Gold
The beauty and symbolism of gold, from the Early Bronze Age to the 20th century
Zindagan-i ma dar kuhistan = More leaves from the journal of a life in the Highlands, from 1862 to 1882.
1884-85Manuscript on paper written in good nastaliq, with double illuminated opening and headpiece, f.1v-2r. | 21.8 x 15.9 cm (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1005029
This is a Persian translation of Queen Victoria's 'More leaves from the journal of a life in the Highlands, from 1862 to 1882', her account of her life in Balmoral in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The English original, published in London in 1884, was presented by the author to Nasir al-Din Shah, who ordered a court translator to translate the work into Persian.
Sir Robert Murdoch Smith, Director of the Persian Telegraph and a Persian scholar, had this second copy made and illuminated for presentation to Queen Victoria.
This presentation copy was created by Razi Taliqani, master of the Dar al-Sanaye ('School of Fine Arts'), in Tehran. It is bound in tan-coloured calf binding with lacquered gold covering and red and green arabesque centre and cornerpieces incisions to the front cover. Signed "the work of the lowliest Razi Taliqani" and dated 1884-5. The pages are unoardorned bar the illuminated frontispiece dedicated, in Persian, to Queen Victoria.
Contained within ornamental silk bag.
