Farasnama (3 results)

Condition: Very Good. dw. 21.5cm. xxx,494pp.

4to (160 x 204 mm). 66 ff. Persian manuscript on paper, with first page in Urdu. Black nasta'liq script. Illustrated with 60 hand-coloured miniatures. Contemporary full leather. An Indian manuscript copy of a celebrated treatise on horsemanship, the "Farasnama" ("The Coloured Book of Horses"). Constituting a Persian translation of the Sanskrit "Salihotra", its topics include horse-breeding, grazing, dressage, veterinary advice and horseracing. - The "Salihotra" is attributed to Durgarasi, son of Surgarasi, who is believed to have composed it for Mahmud Ghaznavi (d. 1030). Traditionally, credit fro the translation is given to 'Abdullah bin Safi, who was active under the reign of the Bahmanid ruler Ahmad Shah Wali (d. 1436), though other translators are attested. - Interestingly, this copy is partly bilingual, with an introductory page in Urdu, and occasional explanatory notes in Urdu throughout the text. It is near complete, lacking only a few leaves after the Urdu introduction. - This work was copied by the scribe Muhammad Rida, and the manuscript contains sixty hand-drawn and carefully coloured drawings of thoroughbred horses, along with observations on their salient traits, the illnesses to which they are prone, and prescriptions for their treatment. These paintings are quite detailed, with both equine medical issues and breed traits quite clear, even to a layman. - Paper repairs to margins not affecting text; a little light soiling, in good condition.

Tall 8vo (150 x 246 mm). Persian manuscript on sturdy cream paper. 254 (instead of 264) ff., 15 lines per extensum, paginated by later hands (lacking pp. 35-42 and 45-46; pp. 43-44 transposed after p. 30). Cursive nasta'liq calligraphy in black ink, catchwords in red. Illustrated with 56 (instead of 77) coloured horse drawings in the text (numbered in pencil by a later hand). Later illustrated binding with black leather spine and lacquered wooden boards with coloured floral designs. A late 18th century Indian manuscript copy of a celebrated treatise on horsemanship, the "Farasnama" ("The Coloured Book of Horses"). Constituting a Persian translation of the Sanskrit "Salihotra", its topics include horse-breeding, grazing, dressage, veterinary advice and horseracing. - The "Salihotra" is attributed to Durgarasi, son of Surgarasi, who is believed to have composed it for Mahmud Ghaznavi (d. 1030). A note on p. 2 of the present manuscript indicates that the text was translated from Sanskrit into Persian during the reign of Shah Jahan (d. 1666); other traditions give credit to 'Abdullah bin Safi, who was active under the earlier reign of Bahmanid ruler Ahmad Shah Wali (d. 1436). The present manuscript contains numerous coloured drawings of thoroughbred horses, along with observations on their salient traits, the illnesses to which they are prone, and prescriptions for their treatment. Their execution is an interesting illustration of the iconoclastic tendencies characterising painting under the later Mughal emperors. - Occasional slight traces of worming; some waterstaining to margins; some leaves remargined by an early owner. In spite of the loss of five leaves that would have contained an additional 21 horse illustrations, a fine manuscript in an attractive illustrated lacquer binding. - Provenance: Parisian private collection (2nd half of the 20th century).