بوستان سعدی

Walters Ms. W.620, The orchard (Bustan)

Walters Ms. W.620, The orchard (Bustan)

Kitāb-i būstān

كتاب بوستان

Saʿdī (author)

Musharrif al-Dīn ibn Muṣliḥ Saʿdī Shīrāzī (author)

مشرف الدين بن مصلح سعدي شيرازي (author)

This is an illuminated and illustrated Safavid copy of the Būstān (The garden or The orchard), composed by Sa’dī (d. 691 AH / 1292 CE). It was written in black nasta’līq script in the ninth century AH / sixteenth CE in Iran. The codex opens with a frontispiece with the title Kitāb-i būstān inscribed in an illuminated medallion (fol. 1a), followed by a double-page illustration of a banquet scene in a landscape (fols. 1b-2a). Additionally, there are five paintings illustrating the text (fols. 25a, 55b, 58a, 93b, and 119b). The brown leather, blind-stamped binding decorated with a central oval and pendants is not contemporary with the manuscript. For full description, see http://www.thedigitalwalters.org/Data/WaltersManuscripts/html/W620/description.html

The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.

Five illustrations (fols. 25a, 55b, 58a, 93b, and 119b); illuminated frontispiece with the title Kitāb-i būstān inscribed in the medallion (fol. 1a); double-page illustrated frontispiece (fols. 1b-2a); double-page illuminated incipit (fols. 2b-3a); framing lines in blue, black, and gold

fol. 1a Illuminated frontispiece with medallion Frontispiece; medallion This illuminated frontispiece is inscribed with the title Kitāb-i būstān in the polychrome and gold medallion (shamsah).

fol. 1b Double-page illustrated frontispiece Frontispiece; illustration This is the right side of a double-page illustrated frontispiece depicting a banquet in a landscape.

fol. 2a Double-page illustrated frontispiece Frontispiece; illustration This is the left side of a double-page illustrated frontispiece depicting a banquet in a landscape.

fol. 2b Double-page illuminated incipit Incipit This is the right side of a double-page illuminated incipit introducing the text of the Būstān. Allāh al-Bāqī is inscribed in the lower cartouche in a decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style.

fol. 3a Double-page illuminated incipit Incipit This is the left side of a double-page illuminated incipit introducing the text of the Būstān. Allāh wa-lā siwāhu and al-Shukr li-Llāh ta`ālá are inscribed in the cartouches in a decorated New Abbasid (broken cursive) style.

fol. 25a Darius, the Persian king, meeting his herdsman while hunting Illustration

fol. 55b An old man, who pulled out a thorn from the foot of an orphan, meeting his friend Illustration

fol. 58a Banquet scene in a landscape Illustration

fol. 93b A man advised by village elders to divorce his wife because of their constant quarreling Illustration

fol. 119b Saʿdī and another man visiting Shāṭir Iṣfāhānī Illustration

9th century AH / 15th CE

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Persian

paper

image/jpeg

1401

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