IRAN, 12TH CENTURY

Details

A SECTION FROM AN 'ABBASID QUR'AN
IRAN, 12TH CENTURY
Arabic manuscript on paper, 127ff. as numbered, each folio with 23ll. of brown eastern kufic script, with yellow comma-shaped verse markers, reading marks in red and green, some diacritics in black, sura headings in large yellow kufic script, some trimmed polychrome marginal medallions, opening folio a 19th century replacement, one folio from Qur'an II with Qajar illumination, extensive marginal repairs throughout, some folios misplaced, in loose quires, without binding, first folio with Iranian export stamp dated AH 1305 (?), later librarian note in pen numbered '309'
Text area 8 ¾ x 4 7/8in. (22.5 x 12.5cm.); folio 11 7/8 x 7 7/8in. (30.2 x 20cm.)

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Lot Essay

A folio in the Nasser D. Khalili collection is written in a script that closely relates to the present fragmentary Qur’an. It is dated to the 12th century and is part of the script type identified as NS.1 by François Déroche (François Déroche, The Abbasid Tradition, Oxford, 1992, cat. 98, pp.181-183). In his discussion of the folio, Déroche indicates that this ‘script […] is an excellent example of NS.1 and exemplifies the style’s quality of clarity. This type of script was in use throughout the 12th century and survived into the early 13th century’.

For a short discussion on the 'eastern kufic' script and Qur'ans of this style, see also lot 258 in this sale

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