Ottoman Illuminated Sufi Manuscript, Mecmua-i Eş'ar

An 18th-century Ottoman Turkish codex, a Mecmua-i Eş'ar, or anthology of Sufi and prophetic poetry, containing 314 folios of meticulous Naskh calligraphy, eleven lines to the page. It gathers the works of four poets: Nahīfī, Khāqānī, Busīrī, and Mazlūmī. The binding is original Morocco leather with a central gold-stamped medallion.

The manuscript is distinguished by a cycle of six double-page frontispieces, executed in high-carat gold and lapis lazuli pigments: a floral gold 'unwan with lapis blue borders; a symmetrical arabesque in gold leaf; a polychrome headpiece for the poet Nahīfī; a page of heavy gold application with red ruling; Ottoman floral motifs in brilliant luster; and traditional tezhip borders framing prophetic verse.

The text is written on Italian export laid paper, identified by a clear watermark of the letters 'AH' above three stars, a prestigious import from Venice or Genoa, favored by the Ottoman elite for its smooth finish and durability, and consistent with a date of about 1780.

Folio 19.7 x 11.4 cm; text block 16.5 x 7.6 cm.