Description:

 EYE TREATMENT, OPHTHALMIC SECTION FROM PART SIX OF ZAKHIREH KHARAZMSHABI, 18TH CENTURY
Persia, 18th Century

Description:
An exceptional and rare manuscript comprising the second part of the sixth section of the Zakhireh Kharazmshahi, focusing entirely on ophthalmic treatments. Originally compiled by the celebrated Persian physician Ismail Gorgani (d. 1136), this 18th-century manuscript reflects continued transmission and relevance of his encyclopedic medical work into the early modern Islamic period.

Executed in black naskh script with red rubrics, this treatise provides a meticulous exploration of diseases of the eye, their causes, and surgical or pharmaceutical remedies. Notably, several finely drawn and labeled anatomical diagrams of the human eye accompany the text. These vibrant and almost surreal illustrations, rendered in black and red ink, reveal a nuanced understanding of ocular anatomy and reflect the manuscript's pedagogical use.

The figures show cross-sections of the eye and optic nerves with remarkable clarity and stylized finesse. The inclusion of layered structures such as the cornea, retina, and lens (with labels in Arabic) affirms the advanced anatomical knowledge of Persian physicians of the period.

Dimensions:
Length: 21 cm
Width: 15 cm

Comparable Examples:

  • A manuscript of Gorgani’s Zakhireh-i Khwarazmshahi containing medical diagrams sold at Sotheby’s, Arts of the Islamic World, 25 April 2018, Lot 55, for £47,500.

  • An illustrated medical treatise focused on eye ailments sold at Christie’s, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 October 2022, Lot 146, for £38,000.

  • A similar Persian ophthalmological manuscript was auctioned at Bonhams, Islamic and Indian Art, 24 October 2016, Lot 112, realising £32,500.

Note:
The Zakhireh Kharazmshahi was among the most influential medical encyclopedias in Persian literature. While full manuscripts are rare, thematic sections like this ophthalmic extract were frequently reproduced for instructional use in madrasas and by court physicians. This manuscript, with its strikingly modern and almost abstract representations of ocular anatomy, bridges science and art, and attests to the sophistication of medical knowledge in the Islamic world well into the 18th century.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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