[Abridged history of Arab dynasties].

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund. PU

Contributor:

Makiya, Mohamed, former owner.

Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

Language:

Arabic

Subjects (All):

Islamic Empire--History.

Islamic Empire.

History.

Islamic Empire--Kings and rulers.

Kings and rulers.

Genre:

codices (bound manuscripts)

abridgements

Penn Provenance:

Formerly owned by Mohamed Makiya.

Sold at auction at Christie's (South Kensington) as part of the Mohamed Makiya collection, 18 April 2016, lot 145.

Physical Description:

150 leaves : paper ; 300 x 205 (204 x 115) mm bound to 300 x 204 mm

Place of Publication:

[between 1650 and 1699?]

Language Note:

Arabic.

Summary:

An abridged copy of a history of several Arab dynasties, ending with the Almohads. This volume contains three partial chapters: the end of an abridgement of chapter 1, chapter 2, and the beginning of chapter 3. The text begins and ends abruptly. Chapter 2 (f. 47v-90r) is about the Prophet Muhammad. Chapter 3 starts with the first four Caliphs, continues through the Umayyads (f. 103r-120v), tours briefly through the Abbasid rulers (f. 120v-142v), mentions the Fatimids (f. 143v), then follows up with brief accounts of the Almohad rulers through al-Ḥasan al-Saʻīd ibn Yaʻqūb al-Manṣūr (d. 646 A.H = 1249).

Notes:

Ms. codex.

Title supplied by cataloger.

Foliation: Modern western numeral foliation in pencil; catchwords on each verso, lower left.

Layout: 29 long lines, compactly written; text block is frame-ruled; poetry is indented on both sides; no colophon.

Script: Written in polychrome maghribi script; predominately brown ink; text is pointed with fully vocalized headings; occasional marginal notes.

Decoration: Minimal decoration; some rubrications and larger text present to highlight quotations and names; ink colors become more varied in the latter folios and include green and purple inks.

Watermarks: Trefoil above initials G/V or 6/V on some leaves. Venetian tre lune on some leaves.

Binding: Bound in blind stamped red leather with flap (Type II) over pasteboard; endbands in yellow thread; front and back covers have embossed frames and contain blind stamped mandorla of green leather onlay with two pendants on the vertical axis; flap also holds two green leather blind stamped onlay pendants; doublure of thin, brown leather, scored in a regular pattern along inside foredge flap; doublure of envelope flap covered over with pinkish paper cut in a pattern along the long edge and two cutaways colored blue; pastedowns have been sloppily replaced by modern, white paper.

Origin: Likely copied in North Africa, in the latter half of the 17th century.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Constance L. Rosenthal Book Fund.

Cited as:

UPenn Oversize Ms. Codex 1892.

OCLC:

1059578322

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.