An Illuminated Qur'an, copied by Dust Muhammad Ibn Suleyman al-Harawi, Persia, Safavid, dated 944 AH/1538 AD

Arabic manuscript on paper, 360 leaves plus 3 flyleaves, 12 lines to the page, written in neat Naskh script in black ink, verses separated by small gold roundels, fifth verses marked by a marginal medallion containing the Arabic word 'Khamsa' amid polychrome floral motifs, tenth verses marked by a corresponding marginal medallion containing the word 'Ashr', surah headings in white Thuluth script against a gold ground cartouche, opening double-page illuminated frontispiece composed of a rigorous interlace of split-palmettes and scrolling vines, headings in white Thuluth script, later binding with velvet boards 

In generally good overall condition, pages have been trimmed, thumbed at lower corners, otherwise pages clean, illumination bright and ink bold, as viewed.
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The scribe Dust Muhammad is recorded as a scribe of the court of Shah Tahmasp for whom he copied a Qur'an in 968 AH/1560-61 AD, which is now kept in the Shrine of Ma'suma in Qom. He is also mentioned as the person who compiled the Bahram Mirza Album in 951 AH/1544-5 AD and wrote its preface (Now in the Topkapi Palace Museum (TSM H 2154).

He wrote in all styles and his recorded work includes two copies of the Qur'an and calligraphic pages in naskh, thuluth and riqa' and a copy of the Qur'an, Persian texts and calligraphic pages in nasta'liq, all dated between 938 AH/1531-2 AD and 972 AH/1565-6 AD. See Mehdi Bayani, ahval va asar-e khosh-nevisan, vols.I, Tehran, 1345 sh., pp.188-92; IV, Tehran, 1358 sh., p.58; Ahmad 1959, A Treatise by Qadi Ahmad, son of Mir-Munshi (circa 1015 AH/1606 AD).