A monumental Ilkhanid-style Qur'an, Central Asia, possibly Uzbekistan, 15th century,...

A monumental Ilkhanid-style Qur'an, Central Asia, possibly Uzbekistan, 15th century, with added inscription and date of 1147AH/ 1734AD, 324ff., Arabic manuscript on paper,12ll. of black muhaqqaq per page, gold rosette verse markers containing split palmettes and floral decoration in the Ilkhanid style, headings in bold red muhaqqaq within cloudbands on ground of red diagonals contained within rectangular panels with polychrome decoration, opening folio with large gold and polychrome shamsa, the final folio bears an religious inscription dated AH 1147/1734 AD, some folios restored, brown leather binding with flap, the flap with tooled crescent shape containing split-palmettes, folio 45 x 27.6cm. Although the inscription to the end of this manuscript points to a later date which is more characteristic of Central Asian qur'ans, the style of the script, the marginal illumination which features gold roundels containing delicate pink and white flowers and gold split-palmettes as well as the tooled crescent-shaped impression found on the leather binding indicate that this monumental Qur'an is closer in date to an Ilkhanid model which must have been the inspiration for the elaborate decoration.