THE SHAKERINE COLLECTION: Calligraphy in Qur’ans and other Manuscripts
THE SHAKERINE COLLECTION: Calligraphy in Qur’ans and other Manuscripts
A LARGE ILLUMINATED QUR’AN, COPIED BY AHMED AL-ILHAMI, STUDENT OF ALI AL-HAMDI, STUDENT OF OSMAN WALI, KNOWN AS DAMAD AL-‘AFIF, TURKEY, OTTOMAN, DATED 1270 AH/1853-54 AD
Auction Closed
October 23, 11:03 AM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
A LARGE ILLUMINATED QUR’AN, COPIED BY AHMED AL-ILHAMI, STUDENT OF ALI AL-HAMDI, STUDENT OF OSMAN WALI, KNOWN AS DAMAD AL-‘AFIF, TURKEY, OTTOMAN, DATED 1270 AH/1853-54 AD
Arabic manuscript on paper, 303 leaves plus 4 fly-leaves, 13 lines to the page, written in naskh in black ink, ruled in gold and blue, verses separated by gold and polychrome rosettes, surah headings in blue riqa’ within polychrome cartouches, nisfs, sajdahs, juz and hizbs markers in red riqa’ in the margins, f.1b and f.2a with an illuminated finispiece, f.303a with the colophon written within a gold shamsa, in brown stamped and gilt leather binding, with flap
text panel: 31.5 by 19cm.
leaf: 43.8 by 29.2cm.
Christie's London, 19 October 1993, lot 59.
N. Safwat, A Collector’s Eye. Islamic calligraphy in Qur’ans and other manuscripts, London 2010, no.38, pp.162-7.
This magnificent Qur’an is impressive not only for its size, but also for its fine calligraphy and lavish illumination. The opening double-page is a fine example of the decorative repertoire of the Ottoman rococo style which combined elements of Ottoman traditional illumination with European baroque features. The surah headings are also decorated with fine bunches of flowers and the colophon with the name of the scribe and his masters is heightened by a gold halo.
The scribe Ahmed al-Ilhami lists in the colophon his teacher, Ali al-Hamdi, and the master of his teacher, Osman Wali, stating very clearly a lineage (silsila)and connection with both of them, who were masters of naskh and thuluth.
Ali al-Hamdi (d.1828 AD) was Egyptian and active in Istanbul during the early nineteenth century. He was himself a student of Osman Wali, a contemporary of the great master Mahmud Celaleddin (d.1829) and one of the masters of the pen. Osman Wali was quite eccentric and signed occasionally with the name ‘Osman ibn Osman ibn Osman’ (see lot 61 in the current sale). After his marriage with the daughter of the calligrapher Ibrahim 'Afif, he signed the colophon as ‘damad al-'Afif’ ('son-in-law of 'Afif'). The connection with the father-in-law is very important as he was his master and taught him naskh and thuluth.