A TREATISE ON ARABIC LANGUAGE AND GRAMMAR
AUTHORED BY JAMAL AL-DIN ABU-MUHAMMAD ‘ABDULLAH BIN-YUSUF BIN ‘ABDULLAH BIN-HISHAM AL-NAHAWI (D. 761 AH / 1360 AD)
Ottoman Lands, possibly Syria, 17th century

Arabic manuscript on lined paper. Composed of 85 leaves. 21 lines to the page written in a cursive script in black ink with titles and significant words picked out in red throughout. Persian ownership stamp on the first and last page. Extensive annotations in the margins. Original brown leather binding impressed with central medallions decorated with Ottoman motifs and stamped triple florets in each corner piece. Doublure with yellow paper.
The bifolio with colophon bears three ownership inscriptions:
1. ‘Ubaidallah ibn Ramadhan al-Shafi’l al-Qadiri who lives in ‘Azaza and was born in Aleppo. 2. Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Kayali, and dated 1099 AH (1687-88 AD). 3. Ahmad ibn Mahmud al-‘Absi, Aleppo and dated 1104 AH (1692-93 AD).
Ibn Hisham al-Nahawi is little documented and is sometimes confused or associated with ibn Hisham al-Ansari, a well-known Egyptian Arab grammarian (d. 1360 AD).

21cm x 14cm (folio)

Condition: Completely detached from the spine and all folios are loose. The first page is torn, worn with missing phrases. Extensive evidence of rubbing and water damage. Sever smudges and foxing.

Provenance: From the Georges Antaki Collection