An illuminated Qur'an, copied by Muhammad Taqi ibn 'Abd al-Ghani Estahbanati, Persia, Qajar, dated 1290 AH/1873 AD

Arabic manuscript on polished paper, 227 leaves plus 2 flyleaves, 15 lines to the page, written in naskh script in black ink, verses separated by gold dots, surah headings in red thuluth within illuminated floral panels with accompanying marginal notes in vertical cartouches in nasta'liq script, catchwords, margins ruled in blue and gold, 3 double page illuminated frontispieces including prayer and index of surahs, decorated with interlacing floral scrolls and split palmettes in colours and gold, lacquer binding with central ovoid cartouche filled with flowering plants

In very good overall condition, minor damage to lacquer binding, occasional minor stains, a few pages coming slightly loose, illumination bright and ink bold, as viewed.
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Ahmad, for whom this Qur'an was written, was the only son of 'Abd al-Wahhab Asif al-Daula Shirazi. He received his father's title Nasir al-Daula in 1883-84, after his father was given the title Asif al-Daula. He worked in the Foreign Office, was appointed Chargé d'Affaires in Belgium (between 1904 and 1906-07), served as Deputy Foreign Minister (in 1915-16), and Minister of Culture (1918-26) when he died of a stroke in 1926 (see M. Bamdad, Dictionary of National Biography of Iran, 1700-1900, vol.1, Tehran, pp.78-9).