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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy
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Qur'anic verses
AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: unknown
CREATED/PUBLISHED
9th century
NOTES
Dimensions of Written Surface: a Recto: 7.5 (w) x 4 (h) cm
Dimensions of Written Surface: a Verso, b Recto and Verso: 8 (w) x 4 (h) cm
Script: Kufi
These fragments include verses from the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel) or al-Isra' (The Night Journey).
Surat Bani Isra'il describes a number of different events, including the Prophet Muhammad's night journey (isra') to Jerusalem and his ascension (mi'raj) through the skies. The verses (73-84) on the two fragments in the Library of Congress describe the value of prayer and the Qur'an.
We sent down in the Qur'an / that which is a healing and a mercy / to those who believe. / To the unjust it causes / Nothing but loss after loss. (17:82)
Everyone acts according to his own disposition. / But your Lord knows best / Who is best guided on the way. (17:84)
These Qur'anic fragments are written in Kufi script (D.Va) on parchment. The recto of the first fragment has been executed on the hair side of the parchment, so the ink has not worn off substantially. The main text in the center of the folio is in black ink at 5 lines per page. Vocalization is marked by red and gold dots. Gold dots appear rather infrequently in Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (see Déroche 1992: 70, cat. no. 22). On the recto and verso other diacritical marks are executed in black ink and most likely date from a later period. On the 4th line of the recto of the first fragment appears an ayah marker separating verse 73 from verse 74: it consists of a gold rosette. On the verso at the end of the 1st line appears an ayah marker separating verse 74 from verse 75, it is in the shape of a gold rosette. On the last line appears another ayah marker separating verse 75 from verse 76. Because it separates a fifth verse, it is shaped differently, here as the gold Arabic letter ha' (h).
The lower left corner of the parchment was lost on the first fragment but repaired probably at the same time as the folio was mounted on an elaborate frame made of brown paper, decorated with gold vine scrolls and Qur'anic inscriptions executed in imitation of the original Kufi script as found in the central panel. On the left vertical, an illuminated headpiece (sarloh) with stippled gold designs decorates the folio as if it were the incipit page to a Persian poetical work. It is very unusual to find this kind of combination, although salvaging and remounting calligraphic fragments into albums occurs regularly during the Timurid and Safavid periods (see David Roxburgh, "The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection" [New Haven and London: Yale University Press], 2005).
SUBJECT
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
Arabic calligraphy
Arabic script calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic manuscripts
Kufi
MEDIUM
18.3 (w) x 12.2 (h) cm
CALL NUMBER
1-85-154.76a-b
REPOSITORY
Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C. 20540
DIGITAL ID
ascs 122
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.122
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