A leaf from the 'Five Surahs', copied by Abu Muhammad 'Abdul Qayyum ibn Muhammad ibn Karamshah-i Tabrizi, Persia or Mesopotamia, probably Baghdad, Jalayrid, circa 1370

text: Qur'an, surah al-an'am (VI), middle of verse 150 to middle of verse 151

Arabic manuscript on paper, 5 lines to the page, written in bold muhaqqaq script in black ink outlined in gold, verses separated by an illuminated roundel with a geometric knotted motif, text within red, gold and blue rules, an illuminated marginal medallion marking 'ashr

text panel: 36.2 by 25.8cm.

leaf: 43.5 by 34.4cm.

This large page comes from a manuscript known for its exquisite bold muhaqqaq script written in black ink outlined throughout in gold. A detached leaf on long term loan to the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington D.C. records the name of the scribe as Abu Muhammad Abd al-Qayyum ibn Muhammad ibn Karamshah al-Tabrizi. No other signed works of this scribe are known, but the quality and power of the muhaqqaq here indicates that he was a master calligrapher, and the large size and rich illumination point to a royal or court patron. It has been suggested that it was produced for the Jalayrid Sultan Uways (r. 1356-74) at Baghdad about 1370 (Soudavar 1992, p.50).