صد كلمه امیرالمؤمنین علی

Walters Ms. W.615, One hundred sayings

Walters Ms. W.615, One hundred sayings

Ṣad kalimah-i Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿAlī

صد كلمه امير المؤمنين علي

ʻAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Caliph, ca. 600-661 (author)

ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (author)

علي بن ابي طالب (author)

Rashīd al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Balkhī al-Vaṭvāṭ (Waṭwāṭ) (author)

Rashīd al-Dīn al-Vaṭvāṭ (d. ca. 578 AH / 1182 CE) (author)

رشيد الدين محمد البلخي الوطواط (author)

This illuminated copy of One hundred sayings, referred to as Mi’at kalimah in Arabic and Ṣad kalimah in Persian and attributed to the fourth caliph of Islam, ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (d. 40 AH / 661 CE), contains a Persian paraphrase (dubayt) by Rashīd al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Balkhī, known as al-Vaṭvāṭ (Waṭwāṭ) (d. ca. 578 AH / 1182 CE). The manuscript was completed in Iran sometime in the ninth century AH / fifteenth CE. The sayings of `Ali in Arabic are written in blue muḥaqqaq and gold thuluth scripts, and the Persian verses are written in black naskh scripts. The codex opens with an illuminated titlepiece inscribed in white tawqī script (fol. 1b). The dark brown goatskin binding with central lobed medallion and pendants and doublures with filigree decoration may date to the ninth or tenth century AH / fifteenth or sixteenth CE. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W615/description.html

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

Illuminated titlepiece with polychrome floral decoration in rectangular pieces (fol. 1b); framing lines in gold, black, and blue; gold-flecked paper; polychrome floral motifs flanking Persian verses

fol. 1b Illuminated incipit page with titlepiece Incipit; titlepiece This opening decorated page has an illuminated headpiece with the title of the work in tawqī script executed in white ink on a gold background. The text begins with the doxological formula (basmalah) in black muḥaqqaq script outlined in gold, followed by two Persian verses in black naskh script. Following is an Arabic line written in gold thuluth script outlined in black. The Arabic text is again followed by two Persian verses inscribed in black naskh.

9th century AH / 15th CE

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Arabicara

Persianper

paper

image/jpeg

1401

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