MAMLUK SYRIA, AH RAMADAN 710/22 JANUARY-20 FEBRUARY 1311 AD

Details

LARGE QUR'AN
Mamluk Syria, AH Ramadan 710/22 January-20 February 1311 AD
Manuscript on paper, 246ff. with 13ll. of black naskh, gold rosettes between verses, gold marginal medallion outlined with blue every fifth and tenth verse with number of verses written in gold kufic, title page written in white naskh with typical gold and blue illumination, opening bifolio with similar gold and blue illumination with titles of sura in white Eastern kufic and polychrome rosettes, later white naskh covering original black script, other sura headings in white thuluth on gold panels, final folio with name of scribe and illuminator Musa ibn 'Ali known as Ibn al-Bassis al-Dimasqi and dated Ramadan 710 within a similar gold panel, copious marginal notes in red, later catch words in black, water staining and rubbing, in contemporary brown morocco binding with flap with tooled geometric motifs, repaired at spine
Folio 13¼ x 9½in. (33.5 x 24cm.)

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Lot Essay

A Qur'an with identical illumination is in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, cat. no. 44. Here a date of circa 1340-50 was proposed and Damascus as the origin. The appearance of the present Qur'an copied by a calligrapher and illuminator who was cerainly from Damascus confirms the origin for the Qur'an in the Khalili collection. It was suggested that the idiosyncratic form of kufic and strapwork with coloured squares used on the opening bifolio were produced around 1340-60. This date may now be pushed back to the early part of the century based on the colophon of this Qur'an.
James, op.cit, pp. 180-183.

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