probably Mecca
part one completed 11 Rabi‘ al-thani 1266 (24 February 1850), part two on 7 Rajab 1271 (26 March 1855)
ink, gold and opaque watercolours on paper; contemporary gilded and painted maroon morocco binding
main text copied in naskh script, marginal glosses in naskh and nasta‘liq; 25 lines to the page
639 folios; 31.7 x 23.2cm
This fine copy of al-Bukhari’s important compilation of the hadith was written in two parts, completed five years apart, and bound as one volume. Each opens with a finely illuminated heading.
A certificate from a religious official in Mecca, which was bound in with the text, confirms that its owner, Shaykh Hasan ‘Ali, had completed his study of the Sahih by attending sessions held in the Holy Sanctuary at Mecca.