Single-volume Qur’an

Location: Shiraz, Iran

Materials: ink, gold and opaque watercolour on paper; contemporary binding of stamped and gilt leather; doublures of stamped and gilt leather and leather filigree

Dimensions: 294 folios; 37 x 25cm

Accession Number: QUR 441

Other Notes:

The illumination of the opening text spread (folios 3b–4a) is among the finest Shiraz work of the early Safavid period. The text is written in gold in pale blue lobed medallions on a ground of fine spiral scrolls, set on a deep blue field with rich cloud scrolls and gold cornerpieces. The central panels have double cartouche borders, edged with blue marginal darts.

The Qur’anic text is followed by a prayer (folios 291b–292a), and the manuscript terminates with a flanamah (folios 292b–294a).

Script:

main text copied in muhaqqaq script, incidentals in thulth;15 lines to the page

Bibliography:

D. James, After Timur. Qur’ans of the 15th and 16th Centuries, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume III, London 1992, cat.41, pp.164–70.
J.M. Rogers, The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection, London 2010, cat.251, p.215.