Divan-ı Ragıp Paşa, [late 18th century?].

Abstract

Elegant copy of the Dīvān (collected verse and prose) of the Ottoman Grand Vizier and littérateur, Koca Mehmet Ragıp Paşa (d.1763), opening with münşeat. Contribution to the cataloguing from Hossein Mottaghi.Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Research Center, Isl. Ms. 422Origin: Lacks dated colophon ; paper, decoration, etc. suggest latter 18th century.Former shelfmark: "479 T. De M. [i.e. Tammaro De Marinis]" inscribed in pencil on verso of front flyleaf.Binding: Pasteboards covered in brown leather ; Western style binding ; pastedowns and flyleaves in shell marbled paper (mainly in red and blue) ; upper and lower covers carry gold-stamped scrollwork designs with central lozenge, corner motifs and vegetal border, gold-stamped designs continue on spine ; now sewn in white thread over two recessed cords, four stations ; stuck-on endbands in green ; register in sheer silk ribbon ; edges of text block gold-flecked ; overall in fair condition with damage to upper board corner, minor abrasion, some negative draw in covers, etc.Support: European laid paper with 11 laid lines per cm. (vertical), chain lines spaced 18-21 mm. apart (horizontal), and watermark of scrollwork with three stylized hats in shield and "F C" below (see fol.5, 6, 15, 16, etc.), sturdy and quite well-burnished to glossy, alternating bifolia tinted yellow.Decoration: Elegant illuminated headpiece (ʻunwān / sarlawḥ) at opening of "منشآت" on fol.1b, consisting of scalloped w-shaped piece filled with swirling floral vegetal decoration in light green, pink, light blue, white, red, and gold on grounds of gold and dark blue, bordered in white, black, gold, red and blue bands, surmounted by vertical stalks (tīgh) in blue and red and set in a well of pink with red accents ; other fine illuminated headpieces at opening of "صلحيه نمچه" on fol.49b, opening of "تقريضات" on fol.69b, opening of "قصائد" on fol.71b, opening of "تخميسات" on fol.79b, and opening of ghazals on fol.84b ; written area surrounded by gold frame, with divisions within defined by narrow gold bands outlined in black fillets ; keywords rubricated ; overlining in red ; textual dividers in the form of gold discs.Script: Nastaʻlīq (talik) ; fine, compact hand in a heavy line ; serifless, with effect of words descending to baseline, closed counters, and elongated horizontal strokes.Layout: Written in 15 lines per page, with written area mainly divided to two columns ; frame-ruled.Collation: i, 12 V(120), V-1 (129), i ; exclusively quinions ; catchwords present.Incipit: "حركت كردن از شتائيه بطرف صيفيه وبعد ازين نقل كردن بجنات محبوبيه جناب برارنده نه طباق افلاك جل ذاته عن درك الادراك ..."Title from inscription on 'title page'.Ms. codex.Kaya, Nevzat. "Rāgıb Meḥmed Paşa and his library." In Theoretical approaches to the transmission and edition of Oriental manuscripts. Proceedings of a symposium held in Istanbul, March 28-30, 2001, Eds. Judith Pfeiffer and Manfred Kropp. (Beirut: Ergon verlag Würzburg in Kommission, 2007):Fihris al-makhṭūṭāt al-Turkīyah al-ʻUthmānīyah allatī iqtanatʹhā Dār al-Kutub al-Qawmīyah mundhu ʻām 1870 ḥattá nihāyat 1980,Elegant copy of the Dīvān (collected verse and prose) of the Ottoman Grand Vizier and littérateur, Koca Mehmet Ragıp Paşa (d.1763), opening with münşeat. Contribution to the cataloguing from Hossein Mottaghi.Mode of access: Internet.Acquired by purchase (funds donated by Horace Rackham).Several former owners' marks on 'title page' (fol.1a) including ownership statement in name of Tahir Efendizade Mehmet Asım (طاهر افندى زاده محمد عاصم / Ṭāhir Afandīʻzādah Muḥammad ʻĀṣim) accompanied by his seal, ownership statement in name of Ali Fuat ( السيد على فؤاد / al-Sayyid ʻAlī Fuʼād ), ownership statement dated 1247 [1831 or 2] in name of Mehmet Naili ( السيد محمد نائلى / al-Sayyid Muḥammad Nāʼilī ), statement and oval seal impression in name of one Ahmet (احمد) ... [?], several borrowing statements (also on fol.69a) in name of one Süleyman Fehim (سليمان فهيم), etc. ; occasional glosses