A LARGE SECTION OF THE SHAHNAMA BY ABU'L-QASIM FIRDAWSI (D. AH 416/1024 AD) India, late 17th - early 18th century Persian manuscript on paper, from the story of Darab to the story of Khosrow, in nasta'liq kitabat script, 208ff., plus six fly-leaves and printed end-papers, each folio with 25ll., poetic text arranged in four columns, chapter headings in red ink, within black, gold, and red rulings, 11 illuminated miniatures illustrating the stories narrated in the text, library stamp Mohammad Sarfraz Khan Abbasi 1173 AH (1759), the Indian 20th century binding includes fine pink paper between folios, transparent paper facing the illustrations, the spine marked 'Illustrated manuscript Shahnama of Firdowsi' in Urdu script, the text panel 23.3x 14cm and the folio 33.5cm x 20cm.