Arabic manuscript on buff paper, 356 pages plus 2 flyleaves, 12 lines to the page, written in black naskh, verses separated by gold and polychrome pointed floral roundels, sura headings in white cursive script against gold ground within cusped cartouches on illuminated panels, some including words in naskh within clouds on reserved ground, margins ruled in colours and gold, catchwords, occasional marginal notes, marginal verse markers in the form of quatrefoil and drop-shaped illuminated medallions, two frontispiece bifolios with fine, full-page illumination in polychrome and gold, the following folio with an illuminated headpiece, two finispiece bifolios with similar full-page illumination, and three further illuminated double pages at the end with prayers and Falnama,with fine original gold-stamped brown morocco binding with central field and border cartouches of floral motifs and cloud scrolls, fine gold-stamped doublures with central field of tightly intertwined cloud scrolls, central medallion and cornerpieces of gilt filigree over polychrome grounds, border cartouches of gilt-stamped calligraphy consisting of pious phrases and an outer border band with further cartouches of gilt filigree, with flap. 33.5 by 22 cm. text panel: 21 by 13 cm. CATALOGUE NOTE 'Ala' al-Din al-Tabrizi, whose full name was 'Ala' al-Din Muhammad ibn Shams al-Din Muhammad al-Hafiz al-Tabrizi, known as Mulla 'Ala' Beyg, was a master calligrapher from Tabriz, whose hand was copied by later calligraphers including Ahmad al-Nayrizi and 'Ali 'Askar al-Arsanjani. His father was also a calligrapher, active during the reign of the Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp (reg. 1524-76), for whom he executed royal decrees (firmans). His immediate pupils were 'Ali Riza and 'Abd al-Baqi. His recorded work is dated between AH 964/AD 1556-57 and AH 1001/AD 1592-93): the first of these states that it was copied in Kerbala, the second, in the Safavid capital Qazvin (see Mehdi Bayani, ahval va athar-e khosh-navisan, vol. 4, Tehran, 1358 sh, pp. 103-104). He was also responsible for a number of inscriptions on buildings in Tabriz, Karbala, and Qazvin. Condition Report Condition reports and high resolution pictures are available on our website at www.orientalartauctions.com If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]