A large lithographed copy of Firdausi's Shahnama, copied by the well-known nasta'liq calligraphe...

A large lithographed copy of Firdausi's Shahnama, copied by the well-known nasta'liq calligrapher Muhammad Husain 'Imad al-Kuttab, with 41 full-page illustrations by more than one artist, including Musavvir al-Mulk Qajar Persia, Tehran, composition of the text completed in AH 1321/AD 1903-04, the copying on 26th Safar 1322/12th May 1904 lithograph on paper, 373 leaves, main text written in six columns in small nasta'liq, headings within ruled panels, frontispiece portraits of Muhammad 'Ali Shah Qajar and Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar (in that order), 41 full-page monochrome illustrations, two half-page illustrations, prose preface, index at end followed by full-page portrait of Husain Khan Pasha Bahador Jang (the patron), brown leather binding, perhaps contemporary 430 x 320 mm. Footnotes: There is another copy of the same lithographed Shahnama in the Shrine Library, Mashhad, in four volumes, by the scribe Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Mulk,with 49 illustrations and images of Muzaffar al-Din Shah, Muhammad 'Ali Shah and Husayn Pasha Khan Bahador Jang (the patron, after whom this production is also known as Shahnameh Bahadori), illustrations by 'Ali Khan, Muhammad Kazim, Husayn 'Ali and Musavvir al-Mulk, 42 x 34 cm. The opening page bears the image of the Qajar ruler Muhammad 'Ali Shah Qajar (reg. 1907-09) with his name in the cartouche. The text gives the information that Muzaffar al-Din Shah (reg. 1896-1907) had ordered Husayn Khan Pasha Amir Jang Bahadur to create a copy of the Shahnama after having studied many other versions and therefore producing the most correct, and also to add illustrations to it. This was not completed during his reign and his son (Muhammad 'Ali Shah) took up the project in his second regnal year in order to pay respects to his father's good name, who had initiated the project. A colophon at the end gives the information that this Shahnama was ordered by Muzaffar al-Din Shah with Husayn Pasha Khan Amir Bahadur Jang the keshik-bashi in charge of its production, 'Ali Khan Arshad al-Dawlah as the superintendent, Mawbad 'Abd al-'Ali Kashani as the inspector, copied by Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab and printed in the Print House of Sayyid Murtaza in Tehran and dated AH 1319/AD 1901-02. There is a preface in verse in praise of Muhammad 'Ali Shah and the production of the Shahnama composed by Adib al-Mamalik Muhammad Sadiq al-Husayni ends with text in prose mentioning various names involved in the project. The great vazir (Husayn Khan) Amir Bahadur hands over the task to Arshad al-Dawlah 'Ali Khan, the Persian speaker 'Abd al-'Ali Bidgoli was chosen to write a dictionary, Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab was to copy it, and Mirza 'Ali Khan Sepahani to do the illustrations. It is dated the shamsi year 10 shahrivar 1273/1st September 1894. This is followed by more text in verse. The last couplet gives the completion of this section in the year AH 1321/AD 1903-04. It was copied by 'Imad al-Kuttab in AH 1322/AD 1904-05. There is a section on Firdausi's biography, copied by Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab, dated Rajab 1326/July-August 1908. The colophon above the image of the ruined tomb of Firdausi gives the date of the completion of the text by Muhammad Sadiq al-Husayni al-Farahani in AH 1321/AD 1903-04, copied by Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab and printed in the Print House of Sayyid Murtaza with the help of Aqa Mirza Hasan. Later follows an image of Muzaffar al-Din Shah, signed Musawwir al-Mulk with the caption 'al-Sultan Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar'. The text on this page is in verse in the style of Firdausi, in praise of Muzaffar al-Din Shah. There is a similar colophon at the end of volume two, stating that: 'It was completed by the order of the King, under the supervision of Husayn Pasha Khan Amir Jang Bahadur and the Chief Sentinel, with superintendent 'Ali Khan Arshad al-Dawlah and inspection by 'Abd al-'Ali Kashani it was copied by Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab Qazvini and printed in the Print House of Sayyid Murtaza with the help of Aqa Mirza 'Abbas in Tehran, on 14 Rabi' II 1320 (21 July 1902) and shamsi date 2 Mordad 1271 (21 July 1902) The colophon at the end of Firdausi's text states that: the fourth part of the Shahnama was completed by the order of the King (Muhammad 'Ali Shah), under the supervision of Husayn Pasha Khan Amir Jang Bahadur and Great Minister of the Court, and the superintendent 'Ali Khan Arshad al-Dawlah and attempts by 'Abd al-'Ali Bidgoli, without any mistakes, it was printed in the Print House of Sayyid Murtaza with the help of Aqa Mirza 'Abbas and was copied by Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Kuttab on 26 Safar 1322/12 May 1904. It has an added note:'Abbas is one of the old soldiers of the Victory Guards'. The closing parts include a section on interpolated stories including the story of Zahhak and Jamid and that of Barzu. This section is signed by 'Abd al-'Ali and it is followed by a list of difficult words and their meanings and an index of Persian Kings and the years they ruled. It starts with Pishdadiyan and ends with the Sasanids. The last page depicts Husayn Pasha Khan Amir-e Jang, the Commander-in-chief, the Great Minister of War, signed by Musawwir al-Mulk. There are numerous illustrations of episodes in the Shahnama, including Ardeshir passing on the ring of kingship to Shapur; Goshtasp before Zoroaster with Isfandiyar behind him; the enthronement of Faridun; and Shapur son of Ardeshir on horseback with attendants. A note on the blank side of the first leaf at the beginning of the manuscripts reads: 'This volume of the Shahnama was presented to Ghulamreza Khan, no. 9 of the tenth class, as a prize on behalf of His Excellency, the noble Minister of War and Army's Chief Commander of the entire army at the time of the blessed procession of His Majesty, most sacred, the August honoured the visit to the Military College on Tuesday 10th of the (zodiac sign) of Taurus of 1302, corresponding to 14 Ramadan 1341/30th April 1923; with the ink stamp of the 'Military College of the whole of the Army'. Muhammad Sadiq Farahani Adib al-Mamalik (d. 28 Rabi' II 1335/21 February 1917) was a scholar and poet with the pen-name Amiri, a supporter of the Constitution and a founder and editor of several newspapers in Tehran. 'Ali Khan Arshad al-Dawlah (killed in AH 1328/AD 1910-11), Chief General (sardar-e arshad), originally a supporter of the Constitution, later of Muhammad 'Ali Shah (see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol. 2, Tehran 1966, page 261, n.1). 'Abd al-'Ali Kashani, also known as Shaykh 'Abd al-'Ali Mawbad Bidgoli Khashani (d. 1939-40), originally a Zoroastrian, a convert to Islam, a supporter of the Constitution, a poet and scholar who published literary texts and corrections of the text of the Shahnama. Muhammad Husayn 'Imad al-Mulk (d. AH 1355/AD 1936-37) was a nasta'liq calligrapher of the late 19th century, the scribe at the Ministry of Publication and Ministry of Internal Affairs, and a teacher to the Ahmad Shah Qajar and later to the Pahlavi King Reza Shah. Apart from this Shahnama, his other recorded works are dated between AH 1323/AD 1905-06 and AH 1336/AD 1917-18, as well as inscriptions on buildings of the Pahlavi period and the production of pamphlets on teaching the art of calligraphy at schools. See Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va A For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing