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Four Leaves from the Arabic Version of Dioscorides' De materia medica
Walters W.750 consists of 4 consecutive leaves (numbered fols. 237-241) from an illustrated manuscript of the Arabic version of De materia medica by Dioscorides, copied in the 7th century AH/AD 13th in Iran. Pedanius Dioscorides wrote his treatise on medicinal plants in the AD 1st century. It was translated into Syriac and then Arabic in Baghdad in the 3rd century AH/AD 9th. De materia medica by Dioscorides was one of the earliest scientific manuscripts to be translated from Greek to Arabic. The Walters' leaves illustrate 5 plants: wild cucumber, mezereon (spurge-olive), and three varieties of thymelaea (spurge-laurel).
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Eustache de Lorey, France [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1952, by purchase.
Exhibitions
| 2024 | Healing the Body, Healing the Soul. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1984-1985 | Illuminated Manuscripts: Masterpieces in Miniature. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 3/16/1972 | Treatment | re-housed |
| 8/26/1975 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 11/7/1984 | Treatment | examined for condition; re-housed |
Geographies
Iran (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 11 5/8 x W: 7 7/8 in. (29.5 x 20 cm)
Credit Line
Museum purchase with funds provided by the S. & A.P. Fund, 1952
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
W.750
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Related Objects
One of Four Leaves from the Arabic Version of Dioscorides' De materia medica
