An illuminated talismanic scroll, Near East or Mesopotamia, Ayyubid or Abbasid, 13th century AD

This rare survival is among the earliest examples of a talismanic work on paper from the Middle East in medieval times.

The main body of the text is occupied by talismans and prayers, either general in content or specific, such as the conquering of a loved one, securing victory against an enemy, or recovering from an illness. Several of the haykals included in the scroll incorporate small illustrations associated with the talismanic prayers, including an archer’s bow and arrows, a scorpion and snake, and a sword. Comparable illustrations are found on a later scroll, dated 1401, in the Royal Library Copenhagen (inv. no.Cod. Arab. 53, see Nünlist 2020, p.514) and two fourteenth century scrolls in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait (inv. nos.LNS 12 MS and LNS 25 MS, Al Saleh 2014, figs.24-29 and 44-48). Nünlist suggests that the incorporation of these prayers indicate that the owners would carry them as a means of protection during warfare or on long journeys (Nünlist 2020, p.513). The rich use of gold in this example might suggest it was produced for a high ranking official for protection in battle.

The arrangement of the present scroll with text in cartouches of various forms and the illustrations relate to the above Mamluk examples in Copenhagen and Kuwait, however, the illumination would suggest that this scroll is a precursor to those examples. The geometric interlace and the combination of dark, cobalt blue, burnt orange-red and gold relate to the opening illumination of a Qur’an produced in Sinjar of Nisibin, 1198-1219 AD in the Khalili Collection (inv. no.QUR497, see James 1992, pp.44-49, no.7). Comparable illumination also adorns the frontispiece of a twelfth century miniature Qur’an recently sold in these rooms, 26 October 2022, lot 13 and a late twelfth/early thirteenth century frontispiece sold in these rooms, 20 April 2016, lot 1.

The contents of the scroll are as follows:

On the sides: the vertical cartouches written in gold with several surah's verses, including surah al-A'raf (VII), part of verse 56; surah al-Tawbah (IX), verses 128-9; the bismillah, and surah Ya'sin (XXXVI) verses 1-66. 

On the central panel: seven talismans (haykal) followed by prayers in different shaped cartouches. Further talismanic prayers, mostly for specific purposes and occasion: for the entrance into fortifications (li-dukhul al-husun); for acceptance and love (qabul wa mahabbah); for the annulment of magic (li-faskh al-sihr); for entering war; for the rising of the sun; for the rising of the moon; the palm of Maryam (kaff maryam); for a sword blow (li-darb al-sayf); for the throwing of arrows (li-rami al-nushshab); the snake and the scorpion (al-hayyah wa al-‘aqrab); against headache (li-waja‘ al-ras); against tongue-tie (li-‘aqd al-alsinah); for the 'nun of Victory' (li-nun al-nasr); a blessed incantation (‘azimah mubarakah); a prayer entitled 'his ancestry is illustrious' (nasluhu mashhur).

The small red and black text: Qur'anic quotations and surah al-Ikhlas (CXII).