An illuminated Qur'an leaf in Kufic script on vellum, North Africa or Near East, 10th century

The large size and powerful script of this Qur’an leaf exemplifies the beauty of Abbasid Qur’an production in the ninth century. It is perhaps possible to define this style (equating to Déroche's group 'D' styles) as the mature 'Abbasid Kufic', with the script displaying the 'sober beauty' that Déroche mentions in the catalogue of the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (Déroche 1992, no.21). This type of script was used on manuscripts bearing waqf inscriptions dating from 847 to 911 AD (Dércohe 1992, pp.36-37), although it may have come into usage slightly earlier in the 9th century.

The visual impact of the script is emphasised by a generous use of horizontal stretching (mashq) and relatively wide and even spacing of the letters along the lines on the page. The confidence execution of the calligraphy underscores the power and significance of the text, resulting in a manuscript of subtle but stately elegance. The graphic intentions of the calligrapher are highlighted by the absence of letter-pointing. The use of letter-pointing (i'jam) was well-established by the 9^th century, but here the calligrapher has intentionally omitted the markings in order to enhance the graphic purity of the script. Two further leaves from this manuscript are in the Musée des arts de Kairouan (Paris 1982, p. 245, no. 328).