Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
LIBRARY RECEIVES
PERSIAN ART WORK
Contemporary Copy Of Divan
Is Gift of Kirkor Minas-
sian of New York.

Presentation of a cotemporary copy
of the "Divan' of the Persian poet Mir
Ali Shir, by Kirkor Minassian of New
York announced yesterday by the Ii
brary of Congress, adds to the library
another important manuscript volume
In the Oriental collection bearing Mr..
MinasSian's name.
The volume, a handsome one. I'M
usually we'll preserved is written in the
Shikasteh Nastaliq style Of the Persian
caligraphy. The text is bordered with
blue and gold lines and there are deco
rations in the same colors. The name
of the copyist is not known, but 1t has
been suggested that he was the Sultan
Ali Merhadi said to have excelled all
other penmen in writing the Nastaliq
characters and every day to have copied
20 couplets for Mir Ali Shir.
Flourished in Fifteenth Century.
Mir Ali Shir, the school fellow Of
Sultan RusSayn Mira of the Timurial
dynasty and later his minister, -four
ished during the latter half of the if
tenth century. His talents were many
and diverse. He was one of the most
distinguished and most fertile writers
and, besides, was painter, sculptor,
composer of music, illumination Of man.
uscripts, expert calligrapher, advisor to
the Sultan and patron of learning.
With his name are associated those of
the painters BihZad and Shah MuZaffar,
the musicians Qul-Muhammad, Shaykhi
Mai and Husayn Udi; that of the his
tor1an Mirkhwand and of the poet Jami.
Mir All Shir Is said to have been ad-
mftted by Jami into the NaSqshbandi
sect OF derviShes, and that so complete
was his devotion to pious works that he
established. or restored, and endowed
$40 mosques. colleges and other insti-
tutions In KhuraSan alone.
That province, and especially the
City OF Herat now in modern Afghan
istan, shone at this epoch with great
brilliancy. Here. Mir Ali Shir dwelled.
one OF its brightest lights, until his
death In 1901.
In 1906, Sultan Husayn, himself a
poet and patron Of learning. also died.
and the marvellous era that Herat had
known ended with him. Two of the
Mirzas succeeded the sultan, reigning
jointly. Babur quotes from Sadi to de-
scribe the situation Ten dervishes can
sleep on one rug but the same climate
cannot contain two kings" In a short
time, Shah ISmail founder of the
Safawi dynasty, was in supreme con-
troll In Herat
10000 Couplets In Divan.
Through Mr.. Minassian's action, the
National Library is now In possession
OF an original manuscript produced at
Herat during the period of its ancient
glory, a period which embraces the
years Of the voyages of Columbus. The
Divan OF Mir ALI Shir is written in the
Chaghatay Turki. which, through the
genius OF the poet, was elevated to the
height Of literary language. There
are 10000 couplets In the poem which
is divided into four ghazels, or odes,
entitled: THE Singularities of Infancy"
THE Wonders Of Youth" "The Marvels
OF Manhood" and 1.-THE Benefits of
Age"
With this manuscript, Mr.. Minassian
has also presented to the National Lii
brary several specimens Of hand IL
Illuminated initial letters, and an illum-
mated passage from the Koran, tran
scribed 159 years ago. which, beginning
with the name of Allah-"Bism- el-Al-
lah"-was to serve daily to remind its
possessor Of the word that should guide
him through life, and which, at death,
should take him into heaven.