Formerly Ethé 873. European mid 19th-century half-leather binding. The illuminations consist of two circular medallions (shamsa) on ff. 1r and 6r, illuminated 'unvans on ff. 1v (start of the prose preface) and 7r (start of poem); there is a double carpet-page illumination on ff. 6v-7r, containing once more the start of the same preface .
The Preface begins with the words, Hamd-u sitayish mar khuday-ra 'azza wa jalla kih khuday-i har du jahan ast…(i.e. the second or middle version of the preface). It continues to f. 5r. Fol. 5v is blank.The poem is not divided into books.
Folio 1r contains many inscriptions and seals, some defaced.
The calligrapher, Adina of Bukhara, was also responsible for the ms. in the Ancient India and Iran Trust, Cambridge, formerly in the possession of Sir Harold Bailey. The detailed colophon mentions that the work was done in the Kuy-i Malaqand in Samarqand.
The margins of the text block are ruled in lines of dark blue, space, 2 thin black with gold, thick gold, olive green. The columns are two x 2 thin black with gold. The rubrics are ruled with 2 thin black with gold, titles in tomato red nasta'liq on a plain ground. Occasionally, there are headings in gold script on a background of gold 'abri' decoration.
There are at least 5 folios missing between f. 141v and 142r (in the story of Bizhan and Manizha). It is possible these are mis-bound elsewhere in the volume, but it is also possible that other folios are missing; this is still to be investigated.
There are 24 miniatures in the Transoxania style of Bukhara; the work of two different artists has been identified by Robinson.
Bibliography
H. Ethé, Persian manuscripts in the India Office, London, 1903, p. 552 (no. 873)
B.W. Robinson, Persian paintings in the India Office Library, London, 1976, pp. 188-91.
