Folio from a Qur’an: Sura 38, verses 87-88; sura 39, verse 1

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur’an; recto: Sura Sad ( Sad) 38: 87-88, illuminated chapter heading in white with a palmette, Sura al-Zumar (the Troops) 39: part of verse 1; verso: sura 39: 1-2; Arabic in black kufic script; gold orbs stacked as illuminated pyramid-shaped verse markers, an illuminated leaf-shaped medallion verse marker; vocalized in red; one column; 6 lines of text; one of a group of 13 folios.

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Historical period(s)
Abbasid period, 8th-9th century
Medium
Ink, color and gold on parchment
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 23.9 x 33.6 cm (9 7/16 x 13 1/4 in)
Geography
North Africa or Near East
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1930.60
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Abbasid period (750 - 1258), Islam, kufic script, Near East, North Africa, Qur'an
Provenance

To 1930
Elizabeth T. Riefstahl, to 1930 [1]

From 1930
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Elizabeth T. Riefstahl in 1930 [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)

Elizabeth T. Riefstahl

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; recto: Sura Sad ( Sad) 38: 87-88, illuminated chapter heading in white with a palmette, Sura al-Zumar (the Troops) 39: part of verse 1; verso: sura 39: 1-2; Arabic in black kufic script; gold orbs stacked as illuminated pyramid-shaped verse markers, an illuminated leaf-shaped medallion verse marker; vocalized in red; one column; 6 lines of text; one of a group of 13 folios.

Label

The earliest Qur'ans were copied in a rectangular script, generally known as kufic. Employed throughout the early Islamic world, this script is notable for its short verticals, elongated horizontals, and red vowel marks. Another characteristic of this calligraphic style is the pronounced spaces between words and letters that appear visually as significant as the words themselves.  The illuminated chapter heading, terminating in an elegant palmette in the margin, indicates a break in the text.

Published References
  • "アラブは、美しい." Arabs Are Beautiful. Japan, November 2020. page 104.
  • Benjamin Rowland, Laurence Sickman, H. G. Henderson, Robert Treat Paine, Richard Ettinghausen, Eric Schroeder. The University Prints. Oriental Art Series O 4 vols. Newton, Massachusetts, 1938-1941. Section 4: Iranian and Islamic Art, pl. 453.
  • Dennis Sporre. The Creative Impulse: An Introduction to the Arts., 7th ed. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. fig. 6.33.
  • Tilman Nagel. Der Koran: Einfuhrung, Texte, Erlauterungen
    . Munich. front cover.
  • Dr. Esin Atil. Art of the Arab World. Exh. cat. Washington, 1975. cat. 3, pp. 18-19.
  • Annette Hagedorn. Islamic Art. Germany. p. 29.
  • Hunt Janin. The Pursuit of Learning in the Islamic World, 610-2003. Jefferson, North Carolina. p. 35.
  • Richard Ettinghausen, O. Graber. The Art and Architecture of Islam, 650-1250. The Pelican History of Art Hammondsworth, United Kingdom and New York. p. 121, fig. 102.
  • Edmund Burke Feldman. Thinking About Art. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. p. 129.
  • Richard Ettinghausen. The Arts of Iran at the Time of Avicenna: Société iranienne pour la conservation des monuments nationaux. vol. 4, Tehran. pp. 132-138, fig. 4.
  • Donald S. Lopez Jr, Rebecca Bloom. Hyecho's Journey: The World of Buddhism. Chicago, December 2017. p. 203, fig. 23.
  • Islamic Art and Archaeology: Collected Papers. Berlin. pp. 892-913.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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