THE MUNAJAT OF IMAM 'ALI
Safavid Iran, dated 1131 AH (1718 - 1719), signed Ahmad al-Neirizi (or Nayrizi)

Prayers of the fourth Imam 'Ali, son of Husayn, Arabic and Persian manuscript on paper, 150ff. plus one flyleaf, each folio with 9ll. of black ink Arabic naskh script, with interlinear Persian translations in red ink nasta’liq script, the opening folio with polychrome and gold illuminated sar lawh, the second section of the manuscript with 12ll. of naskh to the page and the last third of the book with gold cloudbands, diacritics in black, catchwords, set within brown, gold and blue rules, marginal notes, the opening end-papers with lobed medallions in green with gold inscriptions, the colophon signed by Ahmad Neirizi in Isfahan, dated 1131 AH, later seal impressions and ownership notes, in an 18th-century lacquered floral binding attributed to 'Ali Ashraf, the central lobed cartouches with polychrome flowers within a maroon field of scrolling gold flowers, with a brown morocco spine, the text panel 15.6cm x 8.1cm, the folio 21.3cm x 12.7cm.

Provenance: Christie's London, 25 October 2018, lot 105.