A Qur'an in Eastern Kufic Script, Persia, 12th century

Arabic manuscript on paper, 242 leaves, missing surah al-fatiha, surah 2, vv.1-6 and surah 47 v.13 until end of Qur'an, 19 lines to the page, written in eastern Kufic script in black ink, vocalisation and diacritics in black and red, verses separated by clusters of four dots, fifth verses marked with yellow pear-shaped devices pointed in green and red, tenth verse marked with medallions filled with yellow trefoils, rosettes and other designs, surah headings in yellow ornamental kufic script, leaves 149v-154r with gold replacing the yellow in the illumination, leaves 151v-152r decorated with a repeating knotted rope motif in colours and gold, midpoint of the Qur'an indicated by an illuminated panel, modern blue velvet covers

In reasonably good overall condition, missing the first folio (surah al-fatiha), and also surah 2, vv.1-6 and surah 47 v.13 until end of Qur'an, staining and repairs to first folio an end, otherwise ink and illuminations good, modern blue velvet covers, as viewed.
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This large Qur'an written in 'Eastern Kufic' script belongs to a small group of Qur'ans written on vellum or paper which originate from the twelfth century. By the beginning of the eleventh century, Qur'ans were being written in a more legible form of Kufic script than the earlier more stylised versions (see lots 165-176 for examples of Abbasid period Kufic script). At the time of this Qur'an's production, paper had all but replaced vellum as the standard material for Qur'ans, and the vertical format had also superseded the typical horizontal format for execution of the text.

The script of the present Qur'an can be compared to a later copy in the Mashad Library dated 620 AH/1223 AD and attributed to Persia (see M. Lings, The Qur'anic Art of Calligraphy and Illumination, World of Islam Festival, London, 1976, pp.27-47, no.21, XIV). A further comparable manuscript is a single-volume Qur'an in the Nasser D. Khalili Collection (see Déroche 1992, pp.180-1, no.96). A similar Qur'ans to the present example was sold in these rooms 18 October 2001, lot 22.