Folio from a Qur’an, Sura 48, verse 15

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur’an; recto: Sura al-Fath (the Victory) 48: part of verse 15; verso: sura 48: 15 and part of 16; Arabic in black kufic script; vowels in red and yellow; marginal pear-shaped medallion; one column; 7lines of text; one of a group of 13 folios.

Historical period(s)
Abbasid period, 8th-9th century
Medium
Detached folio; ink and color on parchment
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 23.7 x 33.3 cm (9 5/16 x 13 1/8 in)
Geography
North Africa or Near East
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1930.61
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Manuscript folio

Keywords
Abbasid period (750 - 1258), Islam, 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 al-Fath (the Victory) 48: part of verse 15; verso: sura 48: 15 and part of 16; Arabic in black kufic script; vowels in red and yellow; marginal pear-shaped medallion; one column; 7lines of text; one of a group of 13 folios.

Label

This folio exemplifies the power and elegance of the kufic script, which was adapted to a variety of media, such as parchment, silk, rock crystal, and marble during the first centuries of Islam. The text of this folio is from sura (chapter) 48 of the Qur'an, known as al-Fatiha (The Victory), which celebrates the oath that the Prophet Muhammad and his followers took to uphold Islam.

Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.