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Sheila S. Blair
The Khalili Collection owns what is, without doubt, one of the
most important illustrated medieval manuscripts from either East
or West.
The ]ami' al-Tawarikh or 'Compendium of Chronicles' was written
by the 14th-century court historian Rashid al-Din, under the patronage
of the Ilkhanids.
The 59 folios in the Khalili Collection - reproduced here in colour
for the first time after their recent restoration - together with
those in the Edinburgh University Library, form a fragment of the
earliest surviving Arabic copy of the work.
An appendix in this volume reintegrates these folios and reconstructs
their original order. The author discusses the identity and techniques
of the calligraphers and painters involved, analyses the sources
for the illustrations, and reveals the importance of this manuscript
in the history of the Persian book.
She also traces the manuscript's journey from Rashid al-Din's scriptorium
in Tabriz through Timurid Herat, the 19th-century Mughal court and
the East India Company, to its acquisition by the Royal Asiatic
Society.
The volume also includes a translation by W.M. Thackston of the
articles of endowment of the Rab'-i Rashidi.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr Sheila S. Blair is an eminent scholar, author and lecturer,
based in Richmond, NH; she is editor of the Islamic section of the
Dictionary of Art.
Dr Wheeler M. Thackston is Professor of the Practice in Persian
and Other Near Eastern Languages, at the Department of Near Eastern
Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University.
DETAILS
126 pages; numerous colour and halftone illustrations; plus full
colour facsimile of the Khalili manuscript
35.5 x 25.5 cm
hardback with dust jacket (slipcased)
1995
1-874780-65-X
£89 $180
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