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An extremely fine illuminated Ottoman Qur'an, copied by Mustafa Dede, Turkey, first half 16th century
Estimate
150,000 - 200,000 GBP
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Description
Arabic manuscript on paper, 362 leaves plus 3 flyleaves, 14 lines to the page written in fine naskh script in black ink, verses separated by segmented florets pointed in red and blue, margins ruled in blue and gold, catchwords, surah headings written in white thuluth script against gold-ground cartouches filled with scrolling vines, within panels of polychrome flowers, finely executed finispiece of split palmettes, corner pieces and polychrome arabesque-filled cartouches, marginal medallions throughout, opening double page frontispiece decorated with panels of rigorous fine interlace in colours and gold, text within cloud bands against a hatched ground, doublures with a gilt trellis pattern, circa 18th-century binding with gilt-stamped corner pieces, borders and cartouches, with flap
Condition
In good overall condition, small paper repair to opening and closing leaves, some minor water stains to edges of opening pages, otherwise pages clean with bright illumination, bold calligraphy, binding repaired.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Son of Shaykh Hamdullah (d.1520), the father of Ottoman calligraphy, the celebrated calligrapher Mustafa Dede was born in Amasya in 1495. At first he studied the 'six scripts' under his father, and then later under his relation 'Abdullah Amasi. Mustafa Dede spent most of his life in Istanbul, although he travelled to Mecca for the Hajj, as well as to Cairo to study the works of his father.
Mustafa Dede died at the height of his career in 1538, and is buried alongside his father in the Karacaahmet cemetery, although the exact location is unknown. Manuscripts by the hand of Mustafa Dede are extremely rare. One copy is preserved in the Suleymaniye Library (Pertevpasa 1); another in the Topkapi Palace Museum Library (YY 604); one in private hands, whilst two further copies are in the Istanbul Rare Books Library, (A.6625 & A.6566).
The fine illumination of the Qur'an to hand is contemporary with the calligraphy of Mustafa Dede, and is typical of the first half of the sixteenth century, demonstrating a rigorous tight weave of stylised split-palmettes, repeated in the surah headings and marginal devices. The abovementioned Qur'an in the Istanbul Rare Books Library, published in M. Ugur Derman, Ninety-Nine Qur'an Manuscripts from Istanbul, Istanbul, 2010, pp.40-47, bears a number of similarities to the present manuscript, including this stark yet delicate treatment of the blue and gold illuminated frontispiece, embellished with polychrome flowers. The illuminated back endpaper (illustrated in ibid, p.45, f.471r) is closely comparable to the same panel in the present Qur'an (f.362a, illustrated opposite). When examined against the light, the outline of an opening shamsaincorresponding style can be seen on folio 1a, now obscured by subsequent restoration. The illumination can be closely compared with that of a Qur'an by Mustafa Dede's father, Shaykh Hamdullah, sold in these rooms, 26 April 1990, lot 156.
Mustafa Dede died at the height of his career in 1538, and is buried alongside his father in the Karacaahmet cemetery, although the exact location is unknown. Manuscripts by the hand of Mustafa Dede are extremely rare. One copy is preserved in the Suleymaniye Library (Pertevpasa 1); another in the Topkapi Palace Museum Library (YY 604); one in private hands, whilst two further copies are in the Istanbul Rare Books Library, (A.6625 & A.6566).
The fine illumination of the Qur'an to hand is contemporary with the calligraphy of Mustafa Dede, and is typical of the first half of the sixteenth century, demonstrating a rigorous tight weave of stylised split-palmettes, repeated in the surah headings and marginal devices. The abovementioned Qur'an in the Istanbul Rare Books Library, published in M. Ugur Derman, Ninety-Nine Qur'an Manuscripts from Istanbul, Istanbul, 2010, pp.40-47, bears a number of similarities to the present manuscript, including this stark yet delicate treatment of the blue and gold illuminated frontispiece, embellished with polychrome flowers. The illuminated back endpaper (illustrated in ibid, p.45, f.471r) is closely comparable to the same panel in the present Qur'an (f.362a, illustrated opposite). When examined against the light, the outline of an opening shamsaincorresponding style can be seen on folio 1a, now obscured by subsequent restoration. The illumination can be closely compared with that of a Qur'an by Mustafa Dede's father, Shaykh Hamdullah, sold in these rooms, 26 April 1990, lot 156.
For more information see S. Rado, Turk Hattatlari, Istanbul, 1983, p.65. An album of calligraphy by Mustafa Dede is in the Istanbul University Library, nr 6508, two leaves of which are published in M. Serin, Hat Sanati ve Meshur Hattatlar, Istanbul, 2008, p.100 and M.U. Derman, Turk Hat Sanatinin Saheserleri, Ankara, 1990, no.4.