Lot 280: AN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT LEAF FROM A DALAIL AL-KHAYRAT, NORTH INDIA, 18TH - 19TH CENTURY

This lot comprises a pair of illuminated manuscript miniatures on a single paper leaf, originating from a copy of the Dala’il al-Khayrat (The Waymarks of Benefits), a famous collection of prayers for the Prophet Muhammad by al-Jazuli. The miniatures represent the Holy Sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina in a highly stylised manner. The left panel shows a red-domed shrine flanked by slender minarets at the base, with a green tree and two ritual ewers positioned above. The upper registers feature geometric compartments with floral motifs and stacked golden plinths. The right panel contains a large blue mandorla decorated with black floral scrolls and internal architectural motifs, situated above another red-domed building with minarets set against a gold ground. Both panels are framed by a complex border of alternating red and ochre squares, each containing a central golden circle, further surrounded by a repeating border of pink lotus petals. Brief marginalia in red and black ink are present in the upper left corner. The style of the architecture and floral decoration suggests an origin in North India or the Deccan during the late 18th or 19th century. The work is executed in opaque pigments and gold leaf on paper.

17 by 14cm