Lot 10: AN ILLUMINATED AND ILLUSTRATIONS DALAIL AL-KHAYRAT MANUSCRIPT, INDIA, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

This illuminated manuscript is a copy of the Dalail al-Khayrat (The Waymarks of Benefits) by Muhammad al-Jazuli, a renowned collection of prayers and praises for the Prophet Muhammad. Attributed to the Ottoman Empire and dating to the 18th or 19th century, the text is written in a consistent Ottoman Naskh script in black ink with eleven lines per page. Significant headings and names are picked out in red ink. The manuscript contains two full-page architectural miniatures depicting the holy sanctuaries of Mecca, featuring the Kaaba, and Medina, featuring the Prophet’s Mosque and tombs, reflecting the arts of the Hajj pilgrimage. These illustrations are rendered in gold leaf and polychrome pigments, including lapis blue and red accents. The text opens with elaborate unwans or headpieces featuring intricate floral and foliate scrolls. Each page is enclosed within a gold-ruled frame and a decorative border of repeating floral or geometric motifs. Small floral ornaments appear in the margins to denote section breaks. The volume is bound in red morocco leather with blind-stamped borders. 

17.5 x 11cm