Top of page

Manuscript/Mixed Material Kitāb azhār al-afkār fī jawāhir aḥjār كتاب أزهار الافكار في جواهر الاحجار / / Kitāb al-jawāhir lil-Tifāshī

About this Item

Title

  • Kitāb azhār al-afkār fī jawāhir aḥjār

Other Title

  • كتاب أزهار الافكار في جواهر الاحجار /
  • Kitāb al-jawāhir lil-Tifāshī

Summary

  • Azhār al-Afkār fī Jawāhir al-Ahjār (The blossoms of thoughts regarding precious stones) is considered the most detailed and complete treatise of the Middle Ages on stones and their properties. Lapidaries, or treatises devoted entirely to the discussion of precious stones and their features, can be traced to ancient Greece. Pliny, in his Naturalis Historia (Natural history), mentions at least 20 authors as sources of his knowledge of stones, even though, of the works he cites, only the treatise On Stones by Theophrastus (circa 371-287 BC) has survived. Theophrastus's treatise, together with the pseudo-Aristotelian De mineralibus (On minerals) and the passages on stones in works by Galen, Discorides, Pseudo-Balinus, Al-Kīndī, and al-Fārābī constitute the main sources of the material discussed in this manuscript. Little is known about its author, Al-Tīfāšī (circa 1184-1253), apart from his Algerian origins and the fact that he compiled an anthology of Arabic verses and jokes of sexual and erotic content. Al-Tīfāšī deals with 25 stones, devoting a chapter to each. Each chapter opens with an etymological discussion of the name of the stone, which is followed by a description of the factors causing its formation, the location of the principal mines in which it is found, and an analysis of its main physical properties, including its hardness. He then provides a list of medical and magical uses of the stone and discusses its value and price on the market, taking into account different degrees of purity and the optical properties of the stones available for sale in his time. World Digital Library.
  • Work on gems and precious stones in 25 chapters, with each chapter devoted to a different stone. Discusses the beauty, color, use, physical properties, crystalization, and medicinal and magical uses of minerals and gems.

Names

  • Tīfāshī, Aḥmad ibn Yūsuf, -1253 or 1254
  • Jawharī, Muḥammad Abū Hādī, former owner
  • Muḥammad ʻAbduh, 1849-1905, former owner
  • Nīshī, Maḥmūd ibn Ḥasan, former owner

Created / Published

  • [16--]

Headings

  • -  Manuscripts, Arabic--Washington (D.C.)
  • -  Mineralogy--Early works to 1800
  • -  Precious stones--Early works to 1800

Notes

  • -  Binding: old cardboard covered with European wallpaper; leather spine.
  • -  Fol. 1a-66b.
  • -  Library of Congress. Arabic manuscript, SM-13.
  • -  Ms.
  • -  Names of four owners on title page: Muḥammad Abū Hādī al-Jawharī al-Khālidī; ownership stamp of Muḥammad ʻAbduh; Maḥmūd ibn Ḥasan al-Nīshī (in red ink, scratched out); and ʻAlī Afandī al-[illegible] (dated 199 and scratched out).
  • -  Naskhi script; 17 lines in written area, 14 x 8 cm.
  • -  Paper: yellowed cream, watermarks, varies in thickness. Leaves split from spine. Red and black ink on title page; text is principally in black with chapter titles in red. Marginal notes in different hands. Catchwords on rectos.
  • -  Fihris al-makhṭūṭāt al-ʻArabīyah fi Maktabat al-Kūnghris, 15.
  • -  Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress website.
  • -  Arabic.
  • -  Incipit: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم قال الشيخ الفقير الفاضل أبو العباس أحمد بن يوسف ابن محمد التيفاشي ...

Medium

  • 62 leaves (17 lines), bound ; 14 x 8 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • QE392 .T5 1600z

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2008401021

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Tīfāshī, Aḥmad Ibn Yūsuf, -1253 Or 1254, Muḥammad Abū Hādī Jawharī, Muḥammad ʻAbduh, and Maḥmūd Ibn Ḥasan Nīshī. Kitāb Azhār Al-Afkār Fī Jawāhir Aḥjār. [16] Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/2008401021/.

APA citation style:

Tīfāshī, A. I. Y., Jawharī, M. A. H., Muḥammad ʻAbduh, . & Nīshī, M. I. Ḥ. Kitāb Azhār Al-Afkār Fī Jawāhir Aḥjār. [16] [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2008401021/.

MLA citation style:

Tīfāshī, Aḥmad Ibn Yūsuf, -1253 Or 1254, et al. Kitāb Azhār Al-Afkār Fī Jawāhir Aḥjār. [16] Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2008401021/>.