Shah Tahmasbi’s Divination Manuscript

Divination manuscripts are collections of writings, whether in verse or prose or visual elements, through which the individual seeking the divination gains awareness of the goodness or badness or auspiciousness of their intent based on the content or its interpretation. This particular divination manuscript, aside from its importance within the tradition of divination manuscript creation and fortune-telling, is highly significant due to its close connection with popular culture. Especially since the existing copy is one of the three divination manuscripts surviving from this period and was very likely commissioned by Shah Tahmasbi of the Safavid dynasty and created by court artists in the royal workshop. The manuscript’s calligraphy and illustrations probably date from the mid to late 16th century. It can be considered a unique example of fully accessible illustrated divination manuscripts (located in the Dresden library) that have been published. This is very important because illustrated divination manuscripts are highly valuable due to their numerous miniatures and are scattered across museums and various collections. Usually, each leaf of such manuscripts, owing to containing separate illustrations, has been separated from the main book, making access to a complete divination manuscript very difficult. The text of this manuscript is considerably stronger and more contemplative compared to the two other Persian divination manuscripts that have survived from this era. Its significance lies in the fact that it can serve as a starting point for further research on illustrated divination manuscripts.