Catalogue of Persian manuscripts

Abstract

This two-volume work describes three collections of Persian manuscripts and lithographic prints at the Royal Library, Copenhagen: 155 manuscripts and lithographs acquired by Arthur Christensen in Iran, 10 manuscripts collected by David Simonsen and 102 manuscripts acquired by the Library. All items have been included in the holdings of the Library after the publication of the previous catalogue in 1857. The Persian manuscripts included in the three collections cover a variety of topics, the major fields being poetry and history. The oldest date from the 9th H/15th CE century and the most recent from the 14th H/20th CE century. Among the items described, there is a substantial number of Qagar-period lithographs, many of them illustrated. A special group of lithographs is formed by four diaries written by the Qagar ruler Naser al-Din Sah (ruled 1264-1313 H [1848-1896 CE]). In the diaries, the Naser al-Din Sah describes his travels in Iran, Iraq and Europe. Designed especially as an essential source of reference for scholars working in all aspects of manuscript studies, the catalogue includes over 500 full-page illustrations (some in colour) that help identify each of the manuscripts.