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An Ottoman collection of prayers, including Al-Jazuli’s Dala'il Al-Khayrat, Turkey, late 18th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 111ff. with 13 lines of neat black naskh per page, verse markers in gold and polychrome, gold and polychrome floral headers, two full illustrations of mosque interiors, red morocco binding with flap, with large gilt-decorated cusped medallion and spandrels containing arabesques, folio 16.4 x 11.3cm. Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Please refer to department for condition report

An unusual Ottoman Qur'an, Turkey, late 18th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 92ff., with 35 lines of diagonal black naksh per page, verse markers in red, headers in red, in green morocco binding with gilded tooling, in red leather slip cover, folio 12 x 9.3cm. Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Please refer to department for condition report

A work on enigmas and riddles by Sadiq Rutni, Persia, copied in Rajab 964 AH/ April 1557 AD, Persian manuscript on paper, 117ff., with 16 lines of black nasta'liq per page, important words in red, two diagrams in red and black ink, some folios replaced, in later Qajar lacquered papier mache binding, with polychrome floral decoration, folio 17 x 10.5cm. Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Binding scuffed and with numerous losses, some folios repaced

An Ottoman collection of prayers, including Muhammad bin Sulayman Al-Jazuli؛’s Dala'il Al-Khayrat, copied by Hafiz Mehmet Amin al-Rushdi, dated 1239 AH/1823-4 AD, Arabic manuscript on paper, 117ff., with 11 lines of black naskh per page, gold roundel verse markers, opening folio with polychrome and gold decorated header and text on gold, further heads in white naskkh on gold with floral detail, two full page illustrations in gouache on Mecca and Medina, binding of red morocco with gilt border and floral detail to centre, folio 16 x 9.7cm.Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Binding in poor condition, coming away from main book

An Ottoman collection of prayers, copied by Uthman bin Abu Bakr al-Tuqati known as Hajj 'Abd Mirzadeh, dated 950AH/1543-44AD, including Muhammad bin Sulayman Al-Jazuli؛’s Dala'il Al-Khayrat, Arabic manuscript on paper, 91ff., with 11 lines of elegant black naskh script per page, gold and polychrome verse roundels, headings blank on gold illuminated panels, text panels within gold and polychrome rules, the opening folio with a gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, gold and polychrome marginal section markers, with double-page illustration depicting the interior of the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina in gold and polychrome, in red morocco with tooled cusped medallion filled with black flowering tendrils on a gold ground, within a gold and black repeating border, folio 15.5 x 10cm. Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Please refer to department for condition report

An album of calligraphic excercises (Wasli), signed Mehmet-i-Shehri (d. 1740), Ottoman Turkey, 18th century, Arabic manuscript on buff paper, 16 calligraphies comprising exercises based on letters of the alphabet, each with 2 lines of bold black naskh and gold floral detail, divided by a narrow panel of smaller naskh, mounted as an album on green folios, brown morocco binding with gilt decoration, each panel 15 x 25.8cm. Provenance: The Private collection of Michel Abemayor (1912-1975)Mehmed-i Shehrī’ means Mehmed of Istanbul, the nisba al-shahrī/shehrī was used by artists from Istanbul to indicate they were born in the Ottoman capital. He studied thuluth and naskh scripts under the supervision of master Mehmed Giridi and was a follower of the famous Hafiz Osman Efendi (d. 1698). Please refer to department for condition report

Two Qur’an folios in gold, provincial Anatolia or Western Persia, late 15th/early 16th century, Surah al-An’am (VI), middle v.28 to to middle v.31; and middle of v.45 to beginning v.49, Arabic manuscript on paper, each leaf with 5 lines to the page written in gold muhaqqaq outlined in black, diacritics in blue, ruled in gold and black, verse markers in the shape of blue or gold roundels, one leaf with marginal verse markers cropped, another cut out, each leaf: 28 by 19.5cm; text panel 25.2 by 15 (2)Note: Two folios from the same Qur’an, also from the same surah, were sold at Christie’s London, 26 April 2012, lot 41 and Sotheby’s London, 28 April 2004, lot 10 and 11.Provenance: Property from an Important Private CollectionCondition report: In fair condition, the leaves with various stains, one with the upper external corner restored and the marginal verse marker cut out, the other with minor restoration to the border and the lower external corner; minor creases to both and minor smudges.

Juz 20 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah an-Naml (27), v.60 to surah al-‘Ankabūt (29), v.44, Arabic manuscript on paper, 47ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, headers in gold, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio in polychrome pink and green, in a brown tooled and stamped binding, folio 29.5 x 19cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 20 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah An-Naml (27), v.60; to surah al-‘Ankabūt (29), v.44., Arabic manuscript on paper, 55ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, headers in gold, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, in a brown tooled and stamped binding, folio 25.6 x 18.4cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 22 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah al-Aḥzāb (33), v.31 to surah Yā Sīn (36), v.27, Arabic manuscript on paper, 55ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black and red, headers in red, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, in a brown tooled and stamped binding, folio 25.1 x 18.5cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 22 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah al-Aḥzāb (33), v.31 to surah Yā Sīn (36), v.27, Arabic manuscript on paper, 53ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, headers in red, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome with floral detail, in a brown tooled and stamped binding, restored, folio 27 x 20cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 28 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century, Surah al-Mujādilah (58), v.1 to surah at-Taḥrīm (66), v.12, Arabic manuscript on paper, 63ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, surah headers in red, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, in a brown tooled and stamped binding with flap, folio 25.1 x 18cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 17 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah al-Anbiyāʼ (21), v.1 to surah al-Ḥajj (22), v.78, Arabic manuscript on paper, 50ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, headers in gold, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, in a brown tooled and stamped binding with flap, folio 29.8 x 19cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 11 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 19th century,Surah at-Tawbah (9), v.94 to surah Hūd (11), v.5. Arabic manuscript on paper, 55ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, headers in gold, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, in a brown tooled and stamped binding with flap, folio 29.2 x 18cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 14 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, Surah al-Hijr (15), v.1 to surah an-Naḥl (16), v.12, Arabic manuscript on paper, 57ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page outlined in red rule, vowel markers in black, gold rosette verse markers, gold vase-shaped and rosette marginal decoration, headers in red on gold, opening bifolio decorated in gold and polychrome, closing bifolio with colophon dated Ramadan 950 AH/November 1593AD in gold cartouche, in a brown tooled and stamped binding with flap, folio 23.5 x 17.5cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 10 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 18th century,Surah al-Anfāl (8), v. 41 to surah at-Tawbah (9), v.93, Arabic manuscript on paper, 57ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page within red rule, corrections in red and diacriticals in black, surah headers in red and gold, with gold rosette verse markers, opening bifolio with illuminated panels of gold, red and green surrounding three lines of text, final bifolio with blue, yellow and red gouache floral panels surrounding three lines of text, in brown cloth binding with flap, folio 30.2 x 20.5cm. Provenance: Private UK Collection in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 3 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 18th century, Surah al-Baqarah (2), v.253 to surah Āli ‘Imrān (3), v.91, Arabic manuscript on paper, 58ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page within red rule, corrections in red and diacriticals in black, surah headers in red and gold, with gold rosette verse markers, opening bifolio with illuminated panels of gold, red and green surrounding three lines of text, final bifolio with blue, yellow and red gouache floral panels surrounding three lines of text, in brown cloth binding with flap, folio 30 x 19cm. Provenance: Private UK Collection in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 20 of a Chinese Qur'an, China 18th century, Surah an-Naml (27), v.60 to sura al-‘Ankabūt (29), v.44, Arabic manuscript on paper, 55ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page within red rule, corrections in red and diacriticals in black, surah headers in gold, with gold rosette verse markers, opening bifolio with illuminated panels of gold, red and green surrounding three lines of text, final bifolio with blue, yellow and red gouache floral panels surrounding three lines of text, in brown cloth binding with flap, folio 30.6 x 20.3cm. Provenance: Private UK Collection in the 1960s and 70sGood overall, pages stained, minor ink smudging, nibbles to cloth binding

Juz 28 of a Chinese Qur'an, Surah al-Mujādilah (58), v.1 to surah at-Taḥrīm (66), v.12, China, 18th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 51ff., each with 5ll. of bold black sini script, punctuation in red, gold verse markers outlined in black and red, sura headers in red, opening bifolio with gold, red, green illuminated panels around three lines of text, final bifolio with design of grape vine and flowers in red, green and gold, stamped brown leather binding with flap, folio 27.5 x 19.1cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 1970sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 4 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, 18th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 55ff., with 5 lines of black sini script to the page, vowel markers in black and corrections in red, with gold rosette verse markers, with an illuminated double page frontispiece 'Unwan decorated with floral and geometrical designs in gold and colours in a typical Yunnan style, original leather binding with blind tooled designs, folio 21.3 x 17.3 cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 19 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, dated 953AH/1546AD, Arabic manuscript on paper, 51ff., with 5 lines of black sini script to the page, vowel markers in black and corrections in red, surah headers in red, illuminated double page frontispiece 'Unwan decorated with geometrical and floral designs in gold and colours in a typical Yunnan style of mainly gold on a red ground highlighted with green and blue, original leather binding with blind tooled Islamic and Chinese influenced design, folio 25.5 x 19 cm.Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sAn excellent example of the Islamic Chinese style of Qur'anic calligraphy and illuminationThe colophon statement in red script on the last folio reads: It was copied by Shams al-Din ibn Musa al-Sini in the month of Safar of the year 953 AH (1546 AD) in the city of Yunnan one of the Chinese cities which has been honoured and blessed by Islam. Please refer to department for condition report

Juz 18 of a Chinese Qur'an, China, late 17th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 63ff., with 5ll. of black sini script per page, with an illuniated frontispiece of geometricl and floral design, central rectangles bearing the text of Surat al Mu'minum, surah headings in white thuluth script on a gold ground, gold rosette verse markers, with illuminated bifolio at end, in original blind tooled binding, folio 27.5 x 10cm. Provenance: Bonhams, Islamic Works of Art, 13 October 1999 Please refer to department for condition report

A study collection of Chinese Qu'ran juz, China, 17th-19th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, many with loose folios, some with blind tooled binding and some with no bindings or paper wrapper binding (18)Please refer to department for condition report

Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209 AD, Khamsa, Persia, 15th century, several drawings and one miniature painting, Persian manuscript on paper, 126ff. with, 25 ll. of fine black nast'liq arranged in four vertical columns within gold borders, text headings alernating in red, gold and blue muhaqqaq script, in later green binding, folio 20.8 cm x 13.3 cm.Provenance: Christie's South Kensington, 06/10/2008, lot 294This work was in all likelihood originally a commission by a member of royalty or an elite member of society. The finely and precisely executed calligraphy is of high quality, and the drawings have been carefully rendered in a pale sepia ink before they would have been completed with pigment. The miniature painting on f 102r, which is almost complete, shows the fine detail and artistry for which Persian painting is renowned. Please refer to department for condition report

A page from an Arabic-Hebrew lexicon or reference book, India, Mughal, circa 1645, Arabic manuscript on paper, with 22ll. written in naskh with a lavishly illuminated chapter heading decorated with arabesques in gold and colours, verso with an illuminated shamsa, or sunburst medallion, containing the ink impression of the original owner's seal, inscribed: amir 'abd al-razzaq khan khanazad-i shah jahan 1055 (Amir 'Abd al-Razzaq Khan, born at the court of Shah Jahan, AH 1055/[1645-6 AD]'), with later scribal notations and another owner's stamp, mounted glazed and framed, 35cm. x 18 cm.Provenance: Spink & Sons, 1998Published: Paper, Parchment Steel & Stone, Calligraphy and the Arts of Islam from the 8th-19th century, exhibition catalogue 27 April - 15 May 1998, Spink, no. 11.According to Dr Ebba Koch, the text of this manuscript describes and analyses Hebrew words. It is a kind of dictionary. 'Abd al-Razzaq, the patron of this manuscript, was the son of Amir Khan, a high-ranking nobleman in the court of Shah Jahan, who served as governor of Thatta in Sindh. 'Abd al-Razzaq, his son, was styled ''khanazad'' because he was born of one already in service to the emperor. He was however less successful than his father. While Amir Khan attained the rank of 3000 zat/2000 sawar, 'Abd al-Razzaq attained the modest rank of 900 zat/3400 sawar. He died in the year AH 1063/1652-3 AD. Please refer to department for condition report

A misbound illuminated section from a Sultanate Qur’an with verses from juz 7 and 24, India, 16th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 19ff., the opening bifolium is the beginning of juz 7 (surah al-Ma'idah (5), vv.82-88); the rest of the volume with extract from juz 24, with verses from surah az-Zumar (39), surah Ghafir (40) and surah Fussilat (41), 9ll. per page written in thuluth script in alternating blue and gold with diacritics and vowel points in black and red, gold discs decorated with green and red dots between verses, red cross-hatching throughout, margins ruled in blue and gold, sura headings in gold on illuminated panels, illuminated devices in margins, opening illuminated frontispiece in colours and gold, badly wormed, text has been retraced in gold and blue throughout, modern blind-stamped red morocco gilt, rebacked, folio 28 x 22cm. Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 1970sMisbound, worming throughout, pages rebacked and restored, text has been retraced in gold and blue throughout

A large group of manuscripts, various dates, mainly unbound, North Africa, Turkey and Iran, Arabic manuscript on paper, including Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun, volume 1, titled Kitābu al-ʻibar wa diwani al-mubtada' wa al-ḥabar fi ayam al-ʻarab wa al-ʿajam wal-barbar; Printing Press of Mustafa Muhammad; Al-ashmouni ‘ala al-fiya ibn al-malik, a section from Al-Ashmouni’s explanation on the alfiya of ibn al-Malik; Kitab wuquf sajaa w nadin tifur, a selection of verses from the Qur’an; an unidentified text written in Maghrebi copied by Mohammad bin Yusef (?), dated 1280 AH/1863-4 AD.; An Ottoman Turkish lithographic text, possibly a textbook for children, dated 1286AH mentioning the name 'Mustafa' and the city of Istanbul (42)Please refer to department for condition report

Sura al-In'am with prayers, Ottoman Turkey, early 16th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, 6ff., with 17ll. of alternating gold thuluth and black muhaqqaq, the remainder of the text on each page written in small elegant naskhi script with diacritics in black, gold florets decorated with alternating blue and red dots between verses, interlinear and intercolumnar rules in gold throughout, margins ruled in black and gold, outer borders of cream coloured paper sprinkled with gold, two illuminated headpieces in colours and gold, water stained, some repairs, loose, discoloration, in red morocco gilt binding, slightly worn., folio 24 cm x 15.4 cm Please refer to department for condition report

Juz 28 of a Safavid Qur’an, Persia, late 16th century, Surah al-Mujādilah (58), v.1 to surah at-Taḥrīm (66), v.7, Arabic manuscript on paper, 16ff., incomplete at end, missing final folio, 10ll. of neat black naskh script per page, with vocalization in black and red, gold and polychrome verse marker roundels, verse headers in white naskh on a gold cartouche with floral polychrome and gold decoration on cobalt and black ground, opening folio with gold and polychrome decoration, marginal decoration with roundels in gold and polychrome, modern red binding, within red cloth and board box, folio 24.1 x 6.6cm.Provenance: Spink & SonPlease refer to department for condition report

A manuscript with the names of God, possibly on jurispridence, East Africa, 19th century, Arabic manuscript on thick paper, with 19ll. of black and red naskh script, many folios written in point form, with some polychrome geometric decoration, board covers, folio 36.5 x 22.5cm. Provenance: Roman Dino Bedry, 2008Please refer to department for condition report

A work on jurisprudence, Ethiopia, possibly Gondar or Harar, 19th century, 149ff., Arabic manuscript on paper, with 19ll. of sepia and red script per page, some marginal notes in red, , in brown leather covered board covers, folio 36 x 25cm. Provenance: Uk Book Trade, 2010Please refer to department for condition report

A large group of manuscript folios, mainly Qur’anic, some from the Mamluk period; and three pages with sayings attributed to various literary figures (Ibn Nabhan, Al-Abbas bin Al-Ahnaf, Shaddad, Antara bin Shaddad and Amer bin Tufail), Egypt and Iran, 15th century and later, Arabic manuscript on paper, unbound (a quantity)Provenance: Private UK collection formed in the 1960s and 70sPlease refer to department for condition report

Juz 19 of an Ottoman Qur’an, Surah Al-Furqān (25), v.21 to surah al-Naml (27), v.55, Turkey, 16th century or later, fancifully signed by Shaykh Hamdullah (b. circa 1436-37, d. 1520) known as Ibn Al-Sahykh Al-Amasi, Arabic manuscript on paper, 30ff., with 7ll. of gold naskh outlined in black per page, gold and polychrome roundel verse markers, the opening folio with a polychrome blue and red header, in brown leather binding with flap and tooled medallion, folio 28 x 19.5cm. Provenance: Private UK Collection formed in the 1960s and 70sFor other similar Qur'an sections, see Bonhams 8 April 2014 lots 7 and 10 and Bonhams 10 April 2008, lot 30.Some pages restored

A scientific treatise including an early map of the world, India, late 18th century, 315ff., Persian manuscript on paper, in calf binding, pages restored, with owner's seal to opening page, folio 31cm x 25cm. Most pages restored, most pages with worm holing

A Qajar miniature Qur’an and Qajar fitted steel case, Iran, circa 1880, Arabic manuscript on paper, 196ff., with 20ll. of neat black naskh within gold border per page, gold roundel verse markers, surah headers in red on a gold ground, opening bifolio and closing bifolio decorated with gold and polychrome,within the original steel casket with openwork clasp, the lacquered binding covers decorated with flowers within an outer border of qur'anic text contained in cartouches, the interiors with very fine dense pattern of flowers and leaves, folio 8.8 x 5.4cmProvenance: Private family collection, USBottom left corner of the final gilt and polychrome decorated bifolio missing.

Six calligraphies, Ottoman Syria or Turkey, 20th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, in the form of birds, black ornamental script on cream coloured paper, one with the name of the Prophet, Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam; one with the shahdah; one with ʾAhl al-Kisā (the names of Muhammad, Fatima, ‘Ali, Husayn and Hasan), and three others, with gilded black mounts, of various sizes, (6)Please refer to department for condition report

An illustrated folio from the Freer Small Shahnameh, Sawa Shah slain in battle by Bahram Chubina, Iran, circa 1300-1340, ink and opaque pigments on paper heightened with gold and silver, with 31ll. of black naskh arranged in six columns within red rule, verso with 31ll. and a header in gold naskh, folio 30.4 x 21.8cm. The widely dispersed “Freer” Shahnameh (Book of Kings), is the third of the earliest surviving illustrated copies of the Persian national epic, the work of Abu’l-Qasim Mansur Firdausi (d. 1020). Composed around the turn of the 11th century, the Shahnameh conveys through 50,000 rhyming couplets the lives of 50 Iranian kings before the arrival of Islam. The name “Freer Small” reflects the fact that most of the manuscript (text-pages and 45 illustrations) has been in the Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC, for much of the 20th century. Other illustrated folios from this manuscript are in the Aga Khan Museum (AKM20, AKM21, AKM22)In many ways, however, the “Freer” manuscript is unlike the other two, the “First” and the “Second Small” Shahnameh manuscript apart from also being copied in six columns of text. The illustrations, too, are differently treated, they are squarish in shape. Please refer to department for condition report

A illustrated folio from a small Shahnameh, India, Deccan, Bijapur, circa 1610, opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, with four vertical columns of black Persian nasta'liq script on a gold ground, painting 8cm. x 7cm., folio 20.4 x 12.4cm. Provenance: Acquired at Spink and SonOther folios from this manuscript are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ( 1985.404.1/ 1985.405.1/ 1983.354.1/ 1982.476.3)Although all the known pages from this manuscript were at some point remargined with a brittle, brown paper that has a glossy, oily look, their original main support is a very thin, high-quality, cream-colored paper, sprinkled with gold. Four columns of nasta’liq script have been inscribed on this lush surface, separated from one another by gold rules. Pages with paintings bear even more gold, since the text is surrounded by gilt cloud bands. There is no evidence, as yet, that the manuscript was produced for Bijapur’s royal family, but the abundance of expensive materials suggests its sponsor was a high-ranking member of courtly society.Please refer to department for condition report

A firman given by Khan Tarkhan, the prime minister of Mughal Emperor Nasir al-Din Muhammad(1131-61AH/1719-48AD), dated 27th safar, 26th regnal year, 1157AH/11th April, 1744AD, Persian manuscript on paper, 7 ll. of black nasta'liq script, with square seal above, mounted, glazed and framed, 52 cm. high x approx. 25cm. diam. The text of this document reveals it was issued to the officials and the residents of the pargana of Tudah, of sarkar of Mnahun, and of Akbar Abad, that the judicial affairs of the mentioned pergana, and attached areas has been changed from Ghulam Muhammad to Qudratullah, son of Shaykh Muhammad, and that he should deal with the jurisdiction, and performing the Friday prayer, and look after the interest of the inhabitants. He is to be recognized as the judge, and no one else, and all further documents should be impressed with his seal, as ordered.The Tughra reads:'an dar al-sidarat al-'aliya sana 1157, sana 26''From the Supreme, exalted Office of the prime minister, the year 1157, [regnal] year 26./ (1744)''The impression of the seal:'abduhu khan tarkhan sadr al-sudur fadavi-e rasikh al-i'tiqad padshah muhammad shah ghazi, sana 2''His [God's] servant, Khan Tarkhan, the prime minister, the devotee of firm belief of Muhammad Shah, the triumphant, the [regnal] year 26/ (1744).''On the reverse:The registration of the document at various offices. Please refer to department for condition report

Majma’ al-Ansab, a genealogy of the Prophet, Ottoman Turkey, circa 1715, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish manuscript on paper, 59ff., with names written in black and red naskh script within blue, orange and green circles linked by red lines, comments in black naskh, in brown morocco binding, with flap, tooled medallion, folio 24.5 x 17cm. Provenance: Christie’s, London, 28 April 1998, lot 68.This manuscript of genealogical tables starts with Adam, and traces the Prophet Muhammad and his descendants, the rulers of Persia, the Ottoman sultans (ending with Ahmed III, r.1703-30), and the Qadirite Sufis. The final date given is 1127 AH/1715 AD, although the later roundel giving the name of Sultan Mahmud I and the date 1135 AH/1722 AD, may have been added by a later owner. Please refer to department for condition report

Six illustrated pages from Jalal al-Din Rumi (d.1273 AD): Mathnawi, India, late 19th century, Persian manuscript on paper in ink and gouache, folio 23 x 14cm. (6) Margins with brownish stains and foxing, light smudges to ink, nibbles to edges of pages

An illuminated Qur'an bifolio, Turkey, early 20th century, Arabic manuscript on paper, with 6ll. of black naskh to each page, framed by large thuluth inscription and borders in gold on a blue ground, with a large shamsa in the centre, mounted, glazed and framed, 29 x 35.5cm. Please refer to department for condition report

Orbeli, Iosif Abgarovich and Trever, Kamilla Vasilevna, Orfevrerie Sasanide: Objets en or, argent et bronze (Sasanidskij Metall: Chudozestvennye Predmety iz Zolota, Serebra i Bronzy), Moscow, Russia & St. Petersburg, Russia: Academia, 1935, 85 leaves of plates, text in Russian and French, published in conjunction with the III Congres International d’Art et d’Archeologie Iraniens, Memoires, Leningrad, in September 1935, original cloth as issuedIosef Abaraovitch Orbeli (1887-1961) was a Russian orientalist and academician who specialized in Iranian studies, Armenian and Kurdish philology, and archaeology. In 1920, he joined the Oriental Department of the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad as a curator, and in 1926 he became the head of this department.  He played an invaluable role in the development of this department, which is still one of the richest departments of the State Hermitage Museum. In 1931, he participated in the second International Congress on Iranian Art and Archaeology in London and organized a rich exposition of art pieces from the State Hermitage and other Soviet museums. The great impression that this exhibition produced influenced the decision to organize the Third International Congress on Iranian Art and Archaeology in the USSR.  In the same year, a permanent exhibition of the Oriental Department was opened in the Hermitage Museum as a result of his extensive scholarly work.  In 1934, he was appointed the director of the State Hermitage Museum. He also took an active part in organizing the Third International Congress in Moscow and Leningrad in 1935. The art of Sasanian Iran, which had inspired craftsmen and artists of the Caucasus and Central Asia for many centuries, even after the fall of the Sasanian dynasty, was one of the major subjects of Orbeli’s research work.  He continued the scholarly traditions established by J. I. Smirnov.  The latter published his album Oriental Silver in 1909, which reproduced most of the pieces of Sasanian metalwork known by that time.  Smirnov, however, failed to publish his comments to the album, which still remain in manuscript form.  The results of his investigations were most probably well known to Orbeli, who was interested, not just in the different aspects of Sasanian art, but mainly in its influence on the art and culture of neighbouring peoples.  In his introduction to “Orfevrerie Sasanide” (published in 1935), he surveys the finds of Sasanian metal in Russia and suggests the possible ways they reached there.  Many of his suggestions on the trade routes that functioned in antiquity were confirmed by later investigations.  Ethnographic parallels allowed Orbeli to identify the function of some of the popular forms of vessels, such as “lobed bowls,” which were used for fruits and sweets. Orbeli did not write much about the technical aspects of Sasanian metal, since he was interested more in iconography and its development within the context of changing Iranian society. In 1955, Orbeli took the position of the head of the Oriental Faculty at Leningrad State University, and the following year he was appointed the head of Leningrad branch of the Institute for Oriental Studies, the USSR Academy of Sciences.  Under him the Institute quickly grew into the largest center of Oriental studies in the USSR. Kamilla Vasilevna Trever (1892-1974), was a Russian historian, numismatist and orientalist, specialized in the history and culture of Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Iran. Her major scientific contributions began after she was elected as a research fellow at the Imperial Archaeological Commission in 1918, and began her work at the State Hermitage Museum. Her work at the Hermitage began in the Greek-Scythian department and brought her into the orbit of Orbeli, with whom she would have a lifelong collaboration, working on Sasanian toreutics and numismatics, and pre-Islamic Iranian material culture and history more broadly. She was the force behind the 3rd International Conference in Iranian Art and Archaeology in 1935, which is remembered as a watershed moment for Soviet studies on Iran and the Near East.Please refer to department for condition report

Fifteen books from the Nasser Khalili Art Collection, London, comprising: J. M. Rogers, Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Collection of Nasser D. Khalili, Musée Rath, Geneva, 7 July – 24 September 1995, Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions).G. Khan, Arabic Papyri. Selected Material from the Khalili Collection (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). G. Khan, Bills, Letters and Deed, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Volume VI (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). E. J. Grube, Cobalt and Lustre, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Volume IX (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). D. James, After Timur, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Volume III (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). D. James, The Master Scribes, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, Volume III (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). F. Deroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Volume I (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). N. F. Safwat, The Art of the Pen, Volume V (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). L. Y. Leach, Paintings from India, Volume VIII (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). F. Maddison & E. Savage-Smith, Science, Tools & Magic, Part One and Part Two, Volume XII (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). M. Wenzel, Ornament & Amulet, Volume XVI (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). S. Blair, A Comprendium of Chronicles, Volume XXVII (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). N. D. Khalili, B.W. Robinson, T. Stanley, Lacquer of the Islamic Lands, Part Two, Volume XXII (The Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press). and The Ashkenazi Haggadah, reproduction of the Hebrew manuscript of the Mid 15th century from the collection of the British Library, written and illuminated by J. B. Simeon called F. Ashkenazi, with a commentary attributed to E. B. Judah of Warms (Thames and Hudson). (15)Please refer to department for condition report

M De Voltaire. The History of The Russian Empire Under Peter The Great. In two volumes. Only Volume One is offered here. Published from a manuscript sent to the translator by the Court of St Petersburg. Sold by A Millas, J Hodges, D Midwinter, M Cooper and J and R Tomson, London 1778. This Volume is special in having a folded map as a frontispiece of Russia or Moscovy in Europe approx. size of map 12 x 10. Detached boards, defective spine. RARE. All books can be shipped worldwide, UK from £5.99, Europe from £6.99, ROW £9.99. 30kg Box up to 20 books UK £16, Europe £34.99, ROW £69.99

A Christmas Carol. Rare. A facsimile reproduction of the Authors Original Manuscript. With an introduction by F. G. Kitton. Published by Elliot Stock, London 1890. Publishers Boards, titled in gilt with a Quarter binding and spine in sheepskin. Excellent condition. All books can be shipped worldwide, UK from £5.99, Europe from £6.99, ROW £9.99. 30kg Box up to 20 books UK £16, Europe £34.99, ROW £69.99

Criminal Interest. A bundle of manuscript indictments for the Midsummer Sessions, Liberty of Peterborough, 1872, with charges including that of a 14-year-old boy who 'did feloniously steal take and carry away certain sweets called Butter Scotch of the value of sixpence', sentencing him to be imprisoned in the House of Correction and kept to hard labour; someone committing murder, 'John Clifton did kill and slay Andrew Macdonald'; someone committing bestiality, 'feloniously wickedly & against the order of nature carnally to know a certain animal (to wit) a mare and then feloniously wickedly and against the order of nature with the said mare did attempt to commit and perpetrate that detestable and abominable crime of buggery (not to be named among Christians)'; a woman committing grievous bodily harm against her husband; several for theft, including a man sentenced to six weeks' Hard Labour in the House of Correction for stealing one pair of boots. Together with several signed oaths of allegiance for Justices of the Peace, on vellum; Instructions for the City Police Force, Peterborough, 1892, printed booklet, 23pp., bound in morocco with silk ties; several certificates for the Court of Sessions; a large folding plan of proposed alterations to the officers quarters at Peterborough Gaol; a Sun Fire Office certificate for Justices of the Peace, Peterborough, 1853; a printed Calendar of Prisoners, Peterborough, 1885; a note from Thomas Southam, surgeon, reporting that there has been no illness and 'the general health of the prisoners has been satisfactory', 1872, and a letter from N Wilkinson, supplying descriptions of three cases of theft for the indictment of three individuals  

Group of 26 nineteenth century covers (and card), including 1862 correspondence of four stampless covers from the Bank of England addressed to Syndics of the Ottoman Loan of 1858, each with British Post Office arrival stamps in red; 1878 franking of five 1d reds (plate 193, two damaged) incl. two pairs from a block of four, along with ½d plate 13 all tied by blue bar cancels on registered cover with three different oval registration pmks in blue (Feb 19th Birmingham) and red (Feb 20th London and March 3rd Constantinople); attractive 1872 cover with 2d blue plate 13 strip of three combo with 6d mauve plate 9; 1862 combo of 1d stars with 1855 type 6d lilac, and 1863 cover with 1d stars alongside small letters 4d and 6d with manuscript ‘via Belgium’, large red shipping datestamp, Vienna transit cds and blue Constantinople arrival cds. Then 1856 1/- tied on unopened cover by superb Malta duplex with cryptic additional 4d rose (possibly to conceal a fault in the envelope), through to 2½d plates incl. blue plates 22 and 23 on two covers from Malta to same address. None of this has ever seen the philatelic market.

An illustrated leaf from a manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama depicting Rustam and Sa'd-e Waqqas and their forces in combat on horseback Persia, Shiraz, circa 1560-70gouache and gold on paper, text written in nasta'liq script in black ink on gold-sprinkled paper, in four columns, inner margins ruled in colours and gold, text verso written in four columns in nasta'liq script interspersed with text written diagonally between small illuminated panels, intercolumnar rules in orange, one illuminated heading in nasta'liq script in white within an illuminated panel, borders trimmed leaf 282 x 225 mm.Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, London.The scene comes from the section of Firdausi's Shahnama dealing with the reign of the Sasanian Yazdgerd, and shows the battle between Rustam (the commander of the Sasanian army) and Sa'd-e Waqqas (the commander of the Muslim army), during which Rustam is killed.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: RR This lot is subject to import restrictions when shipped to the United States.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A Hindu illustrated manuscript written in gurmukhi script, with 18 paintings North India, perhaps Punjab, 19th Centurygurmukhi manuscript on paper, 165 leaves, 18 lines to the page written in black ink, headings and phrases in red, vertical margins ruled in red, black and yellow, chapters numbered in margins, title page with text framed within yellow margins, 18 half-page illustrations with floral borders, Persian-style red morocco binding with central stamped floral medallions 250 x 190 mm.Footnotes:A handwritten note inside the manuscript identifies it as the Bhagavad Gita, but this appears to be erroneous.The illustrations are as follows:1. Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha, with Brahma and Lakhshmi.2. A goatherd in audience with a ruler, and with various animals.3. A ruler with a demon.4. Two maidens before a blue-skinned sadhu.5. A maiden watching over a sick man.6. A ruler with various birds and a sadhu.7. Two princes departing from a funeral pyre.8. A priest preparing to sacrifice a goat at a shrine.9. A hero wounded or dying; a prince reading scriptures.10. Siva and Parvati with Nandi, and Vishnu, on Mount Kailasa.11. A prince seated on a palace terrace with a blue-skinned sadhu.12. A prince and a maiden seated in a pavilion, another prince with scriptures.13. A prince and a maiden with a tiger.14. Two princes hunting hare with a sadhu in the background.15. A prince exulting at the massacre of a prince and his family.16. A sadhu and a prince taming elephants.17. Two princes receiving homage from elephants.18. A prince enjoying a nautch, with musicians and attendants; or a female minstrel reciting a tale.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: •• Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A rare group of manuscript reports and letters relating to Field Marshal Lord Gough, 1st Viscount Gough (1779-1869) and the Battle of Sobraon, the first addressed to the Duke of Wellington and recounting the battle British Army Headquarters, Hapoor, on the right bank of the River Sutledge, 16th and 17th February 1846manuscript on paper, four sides of text on one folded sheet, 326 x 198 mm.; a letter from the Duke of Wellington to Lord Gough, dated London 5th March 1849, relating to the surrender of Multan, three sides of text on one folded sheet, 225 x 183 mm.; and a letter from Queen Victoria to Lord Gough, dated Windsor Castle, 23rd March 1863, black-edged mourning paper, three lines of text on one folded sheet, 177 x 112 mm., with black-edged envelope with Arbuthnot's inscription 66 x 120 mm.(4)Footnotes:ProvenanceFormerly in the collection of Major-General William Arbuthnot (1838-93), grandson of Lord Gough, who himself served in India at the time of the uprising of 1857-58.1. A detailed report on the engagement, written only a week after the battle, with precise movements of troops and artillery fire, which was famously intense. Gough makes a point of reporting the gallantry and discipline of the Indian army as much as the British troops. But as a postscript he adds: 'Policy precluded me from publicly recording my sentiments on the splendid gallantry of our fallen foe, or noticing the acts of heroism displayed not only individually but almost collectively by the Sikh Indians and army in this hard contested battle'.2. The Duke of Wellington to Gough, 5th March 1849: 'Accounts were received in London on Saturday of the surrender of the Citadel of Mooltan and of the battle fought on the 13th July by the army under your command between the rivers Chenab and Jhelum upon which I sincerely congratulate you'. Gough's replacement and his return to England have been considered 'and Her Majesty's pleasure had been taken on the subject'. Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Napier had been suggested. 'I am convinced that you will do every thing in your power to facilitate the performance of his duties by the information which you will give him of your plans and intentions [...] I would not allow any other to inform you of this arrangement and I beg you to believe me, my dear Lord'.3. 'The Queen has heard with much concern of the sad affliction which has befallen Lord Gough and is conscious to express personally her sincere sympathy with him. She recollects having met his lamented wife at the Phoenix Park [Dublin], 10 years ago, and how kind and amiable she was'. There follows a High Victorian expression of grief and religious belief (Prince Albert had died in December 1861, only a year and three months before this letter): 'Irreparable as his loss is, how blessed to have lived together till the Evening of their lives with the comfort and hope of the separation being but a short one. To the poor Queen this blessing so needful has been denied, and she can only hope never to live to see old age, but to be allowed to rejoin her beloved, great and good husband, ere many years elapse. The Queen sincerely hopes that Lord Gough's health may not have suffered, and asks him to express her sincere sympathy to his family'.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

An official letter from Maharajah Ranjit Singh, addressed to Sardar Gujjar Singh (leader of a Sikh mission to the British in Calcutta), asking him to approach Lord William Bentinck, Governor-General of India, with a request Punjab, probably Lahore, dated 23rd Bhadon 1891/14th September 1834Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled paper, 15 lines of text written in nasta'liq script in black ink, two floral motifs in gold at head of and in body of text 405 x 190 mm.Footnotes:The letter asks Sardar Gujjar Singh to approach the Governor-General, William Bentinck, to ask if the Maharajah might send two sons of commanders to inspect British territory and factories etc., so that they might learn from them. It is dated in the Hindu calendar 23rd Bhadhon 1891/14th September 1834. (Bhadon is the fifth Hindu month, corresponding to mid-August to mid-September (see John T. Platts, A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi and English, Oxford University Press, reprint 1968, p. 178).Bentinck (1774-1839), the Governor-General, joined the army in 1791 and served in various places before becoming Governor of Madras (1803-1807); was employed in Portugal and commanded a brigade at Corunna; was Lt-General in Sicily (1811); Governor of Bengal (1808); and Governor-General of India (1834-35).This must have been during the mission sent to Calcutta by Ranjit Singh in 1834, which was headed by Gujjar Singh and accompanied by an army led by a certain Gulab Singh (d. 1844), known as Gulab Singh Calcuttia on account of his having taken part in this mission.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A large collection of correspondence, postcards and other documents relating to Princess Bamba (1869-1957), the daughter of Maharajah Duleep Singh, including a proclamation laying claim to the lands of the Punjab Great Britain, Europe, and Kashmir, late 19th/early 20th Centuryvariously manuscript and typewritten the largest 294 x 200 mm.; the smallest 55 x 88 mm.(qty)Footnotes:ProvenanceFormerly in the collection of the great-grandson of Princess Bamba Duleep Singh's personal secretary, who with his wife was employed by the Princess for over thirty years.Princess Bamba was the daughter of Maharajah Duleep Singh with Maharani Bamba. In 1915, when she was 46, she married a doctor in the Indian Army, Lt. Col. David Waters Sutherland (hence the surname used in no. 2 below). At this stage (though subsequently saved by a lump sum payment of £10,000 from the British Government) she was not well-off due to mismanaging her allowance and in addition gambling debts (see nos. 4, 8 and 9 below for her apparently lifelong concern with finances).She travelled frequently, including to India, as witnessed by many of the items included in this lot. She died in Lahore at the age of 89, having declined drastically in health during her last years. For a survey of her life, including several photographs, see P. Bance, The Duleep Singhs: the Photograph Album of Queen Victoria's Maharajah, Stroud 2004, pp. 127-134; and by the same author, Sovereign, Squire and Rebel: Maharajah Duleep Singh, London 2009, pp. 152-161. 1. A typewritten proclamation, addressed To: INDIA, from 'Bamba Shahzadi of the Punjab and Kashmir, Rightful Queen of the Punjab, Kashmir and much territory beyond', dated 21st June 1948, from La Turbie, Alpes Maritimes, France, claiming her 'inheritance to the vast lands of my Father, Maharajah Dulip Singh which have been misappropriated'. She castigates the British (and in particular Lord Dalhousie, his guardian) for taking away his birthright. The Sikhs have been sadly forgotten, despite their role in repelling foreign invaders of India (notably Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Durrani. 'I claim also the value of the richest portion of our private property. The territory between the Indus and the Jelam from the lower hills to south of the Salt Range'. Maharajah Ranjit Singh began the rise of the Sikhs to power, continued by his sons and successors - but 'There is no doubt that they were all disposed of by the machinations of the British'. Her last paragraph deals with the alleged treachery of Gulab Singh, in league with the British, who began the Anglo-Sikh Wars 'without any provocation'. 'Little Dalip Singh was only 8 years old when robbed by his guardians the British of Kasmir [sic] which they sold to Gulab Singh for £75,000. This money had been placed in Firozpur by his brother Raja Sujet Singh who was killed in battle. At his death this money legally reverted to the Lahore Treasury, but the British accepted it from Gulab Singh in payment of Kashmir. Kashmir was bought with my father's money. Kashmir therefore twice over [also underlined in red] belongs to me'. 294 x 200 mm.On her return to England after the war, perhaps provoked by the partition of the Punjab between India and Pakistan, but also ill-health, Princess Bamba began to refer to herself as 'Queen of the Punjab', and often caused a nuisance in the street in places such as Norwich, asking policemen and others if she knew who she was, Queen of the Punjab.2. A letter from the Governor of the Punjab, addressed to Princess Bamba Sutherland, apparently in rather exasperated response to a perceived slight, dated Government House, Lahore, 30th December 1941: Thank you for your letter of December 23rd, and I apologize for the delay in replying. I have now looked up the records and I find that the procedure indicated in the ADC's letter to which you refer has received the approval of very high authority, and I regret that I am unable to alter it. Let me assure you, however, that the last thing that my wife and I would wish to do is hurt your feelings in any way. With our kindest regards and all good wishes for the New Year., addressed to the Princess at 'Gulzar', Jail Road, Lahore, Governor's official stamp at upper left, 227 x 176 mm.Princess Bamba became stranded in Lahore from January 1941 for the duration of the war, purchasing a house there, and was often unwell as well as distraught through loneliness and being unable to see her sister Catherine before she died in 1942. She became convinced that she had been poisoned by British agents (though she does in reality seem to have been watched by the authorities).3. A typewritten letter, sent soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, from a doubtless harrassed British Consul-General at Marseille, informing the Princess that he cannot assist her with either a visa to enter Spain or a visa to leave France, dated 21st September 1939, addressed to the Poste Restante at Font Romeu, signed by the Consul and with embossed stamp at top, 240 x 190 mm.4. A group of fifteen typewritten sheets from a total of twelve separate letters (incomplete) addressed to Princess Bamba from her solicitors, regarding the estate of her late sister Princess Irene and her litigation with her stepsister Princess Pauline Torry, letters dated between 13th July 1927 and 20th December 1930, two addressed to the Princess at the Poste Restantes in Nice and Monte Carlo, 260 x 205 mm.5. A group of fifteen medical prescriptions made out for the Princess, dating between 1953 and 1956, from the United Christian Hospital, Lahore, a Dr H. M. Selzer, and a Dr G. Lorbeer, both in Lahore, and a Dr Qureshi in Abbottabad, handwritten on printed chits, 190 x 125 mm. and slightly smaller.6. A small quantity of share dividend receipts for Princess Bamba's holding in Woolworth's and Shell, 1951 and 1952, printed forms, 160 x 360 mm.7. A group of seven hotel bills for the Princess during her travels in the Punjab, printed and handwritten chits for hotels in Karachi, Patiala, Multan, one dated 1955, 335 x 265 mm. and smaller.8. A group of nine letters and receipts relating to the Princess' tax affairs, Lahore, 1943, discussing refunds of income tax and her resident status ('Not Ordinary Resident', having arrived in India in February 1941), 230 x 140 mm. and smaller.9. A group of eight letters addressed to Princess Bamba: two letters to the Princess from the Assistant Resident at Lahore (on embossed headed paper), dated Srinagar, 5th and 6th November 1914, gently reminding her that she owes a certain Miss Langley the 'trifling sum' of fifty rupees, and asking her to remit the sum to avoid the possibility of Miss Langley bringing a civil suit against the Princess and 'in the hope of saving you possible annoyance hereafter', and 'with every apology for troubling you'; the second letter, a day later, thanks the Princess for the sum and wishes her a 'good journey down'; a letter from a letting agency in Srinagar, dated 5th November 1914, regarding a house and the aforementioned Miss Langley; four separate notes, apparently from Miss Langley herself, requesting the money, dated October [?] 1914, 210 x 140 mm. and smaller.10. A small clipping from The Illustrated London News, 30th June 1849, relating to Maharani Jindan Kaur's escape from British prison, 160 x 87 mm.11. A small albumen photograph of Maharajah Duleep Singh, circa 1860, 88 x 58 mm.12. A small engraved illustration of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, clipped from a newspaper, late 19th Century, 100 x 82 mm.13. A signed letter in Italian from the Princess to an Italian shipper or travel agent, regarding the collection of packages from San Remo to go to India, dated Hilden Hall, Penn, Buckinghamshire, 29th September 1949, 265 x 205 mm.14. A letter in the hand of Princess Bamba writing... For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

A large painting from a manuscript of Firdausi's Shahnama, depicting the story of Haftvad and the worm, with Ardeshir entering the fortress Persia, perhaps Tabriz, circa 1560-70gouache and gold on paper, trimmed 375 x 250 mm.Footnotes:ProvenancePrivate collection, London.The composition is closely modelled on the full-page illustration on a leaf (f. 521v) in the Aga Khan Museum, Toronto (AKM164) from Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama, Shiraz, circa 1540, the painting attributed to Dust Muhammad (see S. C. Welch, Wonders of the Age: Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501-1576, Harvard 1979, pp. 98-101, no. 31).The scene comes from the Parthian section of Firdausi's Shahnama. In the story of Haftvad and the worm, Ardeshir, disguised as a merchant, enters the fortress and takes the box holding the worm and seizes the town. The first episode is depicted at the lower left, where young girls with spinning wheels are seated around a pool. One of the girls is Haftvad's daughter, who has taken a bite from an apple and discovered a worm. She announces that the worm will bring her good luck in her spinning, and keeps the worm with her in a box. Her pronouncement comes true - the products of her spinning increase, and so does the prosperity of the town where she lives and which is seen behind her. This new-found prosperity is shown both in the splendour of the buildings, and the busy activity of workers, who chop firewood, sell food in their shops, and plant seeds. The story turns out badly. Shah Ardashir, founder of the Sasanian Dynasty, saw the worm as a threat to his authority. He disguised himself as a merchant and gained access to the worm (which had by then become so large that it required an enormous building to house it). Ardashir killed the worm by pouring boiling lead down its throat. His soldiers then occupied the town and executed Haftvad and his seven sons.For another large Safavid version of the scene, similar in composition (though in mirror image), and attributed to Dust Muhammad, at a time when he was working in Mughal India, circa 1555, see Sotheby's, Islamic and Indian Art, Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures, 29th-30th April 1992, lot 291. The drawing was then in the collection of Howard Hodgkin. The Sotheby's note observes that 'Dust Muhammad's rendering of Haftad and the Worm was evidently greatly admired at the Mughal court, for another fully coloured version was commissioned by Humayun's grandson, the Emperor Jahangir, for inclusion in his album, now in the Berlin State Museums.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: RR This lot is subject to import restrictions when shipped to the United States.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Hafiz, Divan, copied for a Safavid provincial governor (Amir al-Umara', Commander of Commanders), and with a note by the poet Vaqar, son of the Qajar calligrapher Vesal, attributing the manuscript to Mir 'Imad Persia, Isfahan, dated the middle of Sha'ban 1009/February 1601Persian manuscript on gold-sprinkled paper, 223 leaves, 11-12 lines to the page written in fine nasta'liq script in black ink in two columns, intercolumnar rules in gold, inner margins ruled in gold and red, gold-outlined panel left blank for headings, one illuminated headpiece in colours and gold, remargined at a later date, endleaf with copious notes and seal impressions, 19th Century brown limp leather binding (perhaps Indian), blind-embossed with floral decoration and central calligraphic panel in nasta'liq script on front and back covers 274 x 175 mm.Footnotes:The title Amir al-Umara' was generally used for provincial governors during the Safavid period. His name is unknown, as is that of the scribe, since the leaf following the last is now missing.On the rear flyleaf there are various notes by later owners. The most prominent is that written by Vaqar, a poet (d. 1872), who purchased the manuscript. The son of Vesal (the great Qajar calligrapher), he observes that the scribe of the manuscript can be shown to be Mir 'Imad, even though there are some differences compared with some of his other work. He then observes that this attribution has been confirmed by his brother Davari, another poet and also a calligrapher himself (d. 1867). He notes that studying the hands of the great calligraphers is the best method of instruction.Other notes are written by a certain Muhammad Husain, dated Dhu'l-Qada 1291/December-January 1873; and a note of friendship from Jalal al-Din Mirza, son of Shahrukh Mirza, Governor of Qomsheh, to a certain Khwaja Aqa, dated 5th Rajab 1292/5th August 1875. A calligrapher named Sanglakh purchased the manuscript in AH 1297/AD 1879-80 as he was leaving for Karbala. Lastly, an owner whose seal impression has been erased purchased it in Azar 1333/November-December 1954 from the collection of the deceased Amir Mofakham Bakhtiari.The main panel of the binding contains Persian couplets, two by an unidentified poet and two from a ghazal of Hafiz. The smaller panel to one side has a Persian couplet (often used at the end of colophons) asking the reader for a prayer (perhaps for the maker) and ending with the date AH 1252/AD 1836-37.Important Notice to BuyersSome countries e.g., the US, prohibit or restrict the purchase by its citizens (wherever located) and/or the import of certain types of Iranian-origin works. As a convenience to buyers, Bonhams has marked with the symbol R all lots of Iranian (Persian) origin. It is each buyer's responsibility to ensure that they do not bid or import a lot in contravention of the sanctions or trade embargoes that apply to them.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • R• Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium.R This lot is subject to import restrictions when shipped to the United States.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Late 19th Century Microscope Slides and Microscopes, formerly the property of the Austrian art historian Dr Otto Kurz (1908-1975), see https://arthistorians.info/kurzo, inherited from his father, Max Kurz, a medical doctor (see lot x to lot y), small size, paper-covered - prepared by Bourgogne (2) Bourgogne and Alliott (3), unnamed but same black and white printing, with some German manuscript inscriptions (19), others (2), full size various, some inscribed, including 'Mein Blut' (My blood) (14) and lacquered brass student's drum microscope, in wooden case (41); with pair of Voigtländer field glasses, understood to have been used by Max Kurz in service in World War One for a country that his son was fortunate to leave in 1934

Pathe 9.5 Films, Metropolis' by Fritz Lang (1927, released by Pathe December 1931), five 400ft approx metal spools in Pathex cans with manuscript labels, unviewed, with Michel Strogoff (1926) 9.5mm Film, comprising a Pathex 9.5mm version of the 1926 French silent film, starring Ivan Mosjoukine, on three 400ft approx metal spools in cans, together with "It's a Gift", a 1923 Snub Pollard comedy, one 9.5mm spool, all unviewed, collection of Pathescope 9.5mm Films, 20 approx examples, 200 and 400 ft spools in cans and boxes, titles include "The Wrecker", "The Mad Train", "Pathescope Gazette April 1934", "The Royal Silver Jubilee" and "The Immigrant", all unviewed

Two illuminated manuscript panels, in the Pre-Raphaelite manner, with double-sided panels depicting 'The Singing Leaves' by James Russell, gouache and pen,27 x 60cm overall, mounted, glazed and framed (2)

STATUETTE DE PRAJNAPARAMITA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRECambodge, style d'Angkor Vat, XIIe siècleA COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF PRAJNAPARAMITACambodia, Angkor Wat style, 12th centuryThis relatively large figure of Prajnaparamita holds a manuscript in palm leaves. Her face is defined by the fine tracing of the lower lip over the bifid chin and her sampot defined by a large central point sash flanked by delicate pleats, stand. 25cm (9 7/8in) high. (2).Footnotes:Provenance:Robert Rousset, Paris (1901-1981), acquired in the 1950's-1970'sJean-Pierre Rousset, Paris (1936-2021)Originally part of a Buddhist triad that would have included the Adi-Buddha,Lokesvara and Buddha under Muchalinda. This relatively large figure of Prajnâpâramitâ holds a manuscript in palm leaves, in which would appear the version of a sacred text. Cast with the characteristics of the style of Angkor Wat, but departs in small and refined details like the curved line of the diadem above the forehead is in harmony with the design of the eyebrow arches. The trace of the lower lip is also in harmony with the bifid chin recalling the architypes of Baphuon. Compare with another in S.E.Lee, Ancient Cambodian Sculpture, Asia House Gallery, New York, 1969, p.76, fig.38.柬埔寨 吳哥窟風格 十二世紀 銅般若佛母立像來源：巴黎Robert Rousset（1901-1981）舊藏，得自二十世紀五十至七十年代巴黎Jean-Pierre Rousset（1936-2021）舊藏For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com

Persian School (19th Century): Battle Scene with Horses and Camels, illuminated manuscript with text verso 35cm x 21cm