A large Qur'an leaf in Kufic script on vellum, North...
text: Qur'an, surah al-Baqarah (II), middle of verse 197 to end of verse 198
Arabic manuscript on vellum, 7 lines to the page written in Kufic in dark brown ink, diacritics in red and yellow, verses separated by triangular clusters of 6 gold dots
27.1 by 36.8cm.
Condition Report:
In good condition overall. Minor creases and light buckling to the vellum. Leaf clean overall with very minor discolouration to the margins, as shown in the illustration. Verso with fading to the ink, typical of Kufic Qur'an leaves due to the hair side of the vellum. Small holes within the text corresponding with natural corrosion of the ink. Very minor scuffs and losses to the edges of the leaf. As viewed.
Catalogue Note:
The large size and powerful script of this Qur’an leaf exemplifies the beauty of Abbasid Qur’an production in the ninth century. It is perhaps possible to define this style (equating to Déroche's group 'D' styles) as the mature 'Abbasid Kufic', with the script displaying the 'sober beauty' that Déroche mentions in the catalogue of the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (Déroche 1992, no.21). The visual impact of the script is emphasised by a generous use of horizontal stretching (mashq) and relatively wide and even spacing of the letters along the lines on the page. The confidence execution of the calligraphy underscores the power and significance of the text, resulting in a manuscript of subtle but stately elegance.
Further leaves from this manuscript were sold in these rooms, 6 October 2010, lot 5; 1 April, 2009, lot 1; 9 April 2008, lot 17, and 18 April 2007, lot 4. Other related leaves and manuscripts are as follows: Qairawan, Musée des Arts Islamiques (Carthage, no.328); Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London (Déroche 1992, no.21); a bifolium exhibited in Berlin 2006 in the exhibition Ink and Gold (Fraser and Kwiatowski, no.7).
Provenance:
Sotheby's, London, 24 October 2007, lot 8
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text: Qur'an, surah al-Baqarah (II), middle of verse 197 to end of verse 198
Arabic manuscript on vellum, 7 lines to the page written in Kufic in dark brown ink, diacritics in red and yellow, verses separated by triangular clusters of 6 gold dots
27.1 by 36.8cm.
Condition Report:
In good condition overall. Minor creases and light buckling to the vellum. Leaf clean overall with very minor discolouration to the margins, as shown in the illustration. Verso with fading to the ink, typical of Kufic Qur'an leaves due to the hair side of the vellum. Small holes within the text corresponding with natural corrosion of the ink. Very minor scuffs and losses to the edges of the leaf. As viewed.
Catalogue Note:
The large size and powerful script of this Qur’an leaf exemplifies the beauty of Abbasid Qur’an production in the ninth century. It is perhaps possible to define this style (equating to Déroche's group 'D' styles) as the mature 'Abbasid Kufic', with the script displaying the 'sober beauty' that Déroche mentions in the catalogue of the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (Déroche 1992, no.21). The visual impact of the script is emphasised by a generous use of horizontal stretching (mashq) and relatively wide and even spacing of the letters along the lines on the page. The confidence execution of the calligraphy underscores the power and significance of the text, resulting in a manuscript of subtle but stately elegance.
Further leaves from this manuscript were sold in these rooms, 6 October 2010, lot 5; 1 April, 2009, lot 1; 9 April 2008, lot 17, and 18 April 2007, lot 4. Other related leaves and manuscripts are as follows: Qairawan, Musée des Arts Islamiques (Carthage, no.328); Nasser D. Khalili Collection, London (Déroche 1992, no.21); a bifolium exhibited in Berlin 2006 in the exhibition Ink and Gold (Fraser and Kwiatowski, no.7).
Provenance:
Sotheby's, London, 24 October 2007, lot 8
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Time, Location
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