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[QUR’AN]
Western Iran or Ottoman Turkey.
Publisher: Signed by 'Abd al-Nahif al-Raji Circa 1600
Stock code: 59460
Price: £27,500 Currency Conversion
Safavid and Ottoman manuscript illumination was highly eclectic in the sixteenth and seventeenth century, reflecting the interactions of artists from all over the Islamic world. The illumination in this Qur'an shows the strong influence of Eastern Iranian traditions, an attested feature of a group of Ottoman manuscripts dating from c. 1520-50 (see in particular J. M. Rogers & R. M. Ward, Suleyman the Magnificent, London, 1988, cat. no. 19, p. 73). This influence is particularly visible in the lavish frontispiece of the present Qur'an, where the illuminated panels with black borders on both sides of the text and the large blue and gold hasps projecting into the margins from the centre of the smooth border are reminiscent of Herati and Bukharan work of the sixteenth century. The style of illumination, decoration and calligraphy in this manuscript demonstrates the frequent movement of artists between artistic centres in northern Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Certain features, however, particularly the lotus-shaped flowers in the gold cartouches of the frontispiece, and the colour palette of red, pale green, mauve and black throughout the illumination, are associated with Ottoman manuscripts of the period; the style of the naskh and thulth calligraphy also point to an Ottoman origin for this manuscript, although the interlinear translation indicates a significant Persian influence, where interlinear translations appeared more frequently in Qur'ans than in the more conservative Ottoman Empire. Perhaps the most striking feature is the illuminated gold ground, which is highlighted by the fine naskh script set in rows of wide cloud bands. The lavish use of gold would suggest that this Qur'an was once commissioned by a high-ranking member of society. The recto side of the first half of the double page illuminated frontispiece indicates the Qur'an should be read over the whole week, listing all seven days, starting with Friday (yawm al-juma') and ending with Thursday (yawm al-khamis). The recto side of the penultimate page is signed by an apparently unrecorded scribe, 'Abd al-Nahif al-Raji, while on the verso side, a later date of AH 1[1]15/ 1703 AD is located at the end of a note on the benefits of reading the Qur'an.
Arabic and Persian manuscript (36.8 x 24 cm) on thin cream paper with 10 alternating lines of fine naskh and nasta'liq script in black ink per page, illuminated double page frontispiece in blue, black, gold and other colours, surah headings in red muhaqqaq script, verse endings in gold illuminated rosettes, gilt stamped binding. Housed in a brown flat back cloth solander box.
