Descrizione

216x127 mm. IV, 58 pp. Contemporary half leather gilt (worn, joints slightly weakened). Ex-libris “Bib. Maj. Heythrop” with the stamp “withdrawn”. Some foxing, a good copy.
First edition of this grammar of Middle Persian, also known as Zend or Avestan. Ignacy Pietraszewski, a Polish orientalist, was a professor of Turkish at St. Petersburg State University from 1842 to 1844. He then moved to Berlin, where he was awarded a PhD from Humboldt University. In 1847, he was appointed lecturer in Eastern languages, primarily Turkish. Another of Pietraszewski's interests was the study of Zoroaster's sacred writings. In 1860, he accompanied the Prussian diplomatic mission to Persia as an interpreter. During this journey, the Persian Shah, Naser ad-Din (1848–1896), offered him a position at his court, which he declined. Upon returning to Berlin in 1861, Pietraszewski published several works on the Avesta: the body of religious literature of Zoroastrianism written in the Avestan language and alphabet. These works included the present grammar and a German translation of Zoroaster's books.