TIMURID IRAN, 15TH CENTURY

Details

MINIATURE QUR'AN
TIMURID IRAN, 15TH CENTURY
Arabic manuscript on paper, 179ff. plus three flyleaves, 24-28ll. of black ghubari, within gold and black rules, gold and red verse-markers, gold kufic outlined in black marking khams, 'ashr, sajda and juz', sura headings in gold thuluth outlined in black, opening bifolio with gold and polychrome illumination framing text with gold painted borders, the following bifolio with gold painted borders, some folios later replacements, in later Ottoman Turkish binding with stamped central lobed medallion and scrolling borders, brown leather doublures with gold stamped central lobed medallion
Text panel 1 ½ x 1in. (3.7 x 2.6cm.); folio 2 ¼ x 1 ¾in. (5.8 x 4.5cm.)

Special notice

No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.

Brought to you by

Louise Broadhurst

lbroadhurst@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2603

Lot Essay

Creating miniature Qur'ans of this size allowed a calligrapher to display their virtuosity. Due to the size of the script, such Qur'ans were not intended to be read, but to be carried as a talisman. The small size of this Qur'an would have made it easily portable for everyday protection or on longer journey's and pilgrimage.

More from Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets

View All