Or 15872

This volume contains an illustrated manual of silkworm breeding and silk production, produced by the ‘Harir Daru’t-talimi Mektebi’ of Bursa (depicted on f 4r) in 1317 AH/1899 CE. The title on the spine reads ‘İpek böceği talimnamesi,’ while the opening folio (f 5v) carries the title ‘Harir Daru’t-talimi Mektebi tedrisatı.’

There is a full table of contents on ff 1v-3v. The work comprises 66 sections, but they are not numbered. The volume contains many illustrations, most with technical details. These consist of: The Harir Darü't-Talimi building (4r); silk moths, silkworms, and larvae (5v, 6r, 6v, 11r, 13r, 29r, 31v, 32r, 33r, 37v, 46r, 47r, 50v, 52r, 53v, 54v, 58r, 64r, 99r, 100r, 114v, 115v, and 116r); equipment (12v, 14r, 15v, 17v, 47r, 60v, 72r, 77r, 87v, and 133r); buildings or structures for housing the silkworms (19r, 20r, 23v, 24r, 25r, 26r, 27v, 75r, 80r, 80v, and 81v); a portrait of Louis Pasteur (88r); and more (28r, 33v, 35r, 42v, 94r, 94v, 116v, 117v, and 128v). The images, along with the line motifs dividing the sections of the text, are skilfully executed in pencil.

The appearance and pagination of the present manuscript suggest that it may have been intended for printing. Seven printed books on silkworms and sericulture are recorded in M. S. Özege, Eski harflerle basılmış Türkçe eserler kataloğu, some of which were reprinted. None, however, appears to be identifiable with this work.

Begins:

İpek böceğinin meziyatı (?) ve müteallikatını beyan eder. İpek böceği bir nev‘-i kurt ve tartıldır ki tut yaprağıyla beslenilir. Hayvanat cinsinin içinde müteaddit miktar tartıllar vardır.

Ends:

Bazen esna-yı muayenede […] üç cam üzerinde bulunan su ile bulaşır ve şu hâlde hurda beyninde bulanıklık beyda (sic, i.e. peyda) olur. Böyle bir hâl vukuunda [… …] bir bez ile silmeli. Hatime 18 Eylül sene 1315 yevm-i Cumartesi.

According to the colophon on 134v, this copy was completed on Monday 18 Eylül 1315 according to the Rumi calendar, which equates to 30 September 1899 CE.