A large illuminated Qur'an, with a double-page frontispiece, copied by Abdallah bin Abdul-Mutalib
Mamluk, probably Egypt or Syria, 14th Century
Mamluk, probably Egypt or Syria, 14th Century
Arabic manuscript on paper, 277 leaves, 13 lines to the page written in elegant naskhi script in black ink with diacritics and vowel points in black and readers' instructions in red, gold rosettes decorated with blue and red dots between verses, lacking catchwords, sura headings written in thuluth script in gold with diacritics and vowel points in gold, text division markers written in gold in outer margins, one double-page frontispiece with central panels decorated with geometric designs filled with floral and vegetal motifs and serrated leaves in blue, white and gold, cartouches above and below panels incorporating the traditional verses from the Qur'an, trimmed, creased, some staining and crude repairs, modern brown morocco
362 x 245 mm.
362 x 245 mm.
Estimate:
£30,000 - 50,000
€35,000 - 58,000
US$ 45,000 - 75,000
€35,000 - 58,000
US$ 45,000 - 75,000
Footnotes
- On stylistic grounds this manuscript belongs to a group of Qur'ans identified by David James as the 'star polygon group' produced during the reign of Sultan Sha'ban (reg. 1363-1376). The illuminated frontispiece is usually 'a geometric composition with a central star polygon [...] surrounded by elaborate palmettes'. See David James, Qur'ans of the Mamluks, London 1988, p. 178, and Martin Lings, The Qur'anic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, London 1976, p. 39.
Category: Islamic and Oriental Art / Islamic and Indian Art
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