A large illuminated Qur'an on gold-coated paper, copied by Ja'far Muhammad Khan al-Husayni, India, Mughal, dated 1151 AH/1738-39 AD
Auction Closed
April 26, 01:36 PM GMT
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Arabic manuscript on gold-coated paper, 495 leaves, plus 3 fly-leaves, with 11 lines of strong black naskh, ruled in gold and black, verses separated by gold roundels with blue and red dots, further text divisions marked by gold and polychrome illuminated marginal medallions, surah headings in red thuluth on gold and polychrome illuminated panels, 6 surah headings marked by a gold and polychrome illuminated headpiece, f.1b and f.2a with a double-page illuminated frontispiece, final bifolio similarly illuminated, f.495b with colophon signed and dated, in gilt-stamped brown leather binding, brown leather doublures
text panel: 27.9 by 15cm.
leaf: 34.1 by 21cm.
The colophon to this manuscript is followed by an early owner's inscription, 'Abdulrahman ibn Mahdi Quli Khan, governor of Shahjahanabad, 1159 AH/1746-47 AD).
It is fitting that an extensively illuminated manuscript of this size was owned, and possibly commissioned for, a governor of the Mughal empire. Each folio is written on gold-coated paper, with surah headings marked by a polychrome array of illumination, some denoted by fully illuminated headpieces, creating a rich, colourful display, reminiscent of a Mughal Qur’an sold at Christie’s, London, 2 May 2019, lot 91, and another Qur'an on gold-coated paper sold in these rooms, 5 October 2010, lot 45.
The production of this manuscript occurred at a key moment in the history of Mughal India. The date given in the colophon of the text (May 1738-March 1739) indicates that it was written either just before or during the sack of Delhi by Nader Shah. After the assassination of Nader Shah in 1747, Karim Khan took control of the majority of Persia, giving particular focus to the revival of Indo-Persian trade with increasing movement of Iranians seeking employment and refuge in India (Bonakdarian 2004). The manuscript must have remained in India until at least 1746, marked by the ownership inscription of the governor, but later entered Persia where it became a possession of the Qajar Prince (shahzadeh) Haji Muhammad Husayn […] Hishmat al-Saltanah.
