Miniature Qur'an with Lacquered Binding and Carrying Case

Unknown

19th century · Ink, gold, silver, and opaque watercolor on parchment and paper · Islamic Art

Due to their size, Qur'ans such as this likely served as portable talismans that could be carried around easily, for example around the owner's neck, in a pocket or on armbands (bazuband). The inscriptions on the lacquer case bear passages from the Holy Book. An unusual feature of this manuscript is that the support for the first two pages is parchment while the support for the rest is paper. It also contains the entire text of the Qur'an. Despite its tiny size, the text is highly legible which adds significantly to its protective powers.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th century

Medium

Ink, gold, silver, and opaque watercolor on parchment and paper

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, 2019