On astronomy and the planetary motions

Qutb al-Din Mahmud b. Mas'ud b. Muslih Al-Shirazi. Al-Tuhfat al-Shahiyya fi'l Hay'ah [The Gift to the Shah on Astronomy].

€ 65.000,00

An early, well-illustrated copy of the "Gift to the Shah on Astronomy", by Qutb al-Din Mahmud b. Mas'ud b. Muslih Al-Shirazi (1236-1311), on astronomy and the planetary motions. Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi completed this work in 1285 in Sivas and dedicated it to Taj al-Din Mu'tazz bin Tahir, the vizier of Amir-Shah Muhammad bin al-Sadr al-Sa'id (cf. IRCICA, p. 668). The colophon states that this manuscript was copied by the scribe Muhammad 'Ali ibn Mahmud al-Tabrizi, and is dated Du-l-Hijja 991 AH (December 1583 or January 1584).

Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi was a prominent astronomer who worked under Nasir al-Din al-Tusi in the Maragha Observatory. Expanding on his teacher's work, Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, who is considered al-Tusi's best student, improved the calculations of the movements of the planets, particularly those of Mercury. He was active at the courts of Ghazan Khan (1295-1304) and Öljaitü (1304-17). Having been driven away by a jealous al-Tusi, al-Shirazi turned to Turkey and then to Iran, where he founded a new astronomical observatory in Tabriz. Al-Shirazi's works on physics are known for his detailed explanation of the rainbow.

Some waterstaining throughout; a few leaves show early repairs to marginal worming or remarginings (mainly at the beginning and end of the volume). Old ink notes to pastedowns. Provenance: Christie's, London, October 2017, lot 102.