Arabian and Persian Language and Literature: Items 67–98 Section 3 Important Books from the Western World: Items 99–126
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Peter Harrington london We are exhibiting at these fairs 24–26 May london The ABA Rare Book Fair Battersea Evolution Queenstown Road, London SW11 www.rarebookfairlondon.com 28 June – 4 July masterpiece The Royal Hospital Chelsea London SW3 www.masterpiecefair.com 6–8 July melbourne Melbourne Rare Book Fair Wilson Hall, The University of Melbourne www.rarebookfair.com VAT no. gb 701 5578 50 Peter Harrington Limited. Registered office: WSM Services Limited, Connect House, 133–137 Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 7JY. Registered in England and Wales No: 3609982 Front cover illustration from item 1 in the catalogue. Design: Nigel Bents; Photography: Ruth Segarra. Peter Harrington london Books to be exhibited at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2018 Section 1 The Arab and Islamic World: items 1–66 Section 2 Arabian and Persian language and literature: items 67–98 Section 3 Important Books from the Western World: items 99–126 mayfair chelsea Peter Harrington Peter Harrington 43 Dover Street 100 Fulham Road London w1s 4ff London sw3 6hs uk 020 3763 3220 uk 020 7591 0220 eu 00 44 20 3763 3220 eu 00 44 20 7591 0220 usa 011 44 20 3763 3220 usa 011 44 20 7591 0220 www.peterharrington.co.uk 1 a wealthy and high-ranking patron as a token of authority The Arab and Islamic World instead of an item for everyday use. provenance: formerly in the collection of Captain R. G. 1 Southey (d. 1976). AL-JAZULI (Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn £7,500 [124658] Sulayman ibn Abu Bakr al-Jazuli al-Simlali). Dala’il al-Khayrat (Guides to Goodness), with two Highly detailed and copiously illustrated survey of the illuminated depictions of the holy cities of Mecca and Bakuvian oil industry Medina. [North India, Kashmir: 19th century] 2 Arabic manuscript on paper, consisting of 68 folios and four fly- leaves, each with 13 lines of elegant black naskh script with impor- (AZERBAIJAN.) Obzor bakinskoi neftianoi tant words highlighted in red ink, the text set in a white cloud promyshlennosti za dva goda natsionalizatsii. 1920– reserved against gold ground, the text panel bounded by gold, 1922 (A survey of the oil industry in Baku, 1920–2, blue and red rules, the margins with a gold band of scrolling vine leaves, catchwords, 6 gold and polychrome floral illuminated the first two years of nationalisation). Petrograd: State headpieces, the opening bifolio with a gold and polychrome flo- Trust Petropechat 15th Press, 1922 ral illuminated carpet page, with headings in red ink and a frame of rosettes, a double-page gold and polychrome illustration with the right hand folio depicting a stylised view of the haram al-sharif and the ka’ba in Mecca and the right hand folio with the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina, both set on floral ground, set in a con- temporaneous floral lacquer binding with floral doublures. Text panel 12.5 × 7cm. Folio 17.2 × 11cm. This Sunni prayerbook contains the prayers and litanies dedicated to the Prophet Muhammad used for daily reci- tation, and the fine execution of the calligraphy and illu- mination indicate that it was probably commissioned by 2 2 Peter Harrington: Abu Dhabi 2018 2 3 Folio (332 × 228 mm). Recent dark reddish brown half morocco, Arabic manuscript on paper, 22 folios plus two fly leaves each marbled boards, title gilt direct to the spine, original grey card with 9 lines of black naskh script, numerous diagrams, dated ah wrappers bound in. 20 plates, 4 of them in colour, 20 full-page 1020 and ah 1025, two ownership stamps, two later added folios graphs and tables, folding map. Wrappers soiled and rubbed, at the end of the manuscript with additional commentary and considerable skilful marginal restoration to both, no loss of text, a diagram, seven large diagrams including one with a series of some marginal soiling of the text-block front and back, variable three orbits represented rendered in gold, blue and red pigments, browning throughout. the text with four chapters, the first chapter with ten definitions, first and only edition, 3,000 copies only; uncom- set inside a soft leather binding. Folio 19.5 × 11.5cm. mon, just seven locations on OCLC. With the collapse of This work on the structure of celestial spheres focusses the Russian Empire Azerbaijan had an independent exist- on the Sun, the Earth and the other known planets of our ence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic for two years, solar system. Baha al-din was the first scholar in the Islam- 1918–20, before the Soviet Union invaded, driven by the ic world to develop the idea that the Earth rotated on its need for the region’s oil. The Soviets established Azneft as axis. He developed this theory independently of Coperni- the state agency controlling all aspects of the industry in cus and western influence. Instead Baha al-din aimed to Azerbaijan. This is the first publication recording its activi- address inconsistencies within Ptolemaic astronomy no ties. In presentation is it very similar to the pre-Revolution- longer congruent with the advances which had been made ary business publications of the Nobel family as opposed in the field in the Islamic world. to the propaganda of later Soviet productions: densely Baha al-Din Muhammad al-‘Amili was born in February packed with information, it is an economical and techno- 1547 ce near Baalbek in Ottoman-controlled Lebanon. He logical account rather than an ideological celebration. moved with his family at an early age to the Safavid Empire From the library of the Russian émigré economist Pavel – initially to Isfahan and later to the capital at Qazvin. His [Paul] Apostol, author, with Alexander Michelson, of La father was appointed by the ruler, Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524– Lutte pour le petrole et la Russie (Paris, 1922), with his ink- 1576), to the position of Sheikh al-Islam which was the stamp to the title page. highest ranking position in the religious establishment. £7,500 [124000] Baha al-din Muhammad al-‘Amili travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, reportedly visiting Egypt and going on pilgrimage to Mecca. He passed away in Isfahan 3 in 1621 ce and was buried in the holy city of Mashhad. Baha’ al-Din Muhammad al-‘Amili. Tashrih al-falak £12,500 [124651] (The Anatomy of Celestial Spheres). [Safavid Iran: Late 17th/early 18th century ce] All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk 3 4 4 fascinating details with regard to travel during that time, BAKER, George E. “How He Went to Teheran; How important descriptions of the cities and towns they stay in, his impressions of indigenous people and their customs, He Started to Return” [caption title]. [4 November 1920 their perilous journey by car from Baghdad over the Irani- – 20 November 1921] an mountains to Tehran, and the chaos they found there Small plain black cloth-bound diary of lined paper, with 105 pag- which resulted in Firouz’s arrest. Firouz remains a contro- es of entries in ink, written on rectos only, approximately 14,000 versial figure in Persian politics and in relations with the words. Baker’s signature and caption title appear on the front British. Many rumours exist as to his part in the coup of free endpaper, surrounded by several small drawings of people in native dress, the side-wheel paddle steamer he took up the Tigris 1921, and Baker’s journal provides some previously miss- river, the cars used in his travels, a sketch of Firouz’s house, etc. ing facts and insights regarding his return to Tehran. Some chipping and wear to spine ends of cloth, rear board wrin- Prince Firouz Nosrat-ed-Dowleh III (1889–1937) was the kled from exposure to moisture. Text clean and legible. eldest son of Prince Abdol Hossein Farmanfarma and the manuscript diary of george baker, british Princess Ezzat-Dowleh, of the ruling Iranian Qajar dynas- agent for prince firouz nosrat-ed-dowleh iii, ty. Educated in Europe, Firouz was Minister of Foreign Af- chronicling their travels from France to Port Said, Aden, fairs under Ahmad Shah Qajar. According to his brother, Bombay, through Iraq and Iran, and their arrival in Tehran Prince Manouchehr Farmanfarmaian’s book, Blood and Oil: just as the Persian coup d’etat took place in February 1921. Memoirs of a Persian Prince (NY: 1997): “When he was thir- Baker’s journal is rich in detail, describing the towns, peo- ty-five, Nosrat-Doleh became minister of foreign affairs ple, and events at a volatile moment in Anglo-Persian rela- under the last Qajar monarch, Ahmad Shah. It was in this tions, as he escorts Firouz back to Tehran. His entries offer capacity that he authored, along with his best friend, Sar- 4 Peter Harrington: Abu Dhabi 2018 4 5 em-Dowleh, then minister of finance, and Vosugh-Doleh, first edition, british colonial governor and prime minister, the infamous Anglo-Persian Agreement of arabist harold macmichael’s copy, with his book- 1919. Although it obtained for Persia a much-needed loan plate and ownership inscription, also with the bookplate of 2 million pounds, it gave in exchange complete control of botanist Norman Douglas Simpson (1890–1974): a rich of Persia’s army (what there was of it) and treasury (which dual association for this key account of Arabian and Su- was empty) to Great Britain. The agreement was never danese exploration. Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael (1882– ratified, but the British were so taken with Nosrat-Doleh 1969) entered the Egypt and Sudan civil service in 1905 and that at one point they tapped him as their candidate to spent most of the next three decades in the region, serving take over the throne.