خاوران نامه

Manuscript..

Persian..

[Source of title].

[Statement of responsibility].

Written in Iran or India..

Paper; fine quality, cream-colored, thin, and polished; script is in black or red ink and is arranged on each page in quite an elaborate gold-framed 'grid'; two columns to each page, separated and framed in gold-ruled borders, and the black script is written horizontally within the two columns; around the two columns is a wide gold-ruled frame in which black script is written diagonally toward the edges, radiating outward from the texts in the central two columns; small gold-framed triangles, usually blank, are set into the central outside edges of each page where the pages would be turned and similar gold triangles are placed on the inside edges of the margins, top and bottom, near the gutters; the pages were laid out in these grids before the scribe had written any text, the writing radiates outward in special patterns; missing the first of opening carpet page, the one page that does remain appears Indian and may have been added later; text block is weak at the spine; many pages are stained or darkened, especially at the top edges and at the back..

Nastaʻliq..

[Collation].

Library of Congress. Persian manuscript, M152..

Rebound in Indian dark brown leather covers and spine embossed with mandorla-shaped medallions front and back and smaller embossed medallions in floral motifs above and below central medallions which are not gilded; the spine has simple raised bands along its length; front cover has cream-colored label pasted on it with upside down '83' written in black ink; Inside covers and end papers are painted on cream-colored paper with unusual Baroque coffered-ceiling-type images having a central floral motif in red and black flowers set into a diamond-shaped blue background..

Long poem on the Caliph ʻAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib..