English: A COMPILATION OF WORKS BY 'UBAYD-I ZAKANI (D. 1370) AND FAKHR AL-DIN BUSHAQ-E A'TIMA (D. 1420)

SIGNED AHMAD AL-SHIRAZI, SAFAVID IRAN, DATED DHU'L HIJJA AH 946/APRIL-MAY 1540 AD

Persian manuscript in verse and prose on thin paper, 270ff. (as numbered) plus 7 fly-leaves, each folio with 15ll. of black nasta'liq arranged in one or two columns with gold and polychrome illuminated intercolumnar divisions, a further column to the outside of each page with 10ll. of nasta'liq written on the diagonal with a triangle of floral illumination above and below, catchwords, text between gold and polychrome rules on wide light blue borders with occasional gold illumination, eleven headings in white on gold illuminated panels, three illuminated bifolios throughout the text, two with the text on the subsequent bifolio in clouds reserved against gold illuminated ground, one further heavily illuminated bifolio, in lacquer binding with gul-o-bulbul motif, the doublures with daffodils, missing folios, misbound Text panel 4 5/8 x 2 5/8in. (11.6 x 6.5cm.); folio 8 5/8 x 4¾in. (21.7 x 12.1cm.)

'Ubayd-i Zakani was a poetry of Qazwin, famous for his satirical poetry. Two of his prose works, the Maktub-i Qalandaran (Letter of the Dervishes) andthe Risala-ye Rish (Treatise on the Beard) are also found in this manuscript (ff.170b, 171b).

Bushaq A'tima was a satrical poet of Shiraz, famous for his use of culinary imagery. Among the works included here is his mathnavi, Jangname-ye moz'afar va boghra (The Tale of war between Pilaf and Pastry), written in imitation of Firdawsi's Shahnama.