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Divan of Naziri Nishapuri: MS 344

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Divan of Naziri Nishapuri
دیوان اشعار

Maker(s)

Unknown

Categories

Description

Previously identified as a Divan of Hafez.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Paper, 105 folios, 2 columns, 14 lines to a page.

Contents:
Collection of poems: Naziri Nishapuri’s Divan Asha’ar.

Painted decoration
There are 9 paintings as follows:
Fol. 3r: The Prophet Muhammad carried through the clouds by Buraq.
Fol. 11v: A young prince enthroned in pavilion.
Fol. 16v: A prince holding a court in a garden.
Fol. 22v: The Ka’ba in Mecca.
Fol. 31r: A prince enthroned holding a court while two men kneel in front of the executioner.
Fol. 41r: Men stand in a group and look at three birds flying in the sky with their beaks linked by a rod.
Fol. 71r: Hunting scene, one horseman is attacked by a lion.
Fol. 86v: Prince and lady in a garden, three men watch.
Fol. 101r: A voyage over a black sea in a sailing ship with a horse-head prow and a small boat.

Ornamentation
The text is framed by rules of blue, gold, black and green. Decorative heading in gold and colours on folio 1v.

Inscriptions
There are single words noted on the margins, like on folio 14v, 18v, 25r, 43v, 44r, 60r and others.

Legal notes

Given by Alfred A. de Pass, 1933, in memory of his son, Crispin, of Trinity Hall, who fell in WWI in 1918.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1933) by Pass, Alfred A. de

Dating

16th Century
Production date: AD 1571 : 978 AH

Note

Prof Mehdi Bahram relates that the manuscript is entirely modern, which is confirmed by Basil Gray in 1949.

Project

  • Cambridge Illuminated

Materials used in production

Watercolour
Ink
Gold

Components of the work

Support composed of paper
Textblock Height 15.5 cm Width 7.8 cm
Folio Height 23 cm Width 14 cm

Techniques used in production

Watercolour
Illumination
Calligraphy

Inscription or legends present

Inscription present: Verse 1 of Qasida 41 by Naziri Nishapuri

  • Text: ای جمالت آب ما را نار حمرا ساخته / خاک ما را برده و باد مسیحا ساخت / در تن ما می پرد جان در هوای وصل تو / بوی گل مرغ قفس را ناشکیبا ساخته
  • Location: Folio 1v
  • Method of creation: Ink
  • Type: Incipit

Inscription present: The book ends with verses 19-20 of band 3 from tarkib number 2 of Naziri Nishapuri’s Divan.

  • Text: ای آسمان که زایر این روضه ای مدام / بر مرقدش ز زهره و پروین نثار کو؟ / این نرگس و سمن که کنیزان این درید/ درج عبیر و مجمره عطربار کو؟
  • Location: Folio 105r
  • Method of creation: Ink
  • Type: Explicit

Identification numbers

Accession number: MS 344
Primary reference Number: 239398
Project ID: 3503
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Friday 15 November 2019 Updated: Thursday 6 March 2025 Last processed: Thursday 14 August 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Manuscripts and Printed Books

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Divan of Naziri Nishapuri" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/239398 Accessed: 2025-12-22 08:05:57

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/239398 |title=Divan of Naziri Nishapuri |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-22 08:05:57|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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