[Ruzname].

A vellum scroll containing an Ottoman illuminated calligraphic almanac. Manuscripts on vellum from Turkey are relatively rare. The almanac contains a Ġurrẹnāmẹ, indicating the first day of each lunar month, and tables indicating the times of the five daily prayers as calculated for the Istanbul region. Undated: probably produced at Istanbul around the middle of the 19th century, or somewhat later. Although the date 1225/1810-11 occurs twice in the tables, this is unlikely to be the date of copying. The scribe identifies himself as Mustafà, called Hikmet -'i San , pupil of Süleyman Hikmet . According to M. K. Inal, Son hattatlar, pp. 372-3, Seyyid Haf z Hikmet of Eyüp flourished between about 1830 and 1860: it is unlikely though not impossible that Mustafa's teacher was a different person. Text written diagonally. Fine rik'a calligraphy. Headings in red; headings of tables in gold on red ground. Illuminated semse in gold, on pink ground, with calligrapher's name in white nesih. Illuminated headpiece with gilt and polychrome ornamentation and floral motifs. Other illuminated roundels in margins. Small panel with calligrapher's name on red ground near end of text. The scroll is attached to a protective flap in red morocco with gilt ornamentation, and is housed in a matching cylindrical case covered with red morocco.

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