ISFAHAN, IRAN, LATE 17TH CENTURY

Details

A SHI'A PILGRIMAGE SCROLL
ISFAHAN, IRAN, LATE 17TH CENTURY
Ink and opaque pigments heightened with gold on paper, the top section of the scroll with an elegant painting of an 'alam with addorsed dragon-head finials, bordered on either side and above by nasta'liq calligraphic cartouches, with numerous notes often in white clouds outlined in gold, followed by a large bismallah in black thuluth on gold ground, four columns of nasta'liq calligraphy below followed by cusped arches with further inscription, the lower section of the scroll with a depiction of the Shrine of Imam 'Ali al-Riza at Mashhad flanked by tall torch stands and multiple hanging lamps in gold and silver, with doors and alcoves on either side, the edges of the scroll with a border of polychrome scrolling floral vine, some creasing, backed with cloth
70 x 15¾in. (177.8 x 40cm.)

Engraved

At the top in the large cartouches, ya Allah ya Muhammad ya 'Ali, 'O God, O Muhammad, O 'Ali'
To the right and left of the cartouche, in red, Inscriptions stating that it was written in Isfahan, the tawhidkhane, the 'House of Unity' of Shah Sulayman
Below this in red, ya qazi al-hajat, 'O the Judge of Needs!'
In the two cartouches below this, Qur'an, LXI, sura al-saff, part of v.13 surrounded by verses in praise of Shah Sulayman, as well as numerous inscriptions with seal impressions testifying that the owner had performed various pilgrimages. These include:
- A note saying that after visiting the tomb of Amir al-Mu'minin (i.e. Imam 'Ali in Najaf), he went to visit the Shrines of Imams Musa al-Kazim, Muhammad Taqi and all the saints in Baghdad where he recited an esoteric (zahiri) as well exoteric (batini) fatiha, in the year AH 1096. Above this, in red, it says that this was written at the shrine of Imam Musa.
- A note saying that he visited Hamadan following his pilgrimage to Najaf. Another note from Hamadan is dated AH 1097.
- Two further notes, one of which has a seal impression of a certain Nazar 'Ali, ghulam (slave) of Sulayman Shah, says that he entered Isfahan after visiting the Holy Shrine in Mashhad.

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Lot Essay

Below the bismallah in large letters are verses which the story of the owner of the scroll. He was a hat-maker (kolah-duz) from Mashhad who having been on pilgrimage to Mecca, Najaf, and Baghdad ended up in Isfahan with his brother. He worked there, in the Qaysariyya bazaar, earning himself a reputation until he became famous and hat-maker to the Shah himself. At some point however, he was struck with the desire to move back to Mashhad, where he took to a life of poverty and asceticism. The text is imbued with mystical language – the scribe claims that while he is no qutb, he has a knowledge of mystical states, and that when the Shah looked at him, a door to the world of mysteries (ghayb) opened. The poem ends with a prayer for the Shah.

Below this is the certification in ta'liq hand that Dervish Haji Muhammad Tahir Mashhadi was a pilgrim and performed a prayer for the longevity of the state at the shrine of Imam 'Ali al-Riza on … Muharram AH 1099 [November-December 1687 AD]. It is stamped with the seal impression, presumably of a functionary at the shrine.

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