A large Qur'an leaf in Kufic script on vellum, North Africa or Near East, 9th/10th century

Sotheby's, London, 24 October 2007, lot 8

The large size and powerful script of this Qur’an leaf exemplifies the beauty of Abbasid Qur’an production in the ninth century. It is perhaps possible to define this style (equating to Déroche's group 'D' styles) as the mature 'Abbasid Kufic', with the script displaying the 'sober beauty' that Déroche mentions in the catalogue of the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (Déroche 1992, no.21). The visual impact of the script is emphasised by a generous use of horizontal stretching (mashq) and relatively wide and even spacing of the letters along the lines on the page. The confidence execution of the calligraphy underscores the power and significance of the text, resulting in a manuscript of subtle but stately elegance.

Further leaves from this manuscript were sold in these rooms, 6 October 2010, lot 5; 1 April, 2009, lot 1; 9 April 2008, lot 17, and 18 April 2007, lot 4. Other related leaves and manuscripts are as follows: Qairawan, Musée des Arts Islamiques (Carthage, no.328); Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London (Déroche 1992, no.21); a bifolium exhibited in Berlin 2006 in the exhibition Ink and Gold (Fraser and Kwiatowski, no.7).