منظومۀ یوسف و زلیخا

Walters Ms. W.644, Yusuf and Zulaykha

Walters Ms. W.644, Yusuf and Zulaykha

Yūsuf va Zulaykhā

يوسف وزليخا

Jāmī, 1414-1492 (author)

Nūr al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Aḥmad Jāmī (author)

نور الدين عبد الرحمان بن احمد جامي (author)

This manuscript is an illuminated and illustrated copy of the famous story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife (Yūsuf va Zulaykhā) by Nūr al-Dīn Jāmī (d. 898 AH / 1492 CE), executed in the tenth century AH / sixteenth CE in Safavid Iran. The text is written in black nasta‘līq script and begins with a double-page illuminated incipit with headpiece (fol. 1b-2a). The manuscript contains three illustrations (fols. 50b, 116a, and 150b). The dark brown goatskin binding, which is original to the manuscript, has panel-stamped designs and red doublures with gold filigree work over colored paper. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W644/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.

Double-page illuminated incipit with headpiece (fol. 1b-2a); interlinear gilt illumination (fol. 1b-2a); framing lines in gold, green, orange, black, brown, and blue; rectangular panels for chapter/section headings

fol. 1b Illuminated incipit page with headpiece Incipit; headpiece This illuminated incipit has a blue and gilt headpiece with polychrome floral decoration. The text, divided into two columns, has interlinear gilt illumination with additional floral decoration.

fol. 50b Zulaykha traveling to the Aziz of Egypt, her future husband Illustration This illustration depicts Zulaykha in a blue-domed litter on a camel led by a cameleer. The retinue is entering the capital of Egypt.

fol. 116a Egyptian women overwhelmed by Yūsuf's beauty Illustration This illustration depicts Yūsuf, who is identified by a flaming halo, entering a room where Egyptian women sit peeling fruit with knives. According to the narrative, the women were so distracted by Yūsuf's incomparable beauty that they inadvertently cut their hands.

fol. 150b Yūsuf gives a royal banquet in honor of his marriage Illustration Once Yūsuf, depicted here with a flaming halo and seated at the left side of the composition, received divine approval to marry Zulaykhā, he organized a banquet to which he invited the Egyptian king and officials. The banquet takes place in an interior defined by two curtained windows and tiled walls with floral decoration.

10th century AH / 16th CE

Pāpās-zādah[…], dated [1]311 AH / 1893-4 CE (fol. 1a)

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

paper

image/jpeg

1501

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