Accession No

6225

Brief Description

Manuscript page from Arabic book with later illustration depicting a representation of the ‘chakras’ in Indian medicine; page is probably late 18th/early 19th century, illustration is much later, probably 20th century

Origin

Maker

Class

manuscripts; medical

Earliest Date

1750

Latest Date

2000

Inscription Date

Material

paper; paint

Dimensions

length 192mm; height 256mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Gallery Antique, Divanyola Caddesi No. 17, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey in 11/2006.

Inscription

[Arabic text needs translating]
‘A30’ [written in pencil underneath the illustration]

Description Notes

Manuscript page from Arabic book with later illustration depicting a representation of the ‘chakras’ in Indian medicine.

Scene is painted in colour. It depicts a man, arms outstretched to the sides, with a representation of the ‘chakras’ in Indian medicine across his body. There is a smaller depiction of a man on each side of the main image: the figure to the left is facing the front and has his arms raised; the figure to the right is facing the rear and has his arms by his sides. There is also a depiction of the back of a human head at the top left.

Arabic text accompanies the image, along with a stamp also in Arabic. ‘A30’ is written in pencil underneath the illustration.

The page and the (Ottoman?) text on its reverse is probably late 18th/early 19th century; the illustration on the front is painted over the original text and is much later, probably 20th century. The text on the reverse is somewhat stained from the paint used on the front of the page; there is dark showthrough on the reverse.

More research needs to be done on the Arabic/Ottoman text to determine the text from which this page is taken.

Condition fair; page has several stains and paper has some general dirt and yellowing. Page edges have been cut off with scissors or another sharp implement, giving uneven edges.

References

Events