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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy
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Qur'anic verses
AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: unknown
CREATED/PUBLISHED
ca. 1250-1350
NOTES
Dimensions of Written Surface: 9.2 (w) x 12 (h) cm
Script: Maghribi
This calligraphic fragment includes verses 60-63 and 142-144 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-An'am (The Cattle). The right side of the recto holds verses 61-63, which provide a continuation of verses 60-61 on the left side of the fragment's verso (AL-19 V left). The left side of the recto contains verses 142-143, which continue with verses 143-144 on the right side of the fragment's verso (AL-19 V right). Another fragment belonging to the same Qur'an manuscript and containing verses 67-69 of the 5th surah (Surat al-Ma'idah, The Table) also is held in the collections of the Library of Congress (AL-18 R & V).
Surat al-An'am is a Meccan surah containing 165 verses. It discusses the failures of Christianity and Judaism, as well as the nature and unity of God.
A number of Qur'ans similar to this fragment were produced on the Iberian peninsula ca. 1250-1500. They were made for the Nasrids ruling from Granada, Spain (1232-1492) and the Marinids, who reigned from their capital in Fez, Morrocco (1248-1340).
This Qur'an executed in large maghribi script most likely was produced under Marinid patronage ca. 1250-1350. Its script, text layout (7 lines/page), blue and green ink for diacritics, and verse markers are typical of this period (Lings 1976, pls. 97-98; and James 1992a: 218-219, cat. no. 55).
The oxidized copper contained in the green dots -- which are here used for demarcating the hamzat al-wasl (long initial "a") -- has now eaten through the paper. Blue ink is used for the duplication of a consonant (tashdid) and the silence marks (sukun). Verse markers, three of which are visible on this bi-folio, consist of three interlacing gold circles forming a tripartite knot decorated with colored centers.
In the lower left corner of the right side appears a catchword written diagonally in blue ink. This word presents the continuation of the ayah and is intended to help properly foliate the manuscript. Other folio numbers and accession numbers appear written a posteriori in the upper left corner of the right side of the bi-folio.
SUBJECT
Arabic script calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy
Qur'anic verses
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic manuscripts
Maghribi
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
MEDIUM
14.7 (w) x 16.6 (h) cm
CALL NUMBER
AL-19
REPOSITORY
Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C. 20540
DIGITAL ID
ascs 058
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.058
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