Manuscript of the Baharistan (Spring Garden), 1551
Tooled and gilded leather, ink, colors, and gold on paperexpand_more
The Katherine Kitteredge McMillan Memorial Fundexpand_more 52.13
Not on Viewexpand_more
This manuscript, a complete version of the Baharistan, or Spring Garden, by the Persian poet Jami, demonstrates the significance of the book arts in Islamic cultures. Born of Islam’s reverence for the written word, and refined and disseminated by royal patronage, books like this one were the products of a painstaking process—from procuring paper and the leather book binding to sourcing pigments and senior artists to create the lavish illuminations.
Jami’s Spring Garden primarily concerns moral leadership, a subject that would have appealed to Sultan ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, khan of Bukhara, who commissioned the manuscript. With lines of elegant calligraphy set within elaborate floral cartouches, the frontispiece resembles religious texts such as the Qur’an. In that way, the decoration underscores the spirit of the book’s invocation, which is translated here:
Birds won’t reach their destination if they don’t start their journey with praising God.
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Details
- Title
- Manuscript of the Baharistan (Spring Garden)
- Role
- Calligrapher
- Accession Number
- 52.13
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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