A PINK QUR'AN BIFOLIUM
A PINK QUR'AN BIFOLIUM

ANDALUSIA, 13TH CENTURY

Details
A PINK QUR'AN BIFOLIUM
ANDALUSIA, 13TH CENTURY
Qur'an XX, sura taha, v.134 (parts) to Qur'an XXI sura al-anbiya', v. 3, Arabic manuscript on pink paper, each folio with 5ll. of bold sepia maghribi, gold diacritics outlined with black, shadda and sukun in blue, hamza marked with a yellow dot, gold illuminated roundel verse markers with scrolling vine border, with one large gold and polychrome illuminated roundel with pearl border, sura heading with gold kufic set inside gilt strapwork cartouche with attached gilt marginal medallion, the top margin with pounced library mark, strong relfective gilt decoration
Folio 13¼ x 10½in. (33.8 x 26.7cm.)

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Andrew Butler-Wheelhouse
Andrew Butler-Wheelhouse

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Lot Essay

The attribution of these striking pink folios to Spain is based on the use of paper. In North Africa, parchment remained the preferred material for the writing of Qur'ans into the 19th century. Spain, however, had been manufacturing and using high quality paper for manuscripts of all kinds for some time.

The manuscript is notable for the use of pink paper, and for the free manner in which the script is used, with the terminals of the letters sweeping over the page, in contrast to the very precise way in which the vocalisation and illumination is handled. Other leaves and sections from this Qur'an are in various public and private collections. For example, Falk, T.(ed.): Treasures of Islam, Geneva, London, 1985, p.39.

For a list of other pink Qur'an leaves which have sold at auction see the following lot.

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