DISCOVERIES FROM A CHARMING MINIATURE MANUSCRIPT: A 16TH CENTURY VOLUME OF HAFEZ’S GHAZALS

Abstract

The Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas Library (SMNAL) at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC, IIUM) houses a remarkable collection of Hafez’s ghazals, compiled in a charming miniature-sized manuscript from 16th-century Safavid Iran. Its exquisite lacquer binding, adorned with colorful floral motifs; the creatively developed page layouts that, while maintaining overall visual unity, vary to meet the aesthetic demands of each page; and the consistently excellent quality of Nastaʿlīq calligraphy throughout the volume make this manuscript truly exceptional. The absence of rekābeh (catchwords), the fact that each page contains a carefully selected five or six self-contained couplets—complete in itself—and that the two illuminated opening folios along with four miniature paintings in the Isfahani style are later additions, all suggest that the pages may have originally been intended for a muraqqaʿ (album). This essay is divided into seven distinct sections. “About the Manuscript” provides essential information on the volume. Its aesthetic and codicological features are examined under “Binding,” “Illuminations,” “Layout,” and “Illustrations.” Additional markings on the manuscript reveal traces of two former owners prior to its acquisition by ISTAC in the 1990s; these are discussed under “Barker’s Remarks” and “Seals.” Finally, “Physical Condition” offers an account of the volume’s deterioration and subsequent restorations. The essay is accompanied by twenty-two images, selected and photographed by the author.