A large Qur’an leaf in Kufic script on vellum, North Africa or Near East, late Umayyad or early Abbasid, circa 750 AD

The earliest Qur’an manuscripts copied in Hijazi script followed a vertical format, however, with a shift in script from Hijazi to Kufic, came a shift in layout from vertical to landscape. This unusual, early Qur’an leaf retains the vertical format indicating a transitional period between the earliest Qur’an manuscripts of the seventh century and those of the Abbasid period.

Certain letter forms used in this folio share similarities with Déroche's 'group B.Ib' in his categorisation of early Arabic scripts used for copying the Qur'an, such as the sharp angle of the ‘ayn in its initial form. That form of the script is considered an early derivative of the Hijazi script with similar style used in architectural inscriptions in the second half of the seventh century (Déroche 1992, pp.34-47). An early Qur’an leaf in the Khalili collection, attributed to the second half of the eighth century to the early ninth century displays a comparable script and is also in vertical format (inv. no.KFQ50, see also Bibliotheque Nationale de France, inv. no.MS.Arab.335 for further folios from the same manuscript). In addition, a large Qur’an section in vertical format in the Institute of Oriental Studies, St. Petersburg attributed to the last quarter of the eighth century displays a comparable script to this leaf (inv. no.E20, Déroche 1999, p.70), as well as a large Kufic leaf sold in these rooms, 26 October 2022, lot 10. The elegant and more extensive use of mashq and the perpendicular form of the vertical strokes, however, can be aligned with the ‘D.IV’ classification.

The restricted ornamentation is also typical of the earliest period of Abbasid Qur’ans. The verses are separated by diagonal rows of dashes which relate to similar verse markers used in the large leaf sold in these rooms mentioned above, as well as the Tashkent Qur’an. The surah heading is denoted by a blank space much like the St Petersburg Qur’an, although that example has been filled with later illumination. There is, however, the outline of a verse marker present on the last line of the recto, indicating that there was possibly an intention to include further illumination to denote ‘ashr.

The lack of illumination draws the reader’s eye to the masterful calligraphy. The scribe has employed a generous use of mashq which produces a particularly well-spaced and horizontal rhythm to the text despite the leaf containing 18-20 lines. This effect is heightened by the generous space left for the chapter separation. 

This important leaf would have formed part of a luxurious, large copy of the Qur’an. Its vertical format and elegant script demonstrate the clear influence of the earliest Hijazi Qur’an manuscripts in the formation of the early Abbasid scripts.

A further group of 34 folios from this manuscript are held in the collection of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris (inv.no. Arabe 336). One of the folios of that group includes an early endowment inscription to the Fustat Mosque dated 6 Safar 329 AH/10 November 940 AD. We are grateful to Dr. Eléonore Cellard for bringing these additional leaves to our attention. 

This lot is accompanied by a radiocarbon dating report supporting the proposed dating of the leaf.