A LARGE QUR'AN LEAF IN KUFIC SCRIPT ON PARCHMENT, NEAR EAST OR NORTH AFRICA, 9TH CENTURY

Text: Sura Sad (xxxviii), vv.23-24
Arabic manuscript folio, ink colours and gold; seven lines per page written in bold Kufic script in dark brown ink on parchment, vocalization of red, green and yellow dots, single verse divisions marked with triangular clusters of six gold dots, some offsetting

Formerly in the collection of Rudolf Riefstahl (1880-1936), the distinguished art historian and author of several books on Islamic Art including The Parish-Watson Collection of Mohammadan Potteries, New York, 1922. He was professor at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University in the 1920s and 30s.

This is a fine, bold and classic example of mature Kufic script – well-spaced and with a very evenly balanced spread of the letters and words on the page. The graphic intentions of the calligrapher are highlighted by the absence of letter-pointing. The use of letter-pointing (i'jam) was well-established by the 9^th century, but here the calligrapher has intentionally omitted the markings in order to enhance the graphic purity of the script. The stretching of the words across the page (mashq) is emphatic, with one word on the fifth line of the recto (dhalamak) stretching the whole length of the line – a distance of over 24cm. The script equates to category D scripts as defined by Francois Déroche, having features of D.I, D.II and D.III (see Déroche 1992, pp. 44-45). This type of script was used on manuscripts bearing waqf inscriptions dating from 847 to 911 AD (Dércohe 1992, pp.36-37), although it may have come into usage slightly earlier in the 9th century.

Twelve folios from this Qur'an manuscript are in the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, all acquired in 1930; two folios are in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, formerly in the Nasli M. Heermaneck Collection, New York, (see Pal 1973, no.132, p.84) . Other folios have been sold in these rooms 15 April 1985, lots 39 and 15 October 1998, lot 3; and at Christie's, London, 25 April 1997, lot 17.