Folio from a Qur’an, sura 111:1-5; sura112:1-4, right-hand half of a double-page finispiece

Detached folio from a Qur’an; right-hand half of a double-page finispiece; facing folio (S1986.86.2); recto: Sura al-masad (the palm fiber), sura 111:1-5, one column, 8 lines of text; verso: Sura al-ikhlas (the sincerity), sura 112:1-4, one column, 6 lines of text; Arabic in white thuluth and muhaqqaq script; vocalized in black and white with red letters for reading and recitation; one of a group of two folios.

Historical period(s)
Safavid period, ca. 1550-1575
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 32.2 x 20.7 cm (12 11/16 x 8 1/8 in)
Geography
Iran, probably Shiraz
Credit Line
Purchase — Smithsonian Unrestricted Trust Funds, Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program, and Dr. Arthur M. Sackler
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1986.86.1
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
Henri Vever collection, Iran, Islam, Qur'an, Safavid period (1501 - 1722), sura 111, sura 112
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Description

Detached folio from a Qur'an; right-hand half of a double-page finispiece; facing folio (S1986.86.2); recto: Sura al-masad (the palm fiber), sura 111:1-5, one column, 8 lines of text; verso: Sura al-ikhlas (the sincerity), sura 112:1-4, one column, 6 lines of text; Arabic in white thuluth and muhaqqaq script; vocalized in black and white with red letters for reading and recitation; one of a group of two folios.

Label

The Qur'an-the unadulterated word of God for Muslims-is the most revered text in the Islamic world, and no effort was spared in its embellishment. Qur'ans made in sixteenth-century Iran frequently begin and end with a double-folio of intricate designs rendered with paints made from gold and lapis lazuli, the semi-precious stone. This double-folio is inscribed with the last two chapters of the Qur'an, entitled al-Falaq (Dawn) and al-Nas (Mankind), and would have appeared at the end of the manuscript.

Published References
  • Glenn D. Lowry, Milo Cleveland Beach, Elisabeth West FitzHugh, Susan Nemanzee, Janet Snyder. An Annotated and Illustrated Checklist of the Vever Collection. Washington and Seattle. cat. 11, p. 21.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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