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Five Poems (Quintet)
(Manuscripts and Rare Books, Islamic World , Islamic Manuscripts)
Walters manuscript W.666 is an illuminated and illustrated copy of the Hamse (quintet) of the Ottoman Turkish poet and scholar 'Ata'ullah bin Yahyá 'Ata'i (died 1044 AH/AD 1634). Although different in content, this work takes its inspiration from the famous Persian Khamsah of Nizami Ganjavi (died 605 AH/AD 1209) and the Khamsah of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (died 725 AH/AD 1325). This Ottoman copy of 'Ata'i's work ends with a portion of his Divan (fols. 142b-151b) instead of the 5th poem (mesnevi), Hilyet ül-efkar. The text, written in Nasta'liq script, was copied by Heyrullah Heyri Çavuszade in 1133 AH/AD 1721. There are 38 illustrations, and illuminated incipits introduce the different poems (fols. 1b, 22b, 63b, 107b, and 142b). The brown leather binding is original to the manuscript.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 2015-2016 | Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, and Poets at the Great Islamic Courts. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco. |
Geographies
Turkey (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Folio H: 8 1/4 × W: 6 3/16 in. (21 × 15.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
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.666
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