Folio from a Qur’an, sura 91:14-15; sura 92:1-5

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur’an; recto: Sura al-Shams (the Sun) 91:14,15, recto begins with “fa’aqaru”; verso: Sura al-Layl (the Night) 92:1-5, verso begins with “bismillah”; Arabic in black “eastern kufic (New Style)” script; illuminated roundel verse markers with letters indicating types of recitation; marginal medallions, illuminated palmette marginal medallion containing the word “khamsa” (five) indicating the end of a fifth verse; illuminated square-shaped marginal medallion containing the word “makkiyya”; illuminated rectangular title heading, vocalized in red, diacritics in gold, tashdid and sukun in blue; one column; 5 lines of text.

Historical period(s)
Abbasid period, 11th century
Medium
Ink, color and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 22.8 x 18.2 cm (9 x 7 3/16 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1929.70
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Abbasid period (750 - 1258), eastern kufic script, Iran, Islam, Qur'an, sura 91, sura 92
Provenance

To 1929
Kirkor Minassian, New York to 1929 [1]

From 1929
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Kirkor Minassian, New York in 1929 [2]

Notes:

[1] Object file, undated folder sheet note.

[2] See note 1. Also see Freer Gallery of Art Purchase List file, Collections Management Office.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Kirkor Minassian 1874-1944

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; recto: Sura al-Shams (the Sun) 91:14,15, recto begins with "fa'aqaru"; verso: Sura al-Layl (the Night) 92:1-5, verso begins with "bismillah"; Arabic in black "eastern kufic (New Style)" script; illuminated roundel verse markers with letters indicating types of recitation; marginal medallions, illuminated palmette marginal medallion containing the word "khamsa" (five) indicating the end of a fifth verse; illuminated square-shaped marginal medallion containing the word "makkiyya"; illuminated rectangular title heading, vocalized in red, diacritics in gold, tashdid and sukun in blue; one column; 5 lines of text.

Published References
  • Amy Briggs. Timurid Carpets: II. Arabesque and Flower Carpets. vols. 11-12 Ann Arbor, 1946. p. 149, fig. 6.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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