Walters Ms. W.611, Five poems (quintet)Khamsah-i Niẓāmīخمسه نظامى<note type="title" xml:id="n267.120947">Title in titlepiece reads: hadhā kitāb Khamsah-ʾi Mawlānā Shaykh-i Niẓāmī</note>Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3Ilyās ibn Yūsuf Niẓāmī Ganjavīالياس بن يوسف نظامى گنجوىAuthor dates preferred by cataloger: d. 605 AH / 1209 CEscribeShams al-Dīn Kirmānīشمس الدين كرمانىPrincipal catalogerGacek, AdamCatalogerLandau, AmyCatalogerSmith, SitaEditorBockrath, DianeContributorBarrera, ChristinaContributorEmery, DougContributorHerbert, LynleyContributorNoel, WilliamContributorSimpson, ShreveContributorTabritha, ArielContributorToth, Michael B.ContributorValle, ChiaraConservatorJewell, StephanieConservatorQuandt, AbigailThe Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.

This is an illuminated and illustrated copy of the Khamsah (quintet) by Niẓāmī Ganjavī (d. 605 AH / 1209 CE), written in 1059 AH / 1649 CE by Shams al-Dīn Kirmānī. The codex opens with an illuminated titlepiece inscribed hadhā kitāb Khamsah-ʾi Mawlānā Shaykh-i Niẓāmī (fol. 1b). There are additional illuminated headpieces for the subsequent four poems (fols. 22b, 82b, 130b, and 180b). The illustrations are in different styles executed during the Safavid and Qajar periods. The floral lacquer binding dates to the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE.BaltimoreThe Walters Art MuseumW.611The primary language in this manuscript is Persian.fols. 1b - 287aKhamsah-i Niẓāmīخمسه نظامى<note type="title" xml:id="n267.121001">Title in titlepiece reads: hadhā kitāb Khamsah-ʾi Mawlānā Shaykh-i Niẓāmī</note>بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم هست كليد در كنج حكيم...Contains all five poems: Makhzān al-asrār (fols. 1b-21b), Khusraw va Shīrīn (fols. 22b-81a), Laylá va Majnūn (fols. 82b-129a), Haft paykar (fols. 130b-179b), and Iskandarnāmah (fols. 180b-287a)scribetammat al-Khamsah [sic] Shaykh Niẓāmī ʿalayhi al-raḥmah /1/ fī 8 shahr Shaʿbān sanat 1059 /2/ Allāhumma ighfir li-ṣāḥibih /3/ wa-kātibih /4/ katabahu Shams al-Dīn Kirmānī /5/In Arabic; gives name of scribe and date of copying

Laid paper

Foliation: i+287+i29.517.023.011.5

On versos, sometimes trimmed

Written in black nastaʿlīq script with chapter/section headings in redTwenty-four illustrations; illuminated titlepieces and headpieces opening each poem of the Khamsah, along with decorated borders and cloud-bands between lines (fols. 1b, 22b, 82b, 130b, and 180b); text enclosed within a frameIncipit page with illuminated titlepieceMakhzan al-asrārIncipit; headpieceThis incipit page has an illuminated headpiece inscribed hadhā kitāb Khamsah-i Mawlānā Shaykh-i Niẓāmī. It introduces the first poem of the Khamsah, Makhzan al-asrār. There is interlinear gilt decoration on this page and the facing page.An old woman implores Sultan Sanjar for helpMakhzan al-asrārIllustrationAn old woman complains to Sultan Sanjar about his policeman.A fox and a robberMakhzan al-asrārIllustrationIncipit page with illuminated headpieceKhusraw va ShīrīnIncipit; headpieceThis illuminated headpiece introduces the second poem of the Khamsah, Khusraw va Shīrīn.Shāpūr shows Shīrin a picture of KhusrawKhusraw va ShīrīnIllustrationKhusraw battles Bahrām ChūbīnahKhusraw va ShīrīnIllustrationFarhād carries Shīrīn and her dead horseKhusraw va ShīrīnIllustrationKhusraw and Shīrīn on the throne in the presence of courtiersKhusraw va ShīrīnIllustrationKhusraw being advised by Buzurg UmīdKhusraw va ShīrīnIllustrationIncipit page with illuminated headpieceLaylá va MajnūnIncipit; headpieceThis illuminated headpiece introduces the third poem of the Khamsah, Laylá va Majnūn.Majūn visits Laylá in the company of wild animalsLaylá va MajnūnIllustrationNawfal and his men attack Laylá’s tribeLaylá va MajnūnIllustrationMajnūn in the wilderness surrounded by animalsLaylá va MajnūnIllustrationSalīm visits Majnūn in the wildernessLaylá va MajnūnIllustrationLaylá and Majnūn reunited after a long separationLaylá va MajnūnIllustrationIncipit page with illuminated headpieceHaft paykarInicipit; headpieceThis illuminated headpiece introduces the fourth poem of the Khamsah, Haft paykar.Bahrām Gūr kills two lionsHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the black pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the yellow pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the green pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the red pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the blue pavilionHaft paykarIllustration

The color of this miniature is predominantly green.

Bahrām Gūr in the sandalwood pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationBahrām Gūr in the white pavilionHaft paykarIllustrationIncipit page with illuminated headpieceIskandarnāmahIncipit; headpieceThis illuminated headpiece introduces the fifth poem of the Khamsah, Iskandarnāmah.Alexander the Great fights the EthiopiansIskandarnāmahIllustrationAlexander the Great laments the death of DariusIskandarnāmahIllustrationAlexander the Great received by the Khāqān of ChinaIskandarnāmahIllustrationAlexander the Great fights the RussiansIskandarnāmahIllustration

Probably early thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE; lacquer with floral design in the main and outer panels, as well as central oval medallions and pendants (no flap)

8 Shaʿbān 1059 AH / 1649 CEIranPartly visible seal impression dated [1]320[?]AH: [...?] Ibrāhīm (fol.1a)Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequestArtMedicineMuseumPoetryScriptMuhammad, the ProphetRomaniaKashmiriHorsesWalters Art MuseumBlockbookDocumentGeneologyAstrologyDevotionHistoryLegalLiterature -- PoetryLiterature -- ProseLiturgyPhilosophyScienceScience -- MedicineScriptureSufismTheologyMineralogyLogicGeographyGeomancyCosmologyCartographyFortune-tellingKoranQur`anFirmanPalimpsestPrayerBibleGospelsPsalterMissalLectionaryBook of HoursAntiphonaryPrayerbookHomilaryProcessionalHorologionBreviaryHymnalChroniclePsalter/HoursMaghrebSub-Saharan (West) AfricaTurkeyAfghanistanCentral Arab Lands (Near East)Central AsiaEgyptEnglandIndiaIranIraqPakistanGermanyFranceAustriaNetherlandsEthiopiaArmeniaFlandersGreeceMamlukMughalOttomanOttonianArmenianByzantineAbbasidQajarRajputChristianArabicAustrianDutchEgyptianFatimidGermanIndianIslamicPersianSafavidTimuridTurkishUmayyadEnglishFrenchFlemishEthiopianCarolingianCalligraphyChartsColophonHeadpieceIlluminationIllustrationMedallionMiniatureOrnamentPainting'Kufic'Early Abbasid scriptRaginiRomanesqueGothicWatermarkTreasure BindingGrotesquesHistoriated initialInhabited initialCarolingian MinusculeGothic Book handWhite-vine letteringEnglish secretaryTexturaBatardaHumanisticUncialAccordion bookAlbumBookCodexManuscriptHeraldrySaint's LifeDrawingGrisailleOriginal BindingBindingNew Abbasid styleLiturgicalDevotionalScripturalTheologicalLegalHistoricalScientificScientific -- MedicalLiterary -- ProseLiterary -- PoetryPhilosophicalAstrologicalSufiEnglishBookCodexIlluminationIllustrationIranIslamicManuscriptPersianSafavidWalters Art MuseumQajarLiterature -- Poetry