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Lot Essay
This folio comes from a Qur’an section which has been convincingly attributed to Anatolia or Central Asia, circa 1335 AD (David James, Qur’ans of the Mamluks, New York, 1988, nos.58-60, pp.173-4). The section published by James is devoid of the decorative kufic borders found here but shares the same layout with Persian interlinear translation.
The illuminated borders are not contemporary with the text and likely added in the early-modern period, perhaps in Central Asia. Bifolios from this Qur’an were sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 15 and as part of the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, sold Sotheby’s, 6 April 2011, lot 27. Other known folios from the Qur’an are found in private collections and museums including the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, the British Museum, London (1993,1009,0.1), the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. (S1997.102), the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, the Morgan Library and Museum, New York (MS M.846.4a), the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (EA2012.69) and the RISD Museum, Rhode Island (84.038).
The illuminated borders are not contemporary with the text and likely added in the early-modern period, perhaps in Central Asia. Bifolios from this Qur’an were sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 15 and as part of the collection of Stuart Cary Welch, sold Sotheby’s, 6 April 2011, lot 27. Other known folios from the Qur’an are found in private collections and museums including the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, the British Museum, London (1993,1009,0.1), the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. (S1997.102), the Rietberg Museum, Zurich, the Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London, the Morgan Library and Museum, New York (MS M.846.4a), the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (EA2012.69) and the RISD Museum, Rhode Island (84.038).