Lot 83
83
A MINIATURE QUR'AN
A MINIATURE QUR'AN

SIGNED 'ABDUL (?) AHMAD AL-ISFAHANI, QAJAR IRAN, DATED THE LAST DAY OF JUMADA II AH 1241⁄8 FEBRUARY 1826 AD

Details
A MINIATURE QUR'AN
SIGNED 'ABDUL (?) AHMAD AL-ISFAHANI, QAJAR IRAN, DATED THE LAST DAY OF JUMADA II AH 1241⁄8 FEBRUARY 1826 AD
Arabic manuscript on paper, 246ff. plus seven flyleaves, each folio with 20ll. small black naskh, sura headings in red reserved on a gold ground within gold and polychrome illuminated panels, gold and polychrome rosette verse markers, within gold and black rules, the margins with gold and polychrome illuminated medallions marking divisions and commentary in small black shikasteh in clouds reserved against gold, catchwords, opening bifolio with 7ll. black naskh in clouds reserved against gold, headings in red reserved against gold, gold and polychrome illuminated headpieces and margins, colophon signed and dated, dedicated to Haji Mirza 'Ali Asghar, floral lacquered binding with similar doublures, red morocco slip case
Text panel 2 ½ x 1 3/8in. (6.2 x 3.5cm.); folio 2 7⁄8 x 1 ¾in. (7.2 x 4.5cm.)
Provenance
French art market per accompanying catalogue label
Private UK collection, 1980s

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Lot Essay

Bayani notes two manuscripts by an Abdul Husayn Ahmad Isfahani. These include a copy of Hafez’s Diwan in the Royal Library of Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar in AH 1277 and a copy of a collection of selected poems dated AH 1273 in the library of Seyyed Mahmud Farrukh Khorasani (Mehdi Bayani, Ahval va Athar-i Khushnavisan, reprint in 4 vols, Tehran, 1363 (1984), p. 37). If the same scribe, this would suggest that our miniature Qur’an is from very early in his career. Another miniature Qur'an with similar opening illumination was sold in these Rooms, 25 April 2024, lot 68.

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