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Or 6559

Record Id:

032-003390178

Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:

032-003390178

MDARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100050844036.0x000010

LARK:

ark:/81055/vdc_100145250723.0x000001

SLARK:

Format:

ISAD(G)

Reference (shelfmark):

Or 6559

Title:

Collection of Arabic material from the Asante Kingdom, Kumasi, Ghana

Scope & Content:

A bound collection of manuscript material from Kumasi, Ghana, dating from the mid-19th century and associated with the Asante Kingdom. The majority of the works are Fāwāʾid (Ar Benefit). These are single folio works giving instructions for preparing an amulet or other ritual practices to produce a specific supernatural effect, most commonly the protection of the bearer from harm. However, several longer works cover the preparation of many different kinds of amulet. There are also several Qādirī Sufi devotional and praise works, as well as sections of the Qur'an. There are several references to "Ashanti". The work was presented to the British Museum Library by a Captain Noel on November 14 1903 and catalogued in 1904. It is noted in the donor's letter that this material was "brought from Kumasi in 1874 by a bluejacket", that is, a British sailor, who may have been present at the sacking of Kumasi by British troops in that year during the Anglo-Ashanti Wars.

Collection Area:

Oriental Manuscripts

Project / Collection:

West African Arabic Manuscripts

Hierarchy Tree:

[{ "id" : "032-003390178", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Or 6559: Collection of Arabic material from the Asante Kingdom, Kumasi, Ghana" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} },{ "id" : "040-003390179", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 1r: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390180", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 1v-27v: Duʿāʾ Saʿd Ibn Saliyā Ibn ʿAtifāq Ibn Bāba" },{ "id" : "040-003390181", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 28r-32v: Manual of Fawāʾid" },{ "id" : "040-003390182", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 33r-34r: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390183", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 35r- 38v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390184", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 39r-40v: Wird of the Qādirīyah" },{ "id" : "040-003390185", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 41r-41v: Prayer" },{ "id" : "040-003390186", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 42r-49v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390187", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 49r-52r: Ḥizb al-Baḥr حزب البحر" },{ "id" : "040-003390188", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 53r-56r: Duʿāʾ Saʿd Ibn Saliyā" },{ "id" : "040-003390189", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 56v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390190", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 57r-58v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390191", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 59r: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390192", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 59v-68v: Safīnat al-Najāʾ" },{ "id" : "040-003390193", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 69r-73v: Commentary or accompanying work to the Dalāʾil al-Khayrāt" },{ "id" : "040-003390194", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 74r-81r: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390195", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 82r-83v: Duʿāʾ ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī" },{ "id" : "040-003390196", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 84r-90v: سورة ياسين Sūrat Yāsīn" },{ "id" : "040-003390197", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 91r-109v: Duʿāʾ Saʿd Ibn Saliyā" },{ "id" : "040-003390198", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 110r-125v: Selection of devotional Sufi works" },{ "id" : "040-003390199", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 126r-127v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390200", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 128r-129v: Duʿāʾ Anas Ibn Malik" },{ "id" : "040-003390201", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 130r-143v: Selection of instructions for ritual practice" },{ "id" : "040-003390202", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 144r-145v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390203", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 146r-147v: Instruction for ritual practice" },{ "id" : "040-003390204", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 148r-149v: Instructions for reading the Kīmiyāʾ al-Ṣalāt" },{ "id" : "040-003390205", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 150r-153r: قصيدة عبدالقادر الجيلاني Qaṣīdat ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī" },{ "id" : "040-003390206", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 154r-156v: Incomplete sections of the Qur'an" },{ "id" : "040-003390207", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 157r-163v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390208", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 164r-170v: Sūrat al-Wāqiʿa" },{ "id" : "040-003390209", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 171r: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390210", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 171v-173v: A compendium of the 37 angels" },{ "id" : "040-003390211", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 174r-175v: This work lists the words that should be said 'on the key to every conclusion of a contract', which are Qur'an 7:89: 'Our…" },{ "id" : "040-003390212", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 176r-176v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390213", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 177r-177v: Part of Surah 11 of the Qur'an" },{ "id" : "040-003390214", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 178r-203v: Surahs 78-114 of the Qur'an" },{ "id" : "040-003390215", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 204r-213v: al-Ḥizb al-Kabīr" },{ "id" : "040-003390216", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 214v-215v: Two praise works in a good example of a closely spaced Sahrawi hand. The second is incomplete." },{ "id" : "040-003390217", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 216r-217r: Ḥizb al-Baḥr" },{ "id" : "040-003390218", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 218r: Number Square" },{ "id" : "040-003390219", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 218v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390220", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 219r-220v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390221", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 221r-221v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390222", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 222r-222v: Number table" },{ "id" : "040-003390223", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 223r-223v: Prayers to say for each day of the week" },{ "id" : "040-003390224", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 224r-224v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390225", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 225r: Invocation" },{ "id" : "040-003390226", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 226r-226v: Duʿāʾ al-Shaykh Sayyid al-Mukhtār دعاء الشيخ سيد المختار" },{ "id" : "040-003390227", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 227r-227v: Supplication with number table" },{ "id" : "040-003390228", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 228r-228v: List of angels" },{ "id" : "040-003390229", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 229r-229v: Prayer" },{ "id" : "040-003390230", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 230r-231r: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390231", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 231v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390232", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 232r-232v: Two Fāwāʾid" },{ "id" : "040-003390233", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 233r-233v: Number table" },{ "id" : "040-003390234", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 234r -234v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390235", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 235r-235v: Ritual Practice" },{ "id" : "040-003390236", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 236r-236v: Ritual Practice" },{ "id" : "040-003390237", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 237r-237v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390238", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 238r: List of angels" },{ "id" : "040-003390239", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 238v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390240", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 239r: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390241", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 239v: Several lines of text in an African ʿajamī language" },{ "id" : "040-003390242", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 240r-240v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390243", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 241r-241v: Supplication" },{ "id" : "040-003390244", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 242r-242v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390245", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 243r-243v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390246", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 244r-244v: Amulet" },{ "id" : "040-003390247", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 245r-245v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390248", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, ff 246r-247v: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390249", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 248r: Fāʾidah" },{ "id" : "040-003390250", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 248v: A letter from ʿAbd Allāh Ibn Maḥmūd, Imam of Gmbāg (غمباغ) to Muʿallim Bāba Ibn al-Imām Gmbāg. He pays his respects to…" },{ "id" : "040-003390251", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 249r-249v: Amulet" },{ "id" : "040-003390252", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 250r-250v: Scrap of writing, content unclear" },{ "id" : "040-003390253", "parent" : "032-003390178", "text" : "Or 6559, f 251r-251v: Recto: list of Caliphs, followed by an appeal to read al-Kimyāʾ (reference unclear). Verso: supplication, again making…" }]

Hierarchy Record Ids:

032-003390178

Is part of:

not applicable

Contains:

Click here to View / search full list of parts of Or 6559

Hierarchy:

032-003390178

Container:

View / search within Archive / Collection: Or 6559

Record Type (Level):

Fonds

Extent:

251 ff

Digitised Content:

http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100145250723.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)

Thumbnail:

Languages:

Arabic

Scripts:

Arabic

Start Date:

1800

End Date:

1874

Date Range:

Mid 19th century

Era:

Access:

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User Conditions:

Physical Characteristics:

Material: white or brown paper of various sorts. Most often with closely spaced chain lines and watermark lines every 3cm, sometimes bearing a tre lune watermark.

Dimensions: usually 160mm × 100mm but highly variable.

Foliation: British Museum foliation in pencil.

Script: various Central Sudanic hands, some use of vocalisation and catchwords.

Ink: brown/black and red.

Ruling: no margin, lines per page varies.

Binding: British Library binding, 1904. Originally loose-leaf

Condition: Mostly complete works

Marginalia: rare, Arabic

Custodial History:

Usage Statement: The West African manuscripts published in digitised format by the British Library are to the best of our knowledge not in copyright under the law of their countries of origin. While it is not possible to be certain about the origin of all the manuscripts, our research suggests that they come from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal and/or The Gambia.

The British Library recognises broader interests in the cultural heritage which the West African manuscripts represent. They are often of a religious nature, and the Library has taken considerable care not to distort or alter the underlying material. We ask users also to show appropriate respect in reusing the digital images of the West African manuscripts, which should not be altered or reused in ways that might be derogatory or offensive to those communities for whom they are of special cultural importance.

Source of Acquisition:

Presented by a Captain Noel on November 14 1903.

Arrangement:

bound

Administrative Context:

Place of origin: West Africa

Material Type:

Archives and Manuscripts

Legal Status:

Not Public Record(s)