An illuminated Qur’an juz' (XXV), Near East or Yemen, Mamluk, 14th century

surah fussilat (XLI) verse 47 to end of surah al-jathiyah (XLV)
Arabic manuscript on paper, 32 leaves plus 2 later folios, 6 lines to the page, written in fine naskh script in black ink, verses separated by three pointed gold dots, surah headings written in gold thuluth outlined in black, opening gold and polychrome frontispiece, in brown morocco binding stamped with flap

In good condition, the margins are overall clean with only minor annotation, minor losses to the borders, and tears, minor stains and smudges to the ink, the last two folios are a copy of probably the colophon of the Qur'an, the opening folio with smudges and minor losses to the illumination, later notes on the last folio, the binding with minor losses, stains and restorations but maintaining its original flap, 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 juz and that of the following lot originate from an interesting Qur'an in thirty parts whose attribution has been debated between Yemen and the Near East. At the end of the juz’, there is a photocopy of the original colophon at the end of the final volume of the Qur'an. The colophon states that it was copied by Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Karim ibn Radwan ibn ‘abd al-Ghaziz al-Mosuli on Tuesday 29 Ramadan 727 AH/8 August 1327 AD. The scribe is recorded as being born in Balbek in 1300 AD, educated in Damascus and Trablus, and is known for having studied jurisprudence. He died in 1372 AD.

The binding, which consists of a four fleur-de-lys emanating from a central quatrefoil, is closely comparable to a binding now in the Chester Beatty Library and attributed to Saudia Arabia, fourtheenth/fifteenth century (Bosch, Carswell and Petherbridge 1981, p.98-99, cat.10).

Another juz’ (XXI) from this very same Qur’an was sold at Christie’s London, 27 April 2017, lot 28, whilst juz' XIX was offered in Sotheby's Paris, 23 October 2014, lot 3. The first page of the latter manuscript gives the name Badr al-Din Hasan Muhammad ibn [?], who may well have commissioned the Qur'an.