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Lot Essay
This bifolio comes from an important Seljuk Qur'an manuscript produced in Iran or Iraq in the 11th century. It is copied in a script commonly known as 'eastern' kufic which Déroche chooses to call the 'New Style' (Déroche, 1992, p.132). This style is not homogeneous and our folios appear to belong to NS.I, a sub-style exemplified by a manuscript in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Ms.arab.342b (Paris, 2001, cat.17, p.39).
A number of manuscripts were executed in this style, including numerous striking manuscripts of which folios are in the Nasser D. Khalili collection (Déroche, 1992, cat.83-84, pp.154-165), in the Topkapi Saray Library, Istanbul (Lings, 1976, pl.18), and formerly in the collection of Sadruddin Aga Khan (Lings and Safadi, 1976, cat.37). In her discussion of these manuscripts, Blair notes that they are 'multiple codices that measure 25 x 20cm. or less [but that] each page appears larger, for it has [a small number] of lines' (Blair, 2008, p.197). The earliest of these multi-codices Qur'ans, which foreshadow the manuscripts made for the Ilkhanids at the beginning of the 14th century, is dated AH 466/1073-74 AD. 16 volumes of that are in the Shrine at Mashhad (Blair, 2008, fig.6.2, n.8, p.197 and p.229).
Only a very small number of folios from this Qur'an are known. Three other folios, comprising Qur'an LXVI, vv.11-12, Qur'an LXVII (heading), Qur'an LXVIII, vv.48-52, Qur'an LXIX, vv.1-3 and Qur'an LXXVI, vv.1-5, were published by Bernard Quaritch Ltd (Jeddah, 1991, cat.7), two of which are now in the David Collection, Copenhagen (Inv.no.51/2000 & 52/2000; Folsach, 2001, p.56, no.4). Three other folios were sold at Sotheby's, London, 12 October 2000, lot 7 (Qur'an LXVI, vv.11-12), lot 8 (Qur'an LXXVI, vv.1-5) and lot 9 (Qur'an LXVIII, v.48 to Qur'an LXIX, v.3). Two other leaves are in the Beit al-Qur'an, Bahrain (Qur'an LXX, vv.4-17; Manama, 1996, p.77) and another is in a Private Collection, London (unpublished).
A number of manuscripts were executed in this style, including numerous striking manuscripts of which folios are in the Nasser D. Khalili collection (Déroche, 1992, cat.83-84, pp.154-165), in the Topkapi Saray Library, Istanbul (Lings, 1976, pl.18), and formerly in the collection of Sadruddin Aga Khan (Lings and Safadi, 1976, cat.37). In her discussion of these manuscripts, Blair notes that they are 'multiple codices that measure 25 x 20cm. or less [but that] each page appears larger, for it has [a small number] of lines' (Blair, 2008, p.197). The earliest of these multi-codices Qur'ans, which foreshadow the manuscripts made for the Ilkhanids at the beginning of the 14th century, is dated AH 466/1073-74 AD. 16 volumes of that are in the Shrine at Mashhad (Blair, 2008, fig.6.2, n.8, p.197 and p.229).
Only a very small number of folios from this Qur'an are known. Three other folios, comprising Qur'an LXVI, vv.11-12, Qur'an LXVII (heading), Qur'an LXVIII, vv.48-52, Qur'an LXIX, vv.1-3 and Qur'an LXXVI, vv.1-5, were published by Bernard Quaritch Ltd (Jeddah, 1991, cat.7), two of which are now in the David Collection, Copenhagen (Inv.no.51/2000 & 52/2000; Folsach, 2001, p.56, no.4). Three other folios were sold at Sotheby's, London, 12 October 2000, lot 7 (Qur'an LXVI, vv.11-12), lot 8 (Qur'an LXXVI, vv.1-5) and lot 9 (Qur'an LXVIII, v.48 to Qur'an LXIX, v.3). Two other leaves are in the Beit al-Qur'an, Bahrain (Qur'an LXX, vv.4-17; Manama, 1996, p.77) and another is in a Private Collection, London (unpublished).