- Title
- Bookbinding
- Date Made
- 15th century
- Medium
- Leather, blind and gold tooled, and cut and painted
- Dimensions
- 9 1/4 x 17 1/8 in. (23.49 x 43.49 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2002.1.28
- Collecting Area
- Art of the Middle East: Islamic
- Curatorial Notes
The Persian arts of the book reached spectacular heights in the fifteenth century. Libraries sponsored by princely and elite bibliophiles of the period served not only as repositories of fine books but also as studios where every aspect of manuscript production took place, including the manufacture of bindings. A paragon of the bookbinder’s art, this example (now detached from its manuscript) features painstakingly crafted, brightly colored interior designs made from cut bits of painted leather and tinted paper. The inscription on the exterior of the binding reads: "There would be a reminiscence of Paradise/ For the insightful man, who enjoyed this delightful garden [the book]/ This replica [book] which has gotten its magnificent elaboration from the efforts of the artists/ Was attainable by the effort of the time’s Asif/ May health and prosperity be granted to its possessor."
