Section from a Qur'an Manuscript

Unknown

ca. 1320 · Main support: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Binding: Leather; tooled · Islamic Art

This section of a Qur‘an manuscript written on parchment contains verses 114-147 from Sura 4 (al-Nisa’, "of the women"). On the last page, the text is framed by a gilded border and is set inside cloud-bands against a background of scrolls. The style of the script is cursive muhaqqaq, canonized in the 13th century, that is of larger dimensions than naskhi and mainly employed for large Qur’ans. The brown leather binding, gold-tooled in Mamluk style, is a recent addition.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1320

Medium

Main support: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper Binding: Leather; tooled

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Gifts in memory of Newton Foster, and funds from various donors, 2006