An illuminated leaf from the Farhang-i Jahangiri (Persian dictionary) of Jalal al-Din Husain Inju, India, Mughal, circa 1608-9 AD

This folio comes from a Persian language dictionary, first commissioned by Mughal emperor Akbar, and completed during the reign of Jahangir circa 1608, to whom it was presented in 1623 (Leach 1995, p.321). Mir Jamal al-Din Husayn Inju of Shiraz (d.1626) undertook the epic task to compile a dictionary listing about 10,000 words taken from the works of Persian poets, a feat which took twelve years to complete. The Farhang-i Jahangiri is divided into twenty-four chapters arranged alphabetically according to the second letter of each word. The present leaf includes words with the Persian letters pe and che.

The distinct margins of the manuscript are illuminated in gold with a broad range of figural scenes, animals, fantastical creature, birds, and flowers. Fifteen leaves are held in the Chester Beatty Library (inv. no.11A.33, Leach, op.cit., pp.321-4), and others are in the Walters Art Museum (acc. no.W.874.B), the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv. no.2013.318), and the Yale University Art Gallery (acc. no.2001.138.58). A comparable leaf with figural margins was sold in these rooms, 30 March 2022, lot 42, and another with bird margins was sold at Artcurial, Paris, 15 November 2022, lot 82).

Margins from this lavish manuscript have also been used to mount leaves and illustrations from royal Mughal manuscripts, see, for example, a leaf from the ‘First’ Baburnama sold in these rooms, 27 October 2021, lot 139, and an illustration from the ‘British Library/Chester Beatty’ Akbarnama sold in the same sale, lot 140.