Folio from a Qur’an, Sura 5:52-54

citation

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur’an; recto: Sura al-Ma’ida (the Table Spread) 5: part of verse 52, 53, recto begins with “ya’tia bi’l fathi”; verso: sura 5:53 and part of 54, verso begins with “bi Allahi”; Arabic in black “eastern kufic (New Style)” script; illuminated inscribed verse markers; vocalized in red, tashdid and sukun in blue, letters for recitation in brown; one column; 4 lines of text.
Border: The text area is filled with palmette scrolls and set within an illuminated frame that terminates at the top and bottom in a semi-medallion.

Historical period(s): 11th-12th century

Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper

Dimensions: H x W: 32.3 x 21.4 cm (12 11/16 x 8 7/16 in)

Geography: Afghanistan

Credit Line: Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

Accession Number: F1939.56

On View Location: Currently not on view

Classification(s): Manuscript

Type: Detached manuscript folio

Keywords: Afghanistan, eastern kufic script, Iran, Islam, Qur'an, sura 5, WWII-era provenance

Provenance: Provenance information is currently unavailable

Previous Owner(s): Heeramaneck Galleries

Description: Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; recto: Sura al-Ma'ida (the Table Spread) 5: part of verse 52, 53, recto begins with "ya'tia bi'l fathi"; verso: sura 5:53 and part of 54, verso begins with "bi Allahi"; Arabic in black "eastern kufic (New Style)" script; illuminated inscribed verse markers; vocalized in red, tashdid and sukun in blue, letters for recitation in brown; one column; 4 lines of text.
Border: The text area is filled with palmette scrolls and set within an illuminated frame that terminates at the top and bottom in a semi-medallion.

Label: By the eleventh century, a number of distinct kufic scripts had developed. In Iran, the letters became more refined, characterized by elongated vertical strokes with left-facing flourishes. In this folio, from a now-dispersed copy of the Qur'an, the vegetal scroll design, usually reserved for discrete areas of illumination, serves as a backdrop to the elegantly proportioned words. This is the only known Qur'an decorated in this unusual and elaborate manner.

Published References

Dr. Esin Atil. Exhibition of 2500 Years of Persian Art. Exh. cat. Washington, 1971. cat. 3, pp. 1-2.
Richard Ettinghausen Ernst Kuhnel. A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present. 6 vols., London and New York, 1938 - 1939. pp. 1951-1952, pls. 931B, 932A.