[Andalusi Studies] Banners of the Champions Manuscript location or facsimile?

[Guy Lesser]

I realize that this time of year most of you are probably cruising the Mediterranean on mahogany sailboats, but I am hopeful that— while certainly a long shot— perhaps someone on the list might be able to help with an urgent question. 

I work with Jenny Holzer, a contemporary “conceptual" artist I am hoping may be known-- even liked— by some of you. The very short version of the story is her studio has a couple of large public permanent installation projects currently in motion that will in part feature Andalusian poetry in English translation, Arabic (or Hebrew) or both.  Among the most significant primary sources (via Emilio García Gómez, Bellamy/Steiner, Middleton/Garza-Falcón, Arberry et al) is Ibn Sa’id al-Maghribī’s Banners of the Champions (which I believe is in Arabic, a language, regrettably, in which I am wholly illiterate: رايـات الـمـبـرزيـن و غـايـات الـمـمـيـزيـن ).

Insofar as I have ascertained, all those above, starting with García Gómez, maintain that the Sa’id anthology exists in a single manuscript-- privately owned in Cairo in the 1920s. But none provides any clue about where the manuscript, or even a facsimile of it, might be found now. Nor for that matter whether any other primary manuscript source has been discovered since García Gómez’s fateful Egypt visit of 90-odd years ago. 

Jenny is currently writing a proposal and one potential idea on the table is to make use of original manuscript pages rendered on an epic scale in stone— though how far this particular idea will actually progress is uncertain. 

In any event, leads of any kind would be very much appreciated. Many thanks. 

Guy Lesser
Jenny Holzer Studio
Brooklyn, NY    
   
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