Qur'an Leaf in Kufic Script with Two Surah Headings on Vellum, North Africa or Near East, 9th-10th Century

text: surat al-lahab (cxi) v:5; surat al ikhlas (cxii) vv:1-4 and surat al-falaq (cxiii) v:1



5 lines of text per page, excluding sura headings, in elegant kufic script in brown ink on vellum, vocalisation of red and green dots, single verses marked by a pyramidal composition of 6 gold dots, fifth verse marked by a stylised gold 'ha', two illuminated sura headings with kufic script in gold in reserve against a foliate motif in alternating white and gold, decorated in red and green, framed within a knotted rope motif, the first with a palmette of leaves or buds against a spotted green ground, the second with open flowers intertwined in a lattice, the whole with interlinear Persian translation

In good condition, minor thumbing, flaking and rubbing associated with age, small passages of staining and creases, vellum reingforced at corner and edge, ink strong and bright, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This superb leaf exhibits a particularly beautiful kufic hand, with its elegant mashq visible in the extended ya of the word in the top right corner of the recto, and the elegant sweep of the upright letters that balance the exaggerated horizontals.

Most remarkable of course are the two surah headings. Kufic leaves without surah headings are comparatively more plentiful, and it is extremely rare to find a pair of headings on the same leaf. This provides us with a rare opportunity to undertake a stylistic assessment; shedding light on the illumination of the Abbasid period. 

The colour scheme of green and red reserved on gold recalls the illumination of earlier Coptic texts, which are likely to have influenced Muslim manuscript production in its formative years. Another feature that is Coptic in format is the combination of the rectangular field of the sura heading itself, with the marginal decoration in the form of a palmette; recalling the Coptic shoulder band with its terminal roundel (Upham Pope, A., 1939, p.1942).

These features may have been drawn from an earlier tradition, but they are conceptually distinctly Islamic. The foliate and the geometric motif intrinsic to the design of the surah heading are vehicles with which the Divine is made manifest. The geometric motif and its repetition is reminiscent of the Infinite; the floral and arboreal elements recall Qur'anic reference to the word of God as a good tree, with firm roots and branches in heaven; and perhaps even more obviously reference the description of heaven as a verdant garden. In choosing to highlight the Qur'an with these elements, the Qur'anic illuminators expound the word of God with a subtle yet profound visual vocabulary.