Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
25MANUSCR|PTS
GIFT TOL|BRARY
Kirker Minassian of New
York EnIarges Collection
of OrientaIia.

SupplementlnR the COIleCblOH Oh Olleh-
Italia he recently established in the
Library of Congress Kirker Minassian
of New York has just added 25 more
early manuscripts. AS material of this
form in the National Library is almost
entirely related to American history,
the successive gifts OF Mr.. MlnaSSlan
are bringing to 1t significant documents
in a hienlv important cultural domain
which, hitherto. has had little represen-
tation in its imprinted collections, IL
is explained
Two OF the manuscripts in the pres
ent gift are copies, perhaps OF the six
teenth century, OF writings OF the
mystic and poet Jami, by some regarded
as the last great classical poet of
Persia. One OF these manuscripts
treatise on grammar and composition,
contains also a treatise on astronomy
That Persian poetry was apt to borrow
from astronomy is illustrated by the
title of the collection in which the
other manuscript belongs, for the latter
contains the text of one of janis seven
longer poems known together as the
'Haft Awrang,' or Seven Thrones
a Persian name for the constellation of
The Great Bear, this one of the seven
poems being the "Subhatul- Abrar,' or
Rosary of the Pious," one part of which
contains the story. told also by Sadl
of Abraham and the Fire Worshipper.
Copy of the Shabu.
There are also among these interest
ing documents a manuscript copy OF the
Shabu, the poetical work apparently OF
Prince Mira Nured-Din, son of Mira
Khan Bakphtiyar, written in Persian
small hand in the sixteenth century;
one of the Book of Isharat. an Arabian
treatise on philosophy, by Abdullah ibn
Mehmed Emin, written in Persian in
the eighteenth century, and one Of the
Munsha att Nisi. in the original binding,
probably of the eighteenth century.
containing letters and sketches OF
Turkish literary men.
A series of beautifully decorated
panels contain in manuscript quotations
attributed to Ali. Hail Yadigan, Sadi.
Mohammed bin Dost Mohammed, and
Mehdi. Part of the passage from
Mehdi is pointed out by member of
the Library staff AS anticipating we'll
known saying by Leasing. Mehdi quotes
Abu Bekr. the VAST, that the Stuff has
q better time in hell than the righteous
in heaven, because the Suf even in hell
is still seeking knowledge of God,
whereas the righteous has no further
reward to obtain" Leasing wrote: Not
the truth which any man possesses, or
thinks he possesses, but the honest toll
which he has spent to get below it, con-
stitutes the worth of the man. For !
not by the possession of, but by the |
search for, truth, are his powers eX-
banded. in which alone consists his |
ever-growing perfection" Accordingly, |
said Leasing. still in the vein Of Abu |
Bekr II the choice were his between |
the possession of all truth, and the !
single, ever-active desire for truth, it I,
is the latter that he would take.
Material in Gift.
A feature of Mr. Minassian's gift is |
the material it affords illustrative of !
Persian calligraphy, as in the leaves |
from different manuscript copies OF the !
Koran, one, written in Cufic, dating in |
the tenth to eleventh century, tram
scribed by Sunna calligrapher; other |
specimens, also in Cutie, written in the
eleventh or twelfth century, in the
Fatimid period; a leaf from the first
sura. written in the thirteenth or four
tenth century, in the early Ruga
style; portion of the Koran, written
in the early fourteenth century in the
early Magribi style: leaf written in
the fourteenth century in the developed !
Ruga style, five lines TO a page; two
leaves written in North Africa in the I
fifteenth century in the Magribi style,
three lines 10 n page, ana leaf from
the first sura, written in the sixteenth
century In superb Naskh.
Besides these specimens there are
still others, among them panel bear
ing the Shikasteh writing of Abdul |
Maid; two panels of artistic Ruga, In
praise Of Ali, the Son-in-law of Mo-
manned, and one of his successors:
another panel Of prose and poetry |
written in the Shikasteh style refined |
to the degree to which it was carried |
in the eighteenth century, and a tablet, |
in the Nastaliq of the celebrated calig- !
rapher, Matek, the text OF which afirms |
that "A stone is better than head !
tEat has no sense of worship"
The embellishments Of the manu- |
scripts are in accordance with the |
canons established by the ancient Per- |
sian copyists. who were artists as well |
as scribes. The artistry of these manu- |
scripts would alone make the gift |
notable. 1t is understood that Mr.. |
Minassian is sailing in few days with |
the intention of visiting the Near East !
possibly the Far East as we'll, on an
other collecting expedition.