Dala’il al-Khayrat Prayer book

Unknown artist

dated A.H. Muharram 1233/AD November 1818

lacquer binding; opaque watercolour, ink, and gold on paper

Aga Khan Museum

An open book with ornate, colorful illustrations and gold leaf accents. The binding is also decorated with intricate patterns. Further Reading Both the text of the Dala’il and its artistic treatment exist in many variations. This example from the Aga Khan Museum Collection reveals the sophistication of Kashmiri Dala’il production. The manuscript is bound in a gold and brown lacquer binding with floral repertoire and cloud-band motifs, composed with central medallion and large spandrels in the corners. The inner covers have a blue background with red cartouches overlaid with delicate gold filigree. Ten richly illuminated double-pages decorate the beginning of individual sections. The codex comprises 213 folios and several blank pages at the begin