A LARGE AND IMPORTANT QUR'AN BIFOLIUM IN MAGHRIBI SCRIPT ON PINK PAPER, NORTH AFRICA OR ANDALUSIA, LATE 12TH-13TH CENTURY

Text: Sura Yunus (x), vv.35-39
Arabic manuscript bifolium, ink, colours and gold on pink paper; five lines per page written in large, bold, Maghribi script, letter-pointing (i'jam) and vocalization in gold, tashdid and sukun in blue, hamzat al-wasl marked with brown dots, hamzat al-qat' marked with yellow dots, single verse divisions marked within the text with illuminated roundels containing abjad letters in blue, white and red, fifth verse division marked within the text with a large illuminated drop-shaped device containing the word khamsa in gold

Formerly in the collection of Maréchal Lyautey (1854-1934), Marshal of France.
Paris, Hotel Georges V, 30 October 1975, lot 488
Sotheby's, London, 14 April 1976, lot 247

In generally good condition, a few wormholes , calligraphy bold and gold bright , as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a fine example of Islamic manuscript production from the Muslim west, and the twenty-volume Qur'an from which this leaf originates is remarkable in many ways. It was written on paper, which in medieval Islamic Spain was unusual, vellum still being the preferred material for the writing of the Qur'an; the paper was dyed pink, a rare luxury aspect; the script is a fine example of large scale Maghribi (the marking of the hamzas indicating a probable Andalusian origin) and the spacious arrangement of the script on the page allowed for the clear marking of the diacritics and vocalisation in colours and gold and the elaborate illuminated devices between verses.

A particularly unusual aspect of the verse divisions is the use of abjad letters to mark the exact verse count of every verse. The illumination of the devices marking the verse divisions is of very high quality and the size of the devices allows the use of a relatively complex design.

Due to the fine quality of the manuscript it can be assumed that it was made for a high ranking official or member of a princely family from one of the major cities of Southern Spain. It has generally been attributed to 13th century Granada, although the script and illumination bear close resemblance to a manuscript of the Shihab al-Akbar, dated 568/ 1172-3, written at Valencia (New York 1992, no.77, p.307). The large, rounded script was in general use from the second half of the 12th century onwards. The pink paper may have come from the town of Jativa (Arabic Shatiba), 35 miles south-west of Valencia, which was famed throughout Europe and the Near East for its paper-making. Jativa shared the political and military history of its near neighbour Valencia, falling to the Christians in 1239-40.

A bifolium from the same manuscript is in the David Collection, Copenhagen (see von Folsach 2001, no.5, p.57). A section from the same Qur'an, containing 215 leaves (including the present bifolium), formerly in the collection of Maréchal Lyautey, was sold at the Hotel Georges V, Paris, 30 October 1975, lot 488, and subsequently in these rooms, 14 April 1976, lot 247. Two further leaves from that section were sold in these rooms, 23 April 1997, lots 42 and 43, while a bifolium and a single leaf were sold 15 October 1998, lots 10-11. Other leaves and sections from this twenty-volume Qur'an are in various public and private collections and are illustrated and discussed as follows:

Falk 1985, no.7, p.39
Geneva 1988, nos.8a-b, pp.66-9
New York,1992, no.81, p. 311
See also E.I.1, article 'Shatiba'