Publication defines a modern book or other publication that contains commentaries and reproductions of paintings, illuminations, bindings or other relevant objects. Publications are listed both by lead author and by title.

Publication page and illustration number define the location of a reproduction within a modern publication. The database uses Roman numerals for preference. Note that some publications contain more than one reproduction with the same illustration number.

Picture Description (consistent) contains a brief description of the scene in a painting. To assist searches, the same description is used consistently for all pictures depicting the same scene.

Picture Description (alternative) offers alternative descriptions of scenes, reflecting the different descriptions that appear in different publications.

Additional Info may contain an attribution to an artist, the name of a sponsor, or other miscellaneous information.

Collection defines the museum, library or other collection that contains the item. Collections are listed showing first the city where they are located, and then by the full name of the collection.

Accession or Reference Number is the name or string of digits and numbers that is used by a museum, library or other collection to specify a particular object. Accession Numbers are formatted as they appear on Collection websites.

MS Folio or page defines the folio or page of a manuscript or album that contains a particular painting. NB some folios (especially from albums) may contain more than one picture.

Type defines whether the reproduction shows a painting from a manuscript, a painting from a dispersed book, a painting from an album, an illumination, a single sheet painting, a binding, or another type of object.

Total mins gives the total number of miniatures contained within a manuscript.

Dates define the period during which the original work was completed. All dates in the database are CE. Note that scholarly publications may differ in the dates they ascribe, so these entries may not be fully consistent.

Era defines the dynasty under which the original work was completed. Usually, the relevant era is fully defined if the place and date of production are known.

Place defines the region or city in which the original work was completed. Note that scholarly publications may differ in the places of origin that they ascribe, so these entries may not be fully consistent.

Original Author defines the Islamic writer whose work is contained within a given manuscript. In most cases this is offered in three forms; (1) a "simple", Anglicised IJMES transliteration using only English characters, and using apostrophes to denote the letters ayn and hamza which have no English equivalents;(2) a fully-accented Library of Congress transliteration; and (3) in Arabic script. NB in some cases, manuscripts contain the works of multiple authors; in such cases only one is recorded in this database.

Original Title defines the title of the written work(s) within a given manuscript. In most cases this too is offered in three forms.

Original Title (English) defines the title of the written work(s), translated into English.

Manuscript Name defines the popular name given to certain especially famous works, such as the Shah Tahmasp Khamsa or the Blue Qur’an.

Collection Website Many collections have their own website, which may offer a Gallery of online images, or a more powerful search facility to find images of specific items.

Subject Website Some websites support online images relating to a specific subject, such as the Cambridge Shahnama website with its comprehensive Shahnama images.

Special Website Some objects have their own dedicated sites or webpages, which usually provide additional detail and information.

DB Record Number This identifies a specific line of data within the database. It may be used for example to pinpoint a specific record, or to locate data that needs updating.

Page or binding description gives the type of illumination or decoration used on the shown page or binding, or notes if the page contains only calligraphy. Corresponds to "Picture Description, consistent" on Main Search.

Script names the calligraphic script or scripts used on the shown page, separated by commas; script of headings is indicated by a + sign. NB this entry may differ from the script used elsewhere in the manuscript, especially if the shown page is a decorated heading. Corresponds to "Picture Description, alternative" on Main Search.

Calligrapher/Medium names the scribe where possible; also used to note an unusual medium such as coloured paper or gold script. Corresponds to “Additional info” in Main Search.

Manuscript type describes how much of the Qur’an is found in the particular item. This may be a complete text, or a Juz, or a limited portion or fragment. Corresponds to "Title of Work, transliteration" in Main Search.

Sura states Sura (chapter) number of the text on the shown page. The search results will also give the Aya (verse) numbers where possible. Available only in Qur’an Pages Search.

Lines per page defines the number of lines of script on the main text pages of the manuscript. Note that this may differ from the number of lines on the shown page, especially if the shown page is a decorated heading. Where the number of lines varies from page to page, an average figure is given. Available only in Qur’an Pages Search.

Page height, width cite the dimensions of the page (including margins) in cm. Note that some authorities prefer to give rounded, rather than precise, page sizes; so these entries may not be wholly consistent. Available only in Qur’an Pages Search.