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Book/Printed Material Khamsah-i Niẓāmī.

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About this Item

Title

  • Khamsah-i Niẓāmī.

Summary

  • The Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi (circa 1140--circa 1202) spent all his life in the city of Ganca in what is today Azerbaijan. After his death, his main works were compiled into the Khamsah (Quintet or pentalogy). Among other works, this collection comprises the famous love stories of Khusraw and Shirin and Laylah and Majnun. Nizami's popular romantic and erotic epic Haft Paykar (Seven thrones) was also included. Written in a gripping and strongly suggestive style, it narrates the life of the legendary Sassanid ruler Bahram Gur (i.e., Bahram V, reigned 420-38) who married seven princesses from seven countries. For each of his wives he built a domed palace, which he decorated with individual color schemes to represent different planets. On every day of the week, Bahram Gur received a different wife and was entertained by her in her particular palace. Tuesday, for example, he spent with his Russian princess in the red palace of Mars; Wednesday he enjoyed in the company of his Chorasmian princess in the turquoise palace of Mercury. This incomplete manuscript copy of the Khamsah contains 18 miniatures, of which seven are concerned with Bahram Gur's story. They were painted and set in the tradition of the Shiraz school of the second half of the 16th century and feature the intense colors and very slender figures typical of this period. In the miniature of a scene from the turquoise palace (207 verso), the faces of the figures are remarkably pleasant. Particularly charming is the garden scene depicting a youth bending down a blossom branch while a second youth watches him expectantly. The manuscript came to Munich as a French restitution after the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Names

  • Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 or 41-1202 or 3 Author.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], [1500 to 1599]

Headings

  • -  Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • -  1500 to 1599
  • -  Bahrām V, King of Iran, died 438
  • -  Epic poetry
  • -  Illuminations
  • -  Miniatures (Illuminations)
  • -  Persian literature
  • -  Poetry
  • -  Romances

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "BSB shelfmark: Cod.pers. 21|This description of the work was written by Winfried Riesterer."--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: 337 folios, paper : illuminated ; 33 x 23 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Bavarian State Library.
  • -  Content in Persian.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667400

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 Or 41-1202 Or 3 Author. Khamsah-i Niẓāmī. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1599, 1500] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667400/.

APA citation style:

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1. O. 4. O. 3. A. (1500) Khamsah-i Niẓāmī. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1599] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021667400/.

MLA citation style:

Niẓāmī Ganjavī, 1140 Or 41-1202 Or 3 Author. Khamsah-i Niẓāmī. [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, to 1599, 1500] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021667400/>.