the king of China Illustration

fol. 309a Alexander the Great lassos a Russian warrior Illustration

fol. 320b Incipit with illuminated titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This illuminated incipit page introduces the Iqbālnāmah, the second part of the fifth poem of the Khamsah, Iskandarnāmah.

fol. 333b Hermes debates with seventy Greek scholars Illustration

fol. 350a The paradise of Shaddād Palace discovered by Alexander the Great Illustration

fol. 354b Alexander the Great and his men watch naked girls swim in the Sea of China Illustration

6 Dhū al-Ḥijjah 923 AH / 1517 CE -- 7 Rabīʿ I 924 AH / 1518 CE

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

Arabic

paper

image/jpeg

1517

All Walters manuscript images and descriptions provided here are copyrighted © The Walters Art Museum.