عجايب المخلوقات وغرايب الموجودات

Walters Ms. W.593, Wonders of creation

Walters Ms. W.593, Wonders of creation

ʿAjāyib al-makhlūqāt va-gharāyib al-mawjūdāt

عجايب المخلوقات وغرايب الموجودات

Ṭūsī, Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd, 12th cent. (author)

Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd ibn Aḥmad al-Salmānī al-Ṭūsī (author)

شمس الدين محمد بن محمود بن احمد السلمانى الطوسى (author)

This is an illuminated and illustrated copy of a Persian version of the famous ʿAjā’ib al-makhlūqāt (Wonders of creation) by Zakariyāʾ al-Qazwīnī (d. 682 AH / 1283 CE), composed by Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Ṭūsī (fl. sixth century AH / twelfth CE). The text, in black nastaʿlīq 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 Ṭūsī manuscripts. The red leather binding is not contemporary with the manuscript and probably dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W593/description.html

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

One hundred eighty-one illustrations; double-page illuminated incipit; illuminated medallion inscribed with author's name; framing lines in gold and blue

fol. 1a Illuminated medallion inscribed with author's name Frontispiece; Medallion This illuminated medallion is inscribed with the author's name, Shams al-Dīn Muḥammad ibn Maḥmūd ibn Aḥmad al-Salmānī al-Ṭūsī.

fol. 1b Double-page illuminated incipit Incipit 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 Double-page illuminated incipit Incipit 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 The prophet Abraham and the four birds he brought to life Illustration

fol. 9b Four angels carrying the throne of God (the orbit) Illustration

fol. 10b The angel Isrāfīl with his trumpet Illustration

fol. 11a Two angels Illustration

fol. 12a Two angels Illustration

fol. 13a An angel looks at a dead man lying on the ground Illustration

fol. 18a The sun depicted as a king Illustration

fol. 19b The moon represented by two angels embracing each other Illustration

fol. 20a Saturn with several attributes, including a dragon, a simurgh, and jugs Illustration

fol. 20b Jupiter as a king enthroned Illustration

fol. 21a Mars with many attributes Illustration

fol. 21b Venus accompanied by six women Illustration

fol. 22a Mercury as a prince Illustration

fol. 24a Aries and Taurus Illustration

fol. 24b Gemini Illustration

fol. 25a Cancer and Leo (and the sun combined) Illustration

fol. 25b Virgo and Libra Illustration

fol. 26a Scorpio Illustration

fol. 26b Sagittarius and Capricorn Illustration

fol. 27a Aquarius Illustration

fol. 27b Pisces; an old woman under a tree and a child jumping from the tree Illustration

fol. 28a The Prophet Muhammad’s ascension into heaven Illustration

fol. 32a A fabulous creature in Sind that appears at a fire-temple Illustration

fol. 33a Siyāvush on horseback Illustration

fol. 33b Zoroaster visits Rustam Illustration

fol. 34b A rainbow with the faces of the sun and moon Illustration

fol. 35b A man on a headless horse Illustration

fol. 36b Demons riding a boar and a bear Illustration

fol. 37b A battle of Amir of Khurasan against the Turks Illustration

fol. 38b A large, winged fish Illustration

fol. 39b Enthroned Caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd and an old Arab who brought him water from the desert Illustration

fol. 40b Nūshīrvān sleeping on the throne he built on top of the dam in the land of the Khazars Illustration

fol. 41b The killing of Afrāsiyāb is discovered in the lake of Khanjast Illustration

fol. 42a An idol on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea Illustration

fol. 42b A man lowers an inscribed tablet from the bridge on the river Sabḥān to calm its waters Illustration

fol. 43a Kay Khusraw watches fabulous creatures in Lake Zarah Illustration

fol. 44a Divers return jewels thrown into Lake Shīrah to a king Illustration

fol. 44b Divers in the Sea of ʿUmān save themselves by feeding the fish and monsters Illustration

fol. 46a Two men in a boat watch sirens and a large turtle at the Sea of Qusṭanṭinīyah Illustration

fol. 46b An angel warning the prophet Khiz̤r not to explore the depths of the Sea of Harkand Illustration

fol. 47a An idol in the River Andalus warns people not to continue their journey Illustration

fol. 48b Alexander the Great, his soldiers, and the prophets Khiḍr and Elijah at the Fountain of Life Illustration

fol. 50b A king on horseback at a spring near Bāmiyān Illustration

fol. 51a A naked woman exposes her private parts in front of an idol, a demon, and two men with a dog Illustration

fol. 52b First half of a map of the world Illustration

fol. 53a Second half of a map of the world Illustration

fol. 55a Birds brought from Arabia Illustration

fol. 56a Alexander the Great on horseback and two angels holding Mount Qāf Illustration

fol. 56b Warriors on horseback fight enormous ants at Jabal al-aḥmar Illustration

fol. 59a Lighthouses with a cat, a monkey, and the heads of animals and humans Illustration

fol. 60b Two men watch a dragon and white vultures eating meat with diamonds sticking to it Illustration

fol. 61b A woman, accompanied by a child, leads a bull with a demon lying at its feet Illustration

fol. 68a Two young men shooting at snakes in a tree in the presence of a demon Illustration

fol. 68b A civet cat in a cage Illustration

fol. 73a A king enthroned during the feast of Nawrūz Illustration

fol. 74a A dragon guards the treasure found by Anūshīrvān and his vizier Būzurjmihr Illustration

fol. 75a The Caliph Muḥammad Amīn and a winged horse coming out of a pool into which his ring had fallen Illustration

fol. 77a Bahrām Gūr hunting while Fitnah plays a harp Illustration

fol. 78b The mosque compound in Mecca with the kaʿbah in the center Illustration

fol. 80a A fight at the mosque in Medina to protect the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad Illustration

fol. 81a Five men watch flames appear once every year in the Temple of David in Jerusalem Illustration

fol. 81b King Solomon enthroned in the company of animals, humans, and demons Illustration

fol. 82b The hanging of a man believed to be Jesus Illustration

fol. 83a Jesus and a dragon with a tree growing from its mouth Illustration

fol. 85b Three tombs of the prophets Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph in Bethlehem Illustration

fol. 87b A lion and a ram tied to a post to delineate the boundary of the city of Baghdad Illustration

fol. 88b Two thieves collect fruit in the garden of Solomon Illustration

fol. 89b Queen Sheba enthroned with a number of men paying her homage Illustration

fol. 90b Alexander the Great meets two harpies perched on top of two pillars in the town of Jābalasā Illustration

fol. 91a An idol defends the fortress of Jāriyah with a bow and arrows Illustration

fol. 92b A rooster made of copper puts pears into glass bowls Illustration

fol. 94a A widow of a deceased king of Ceylon strikes his coffin with a sword Illustration

fol. 95a Alexander the Great watches the wall being built between Gog and Magog Illustration

fol. 96a Minaret in the town of Sarīrah Illustration

fol. 97a One of two brothers sits on the wall on the river Nile Illustration

fol. 98a Running lions near the town of Ṭabarīyah Illustration

fol. 99a A large fish with four legs, known as Saqanqūr, at Fusṭāṭ Illustration

fol. 100b White squirrels on trees in Kāshghar Illustration

fol. 102a Moses removes a large stone from a well to water his sheep Illustration

fol. 103a Three men worship an idol of Mūltān Illustration

fol. 104a The devil copulates with a pig with his offspring on the right side Illustration

fol. 105b The interior of a mosque in Haramān Illustration

fol. 106b A warrior on horseback with two other men in front of a fortress in Yemen Illustration

fol. 107b People turned into stone in a city in Ḥaḍramawt Illustration

fol. 108b King Solomon, enthroned, speaks to the king of the Fortress of Qaṭrān Illustration

fol. 111a A tree on Mount Lābīs with the heads of humans and animals growing from it Illustration

fol. 115a The devil, a man killing a lion, and the vine Illustration

fol. 116b A man being saved by clinging to the feet of a bird and a dog pulling out mandrakes with female heads Illustration

fol. 118a ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib on horseback killing a dragon with the Prophet Muhammad and Bilāl looking on Illustration

fol. 119a Three depictions of idols and worshipers from India and Andalusia Illustration

fol. 119b Three depictions of idol worship Illustration

fol. 120a Four depictions of idol worship Illustration

fol. 120b Two depictions of idol worship Illustration

fol. 122a Two men touch a nude statue Illustration

fol. 122b Anūshīrvān’s veiled body lying on a throne, visited by the Caliph al-Maʾmūn and another man Illustration

fol. 123a A man watches a fantastic animal Illustration

fol. 124a An official shows Alexander the Great treasure hidden in large jars Illustration

fol. 125b A man fights a lion Illustration

fol. 126b A man, watched by a lion and a jackal, tries to catch a monkey in a tree Illustration

fol. 130a A man, watched by an ape, tries to milk a lioness Illustration

fol. 132b An angel leads a demon who told a story to King Solomon Illustration

fol. 133b A group of women beat a man whom they mistook for an intruder Illustration

fol. 134b Three kings of the people of ʿĀd tossed up into the air for mocking Moses Illustration

fol. 136a Giant women, who later became part of Alexander the Great’s army, battle warriors on horseback Illustration

fol. 136b Alexander the Great and his men meet a giant near Bābil Illustration

fol. 137b A warrior, hidden behind a rock, watches a man-like creature Illustration

fol. 139a Demon warriors slaughtered in battle Illustration

fol. 141a A man watches two hunters follow an animal with a human head Illustration

fol. 142a A sculpture of a man on horseback venerated by people of North Africa Illustration

fol. 143b A king pierces himself with a sword in front of an idol Illustration

fol. 144b Garshāsf bends an iron bow in the presence of the king of Rūm and his daughter Illustration

fol. 146a ʿAlī, on horseback, kills a lion to save his friend Salmān Illustration

fol. 149a Galen, in the presence of Hippocrates, tries to remove a worm from the head of a Roman king Illustration

fol. 150b An amir of Khurasan is surprised at the figure of a man Illustration

fol. 152a A king of Khurasan has his leg treated by a physician Illustration

fol. 153a A king and a man, brought to a fortress by a bird, fall from the building while wrestling Illustration

fol. 153b A woman brings a bowl of milk on her head Illustration

fol. 155a A vizier speaks with a king of Iṣṭakhr Illustration

fol. 157b Old holy men in a cave in India Illustration

fol. 158b Two men carry the coffin of Alexander the Great Illustration

fol. 159a A lover of one of the wives of Nūshīrvān is brought before him and Būzurjmihr Illustration

fol. 160a A man kneels before a man-eating monk Illustration

fol. 162a The demon Halhāl with an animal head and feet Illustration

fol. 162b A king watches a demon copulating with his donkey Illustration

fol. 163b A man visits the enthroned devil Illustration

fol. 164b The demon Akvān carries Rustam sleeping on a rock Illustration

fol. 166a Three men carry three other men with weak legs Illustration

fol. 167a A woman-demon falls off the horse of a man Illustration

fol. 168b A king watches strange creatures (people of the sea) Illustration

fol. 170a A man and woman make love Illustration

fol. 170b A young man and a girl with a baby in her arms appear before the throne of King Solomon Illustration

fol. 172b A sīmurgh fights a dragon Illustration

fol. 173b Two ostriches with camel heads kill a wolf Illustration

fol. 175b Seven cranes with swords in their bills and flames shooting up Illustration

fol. 176b King Solomon questions an owl sitting on a grave Illustration

fol. 177a Two storks attack another stork and a crow with a snake around its neck Illustration

fol. 178a A bird like a peacock with a lion’s head Illustration

fol. 178b A man watches a strange animal from behind a cart Illustration

fol. 179a An elephant Illustration

fol. 181b A sea-cow Illustration

fol. 182b A sea-horse with large wings Illustration

fol. 183a A man with wings and feet like a horse and two other men eating Illustration

fol. 184a An angel, the prophet Ezra, and his donkey Illustration

fol. 185b The Prophet Muhammad on horseback kills Abū Khalaf at Badr Illustration

fol. 186b ʿUmūrīyah, a daughter of King Faylaqūs, milks a goat Illustration

fol. 188a A rhinoceros fights an elephant Illustration

fol. 190b A lion kills ʿUtbah ibn Abī Lahab Illustration

fol. 192b A tiger and a lion in combat Illustration

fol. 193b Abraham in the fire with the angels Gabriel and Michael on the left Illustration

fol. 194b A hyena places its foot on a dog’s shadow, forcing it to come down from a building Illustration

fol. 195b The Seven Sleepers and their dog Illustration

fol. 197a Dogs fighting beavers and a fish with a moon face (representing Sirius) in its mouth Illustration

fol. 199a Musicians make noise with their instruments to force a bear out of a ruined mill Illustration

fol. 200a An enthroned king watches copulating donkeys and pigs with two lions (above) in wait for their prey Illustration

fol. 201b A dog kills a fox in the presence of a gesticulating man Illustration

fol. 203a A prophet on horseback (representing the people of Israel) fights two warriors Illustration

fol. 204a Two women beat a civet cat in a cage to make it produce its distinctive musk Illustration

fol. 207a Two men approach the prophet Jonah Illustration

fol. 208b Various types of fish in the water Illustration

fol. 210a Two men with bows and arrows shoot at each other while trying to kill lions; two saqanqūrs in the water Illustration

fol. 213a Isfandiyār ibn Garshāsb fights a dragon Illustration

fol. 215a 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 Illustration

fol. 217a A man watches two oversized locusts from behind a hill Illustration

fol. 219a The Prophet Muhammad and Abū Bakr hide in a cave on their way to Medina, with the help of a spider Illustration

fol. 220a King Solomon, with his entourage of angels, demons, and birds, talks to the king of the ants Illustration

fol. 222a A man who put himself in the place of a donkey is led by a rope by the donkey’s owner Illustration

fol. 223b A woman, trying to prevent her lover leaving the house, lies to her husband about the man’s identity Illustration

fol. 224a A robber ties up a cloth merchant while his companions clean out the house Illustration

fol. 226a A man fights the devil Illustration

fol. 229a King Solomon enthroned in the presence of a prophet, angels, demons, animals, and birds Illustration

10th century AH / 16th CE

Old shelf mark in Hindu-Arabic numerals 1834 inscribed on the tail-edge and below an erased seal on fol. 1a

Ex libris Henry Walters on the upper board inside

Persian

Arabic

paper

image/jpeg

1501

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