The illuminated sarlawh; notes and seals (notes and seals recto; sarlawh verso of folio 1), from a manuscript of the Muntakhab-i Bustan by Sa`di

The manuscript opens with an exquisitely illuminated sarlawh above the text which is copied in two columns and 14 lines to a page in nasta`liq. According to the colophon the manuscript was copied by Mir Sayyid Ahmad al-Husayni who, based on a note on the first folio, was a pupil of Mir ‘Ali (Haravi). The text area is finely gold speckled. The binding is decorated with large plate stamped and gilt leather covers, and the doublures are decorated with filigrees over various colored paper ground; however, most filigrees have been damaged over time.