Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs & Carpets
Arts of the Islamic World & India including Fine Rugs & Carpets
A QUR’AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT ON VELLUM, NORTH AFRICA OR NEAR EAST, 9TH CENTURY AD
Auction Closed
June 10, 06:00 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A QUR’AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT ON VELLUM, NORTH AFRICA OR NEAR EAST, 9TH CENTURY AD
text: surah al-Talaq (LXV), end of v.11 to surah heading of surah al-Tahrim (LXVI) Arabic manuscript on vellum, 7 lines to the page written in elongated Kufic in dark brown ink, diacritics in the form of red dots, verses separated by small triangular clusters of six gold dots, polychrome and gold ‘ashr verse marker, surah heading in gold outlined in dark brown within a panel of illumination with a stylised palmette extending into the margin
leaf: 23 by 32.3cm.
This leaf must have been part of an impressive Qur’an, the elegant and fine Kufic as well as the fine surah heading are examples of the apogee of Arabic calligraphy in the ninth century. Comparable examples of the palmette extending from the surah heading can be found in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (inv.no.Arabe 325 and Arabe 351) and the Musée du Bardo, Tunis (inv.no.305). Two other leaves from the same Qur’an were sold in Sotheby’s London, 24 October 2007, lot 4 and Sotheby's Doha, 19 March 2009, lot 303.