Iran, late 18th-early 19th century

This is a collection of ruba'iyat (quatrains) and qasa'id (lyric poems), in four sections, by an author identified only as Shah Qasim. He may be Mawlana Qasim, a poet of the Moghul court who flourished around the mid-sixteenth century. The decoration of the book was apparently not completed: towards the end of the text are empty spaces left for headings to be inserted in red ink, and one of the four sections is missing its illuminated 'unwan'(headpiece). The manuscript was once in the collection of the noted bibliophile, Sir Thomas Phillipps and bears a presentation inscription: "Given by Captain Thomas Mignan to Sir Thos Phillipps Bt 1827."

Glazed paper, 252 leaves, 212 x 116 mm, 1 and 2 columns, 13-14 lines, in Persian, written in nasta'liq script.