Resources
List of online resources
Basic reference tools
Storey online: Author index; Title index
Encyclopedia iranica online
Islamic Manuscripts. This site is dedicated to the world of the Islamic manuscript and moderated by Jan Just Witkam, Emeritus-Professor of Paleography and Codicology of the Islamic world in Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. It includes a Reference Library with over 2000 links do digital copies of articles, catalogues, sale catalogues and other essential reference works
Islamic Manuscript Studies. University of Michigan guide to resources for the study of manuscripts of the Islamic world.
Manuscript catalogues
Union catalogues
Fihrist. UK union catalogue of manuscripts in Arabic script
Qalamos: for oriental manuscript collections in Germany. It also presents collections from Indonesia, Yemen, Mauritania and Austria
British Library manuscript catalogues
BL Explore archive and manuscripts (currently unavailable)
Rieu, C. Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the British Museum. volume 1; volume 2; volume 3. London, 1879-83; reprinted 1966
Rieu, C. Supplement to the Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the British Museum. London, 1895; reprinted 1977
Ross, E. Denison, and Browne, E.G. Catalogue of two collections of Persian and Arabic manuscripts preserved in the India Office Library. (London, 1902)
Ethé, H. Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts in the Library of the India Office. 2v. (Oxford, 1903-37)
Storey, C.A. Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts vol III: Qurʼānic Literature: 76 unpublished descriptions. See also guidance on how to use the catalogue
Index to Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts Volume III: Qurʼānic Literature
Arberry, A.J., ‘Hand-list of Islamic manuscripts acquired by the India Office Library, 1936-8‘, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1939, part 3 (July), pp. [353]-396
Arberry, A.J., ‘Notes on Islamic manuscripts recently acquired by the India Office Library‘, Islamic Culture, 13 (1939), pp 440-58. You need to sign in to read or download this
Sims-Williams, U., Handlist of Islamic manuscripts acquired by the India Office Library 1938-85 (London 1986)
Other Catalogues
India
Ivanow, Vladimir. Concise Descriptive Catalogue Of The Persian Manuscripts In The Collection Of The Asiatic Society Of Bengal. Calcutta: Asiatic Society of Bengal, 1924
KhudaBakhsh Oriental Library Catalogues. Follow the link on the left to Manuscript Catalogues
Sprenger, Aloys, A catalogue of the Arabic, Persian and Hindu’sta’ny manuscripts, of the libraries of the King of Oudh. Calcutta 1854
Stewart, C. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Oriental Library of the Late Tippoo Sultan of Mysore. Cambridge: The University Press, 1809 Digital collections
Digital collections
Qalamos: (Germany). 1868 Persian items
British Library’s Digitised Manuscripts (UK). (currently offline). 89 items
Qatar Digital Library (UK). Selected scientific manuscripts from the British Library
Digital Bodleian Persian manuscripts (UK). 78 items
Cambridge University Digital Collections (UK). 88 Arabic and Persian manuscripts
Manchester Digital Collections (UK). 157 digitised Persian mss
Manuscripts of the Muslim World (USA). 648 mss from Columbia University, the Free Library of Philadelphia, and the University of Pennsylvania with contributions from Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, and other Philadelphia area libraries.
The Islamic Manuscripts of the Walters Art Museum Baltimore (USA)
Endangered Archives Programme (worldwide). Hosted at the British Library but including collections worldwide
Asnad (worldwide). An Image Database of Persian Historical Documents from Iran, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
Sales Catalogues
Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Auction houses and catalogues: Historic catalogues. A Guide to finding auction sale catalogues, both on paper and online
Mattingly, Harold, 1884-1964; Pollard, Alfred W. (Alfred William), 1859-1944, List of catalogues of English book sales, 1676-1900, now in the British museum. London : British Museum, 1915
A catalogue of the curious and very valuable library of books, and classical and oriental manuscripts, of the Rev. John Haddon Hindley, A. M., of the University of Oxford… London: Leigh and Sotheby, March 4, 1793
A catalogue of a very valuable collection of Persian, and a few Arabic, Mss selected…by Archibald Swinton. London: Christie, June 6 1810
A Catalogue and detailed account of the very valuable and curious collection of manuscripts…collected at great expense by the late Dr Samuel Guise. London: Leigh and Sotheby, 1812
A catalogue of books in every department of oriental literature: including the philology, religion, history, &c. of Eastern nations, the Holy Scriptures … with critical introductions, analyses, and commentaries … together with a collection of Oriental manuscripts on sale by Howell and Stewart, successors to Ogle, Duncan, and Co. London: Howell and Stewart, 1826
New and important Oriental works in the press, for Howell and Stewart…Supplement to Oriental Catalogue London: Howell and Stewart, 1827
Catalogue des livres, imprimes et manuscrits, composant la bibliotheque de feu M. J.-P. Abel-Rémusat… 27 mai 1833 et jours suivans… Paris: Maison Silvestre, 1833
Catalogue of the extraordinary collection of splendid manuscripts: chiefly upon vellum, in various languages of Europe and the East formed by M. Guglielmo Libri. London: Leigh Sotheby & Wilkinson, 1859
Catalogue of Oriental Literature, Manuscripts, Printed Books, Translations, Works of Eastern Travels. London: B. Quaritch, 1865
Forbes, Duncan. Catalogue of Oriental manuscripts, chiefly Persian, collected by …Duncan Forbes. London: W.H. Allen, 1866
Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts, Indian and Persian Miniatures from the celebrated collection formed by Sir Thomas Phillipps Bt. (1792-1872). The Property of the Trustees of the Robinson Trust. Bibliotheca Phillippica. Medieval and Oriental Manuscripts. New Series. Ninth Part. Sotheby’s, 27th November 1974
Catalogue of Important Oriental Manuscripts and Miniatures. The Property of the Hagop Kevorkian Fund. Sotheby Parke Bernet & Co. London: Sotheby’s, 3rd April 1978.
