Prayer Book, Dala 'il al-Khayrat, Ottoman... - Lot 412 - Euvrard & Fabre

Prayer Book, Dala 'il al-Khayrat, Ottoman Empire, signed and dated December 1756 Manuscript on paper in several parts, 11 lines of text per page, in Arabic, in cursive calligraphy, in black ink, a few words in red ink. The first double page is richly illuminated in gold and in polychrome with an arcatured frontispiece decorated with a cartouche framed with fleurons on a background of flowery foliage and wide gilded floral margins. The contents are a compilation of religious texts including Qur'anic excerpts, prayers, shamseh describing the Prophet, the first four caliphs and saints of Islam, and checkerboards containing the names of God and the Prophet. Beautiful illuminations punctuate the work, including frontispieces opening each part, rosettes punctuating the text, marginal medallions and two beautiful representations of the Holy Shrines of Mecca and Medina. The final colophon gives the name of the copyist Isma'il al-Ma'arouf bi Yari [?] Zadeh, a pupil of Husayn al-Ma'arouf bi Khafef Zadeh and the date 6 of the month of Rabbi' al-Akhar 1170 / 29 December 1756. The binding has a flap binding in garnet morocco with embossed decoration including a medallion with double floral appendages and four spandrels decorated with foliage and enhanced with gold. Binding size: 18.1 x 11.7 cm Condition: wormholes, freckles, wetness, folds, binding in good condition See reproduction