Qur'an juz', | Christie's

Qur'an juz',

Details

Qur'an juz',
Arabic manuscript on paper, 5ll. of black sini, gold rosettes between verses, double red ruled margin, gold and polychrome illuminated opening and final bifolio, sura headings on gold panels, brown stamped leather binding and flap, (some staining and smudging, binding scuffed) - 26.5 x 19cm.; another similar, black cloth covered binding with shaped flap - 29.3 x 19.5cm., both China, circa 18th century; and Another, printed on paper, 5ll. black sini, headings in gold sini, opening folio with rectangular panel of illumination (hand-coloured), blue fore-edge markers marking sections, 'title' folio at end, China, with colophon on penultimate folio in gold with signature of Abdullah bin Mahni? al-Sini in Shiy-an and with the date Safar AH 1200/1785-6 AD - 22.5 x 16.7cm.
See illustration for one (3)

Lot Essay

Shiy-an, or Xi'an, is the capital city of Shaanxi province and has long had a Muslim community.
It appears that the date in the Qur'an is the actual date of printing and of the hand-added gold illumination but it may be a date copied in facsimile from the earlier handwritten Qur'an used as a model. In either case it is unusual to find any date or place recorded in these Chinese Qur'an juz'.

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