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Lot Essay
Folios from this elegant Qur'an have been variously attributed to Damascus and more generally to the Eastern Islamic world. However, the presence of abjad markers which on some folios use the letter sad for the numerical value of 60 instead of the letter sin suggests that this manuscript was rather produced in the western Islamic world (Marcus Fraser and Will Kwiatkowski, Ink and Gold: Masterpieces of Islamic Calligraphy, London, 2006, p.44).
The elegant use of mashq or keshide with the extension of the horizontal letters to great aesthetic effect is beautifully executed on this folio. The frequent use of mashq indicates the luxurious nature of this manuscript where the letters of the text are free to occupy space regardless of the material cost in terms of gold and vellum. It is likely that a wealthy imperial patron was responsible for commissioning such a luxurious copy of the Qur'an. Being the wealthiest courts of the western Islamic lands at this period, the Fatimids or the Spanish Umayyads are the most likely patrons of this costly manuscript. Other luxurious Qur'an manuscripts such as the famous Blue Qur'an have been attributed at various points to Fatimid Qairouan and to other parts of the Western Islamic world (Fraser and Kwaitkowski , op.cit., Berlin, 2006, p.46). A bifolio from this Qur’an was sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2012, lot 55.
The elegant use of mashq or keshide with the extension of the horizontal letters to great aesthetic effect is beautifully executed on this folio. The frequent use of mashq indicates the luxurious nature of this manuscript where the letters of the text are free to occupy space regardless of the material cost in terms of gold and vellum. It is likely that a wealthy imperial patron was responsible for commissioning such a luxurious copy of the Qur'an. Being the wealthiest courts of the western Islamic lands at this period, the Fatimids or the Spanish Umayyads are the most likely patrons of this costly manuscript. Other luxurious Qur'an manuscripts such as the famous Blue Qur'an have been attributed at various points to Fatimid Qairouan and to other parts of the Western Islamic world (Fraser and Kwaitkowski , op.cit., Berlin, 2006, p.46). A bifolio from this Qur’an was sold in these Rooms, 26 April 2012, lot 55.