These illustrations in opaque watercolors and inks from the Persian (now Iran) book Marvels of Things Created and Miraculous Aspects of Things Existing (Ajā’ib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharā’ib al-mawjūdāt – كتاب عجائب المخلوقات وغرائب الموجودات) by Zakarīyā’ ibn Muḥammad al-Qazwīnī, originally published in 1283. Although these images are from a copy produced in Mughal India in the 17th century. Look out for the demons.
Six animal-headed demons or jinn, all (except the blue elephant-headed demons) snapping their fingers.
Qiwām al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Ḥasanī was a scholar who is known to have been working in the city of Qazwīn in Persia in the year 1694/1106. His demons are not all the terrifying, are they? Not in the realm of Hieronymus Bosch’s nightmarish visions of the hell to come for you 15th Century depraved fornicators and cheats. These syncopated animal-headed monsters looks like their keeping time, like a furry glee band of onesie enthusiasts.
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Eight constellations (from the top): Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius (a large figure drawing water from a well), Pisces, Cetus (a harpy with a peacock’s tail), Orion (a standing turbaned male with sword and shepherd’s staff), and the constellation Eridanus (the River).
Creatures from the Island of Zanj (jazirah-i Zanj), including gray and green winged humanoids.
Five mythical sea creatures, including a human-headed fish and a winged fish.
Above: a woman with long hair behind a large gray fish. Below: a monkey (labeled insan al-ma’, ‘aquatic being’) and a pink fish.
Fabulous beasts and demons: two horned demons playing musical instruments; a feline, horned quadruped with two heads; a brown demon with a cat’s head and tail, wearing wrist beads (noise-makers); and an elephant with rear claw feet. On a page labeled ‘people of the Seal of Solomon (muhr-i Sulayman)’.
A humanoid with hair standing on end.
A lynx or caracal (‘anaq) and an elephant-headed demon.
A cock and (above) a partridge (darraj).
A simurgh (‘anqa’, a mythical bird) and, above, a bird that appears to be a hoopoe but is labeled ‘aq’aq (magpie).
An ostrich (na‘amat) and a small black bird labeled hudhud (the hoopoe).
A dragon (thu‘ban).
Five fabulous creatures: a dark-skinned female wearing only a head-scarf and pearls; two winged figure, nude except for pearls; a bare-breasted, long-haired female with six legs and wrist beads (noise-makers); and, at the bottom, a human-headed snake.
Four mythical creatures: a humanoid with his head in his chest, a human-headed turtle, and two half-sectioned women.
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Also: A Brilliant Illustrated Book Of Demons And Spells From Early 20th Century Iran
Via: The National Library of Medicine
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