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Selections of Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Calligraphy

Qur'anic Verses

ALTERNATE TITLE(S)
Koran (fragment), leaf no. 7

AUTHOR/CREATOR
Calligrapher: unknown

CREATED/PUBLISHED
9th century

NOTES
Dimensions of Written Surface: 22 (w) x 16.7 (h) cm

Script: Kufi

This calligraphic fragment includes verses 10-11 of the 48th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Fath (Victory). This surah dates from the Medinan period and contains 29 verses. It describes how triumph comes from courage, faith, and patience if the believer stays true to God:

Anyone who violates His [God's] oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and anyone who fulfils what he has convenanted with God, God will soon grant him a reward. (48:10).

The text is executed in Kufi script with black ink on parchment. The text on the fragment's recto is well preserved as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment. On the other hand, the text on the fragment's verso has worn off substantially due to its execution on the flesh side of the parchment. Diacritics appear as red dots, although some dots in yellow, green, and blue are included as well. A verse marker between verses 10 and 11 is placed in the upper left corner of the folio's recto. As it is a tenth-verse marker, it takes the shape of a gold-painted medallion with the word 'ashar (ten) inscribed in its center.

The text is executed in Kufi script in the D.I style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th century (Déroche 1992, 69, cat. no. 21).

SUBJECT
Qur'anic verses
Arabic script calligraphy
Illuminated Islamic manuscripts
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic manuscripts
Kufi
Arabic calligraphy

MEDIUM
33.5 (w) x 23.5 (h) cm

CALL NUMBER
AL-7

REPOSITORY
Library of Congress, African and Middle Eastern Division, Washington, D.C. 20540

DIGITAL ID
ascs 285
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.amed/ascs.285

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