Leaves from a Mamluk Qur'an, 1400's

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(downloaded Mar. 2005)

" QUR'AN SECTION, ILLUMINATED ARABIC MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER, MAMLUK, EGYPT, 15TH CENTURY. Measurements note: 30 by 21.5cm. DESCRIPTION: text: juz' iv, 33 leaves, 5 lines per page written in bold muhaqqaq in black ink on cream paper, single verse divisions marked with gold florets decorated with coloured dots, medallions of colours and gold bearing the relevant wording marking hizb and 'ashr divisions in the margins, sura headings in gold thuluth, opening double page with juz' title in white thuluth on illuminated panels with an extending palmette, contemporary Mamluk brown morocco binding with a central medallion on one side and a geometric motif on the other

CATALOGUE NOTE: This is a good example of Mamluk Qur'an production, comprising one section of a thirty-volume Qur'an, a further section from the same Qur'an is the following lot in this sale. It is notable for the strong regularity and elegance of the muhaqqaq script, a favourite of Mamluk scribes. The binding of this Qur'an, and that of the following lot, are identical in both their motifs and measurements, indicating that they are likely to be contemporary to the text. The bindings also exhibit block-printed doublures consisting of arabesques and scrolling foliate motifs that are typical of the decorative motifs favoured during the Mamluk period."

More leaves from the same manuscript

Source: http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=4DV8B
(downloaded Mar. 2005)

" QUR'AN SECTION, ILLUMINATED ARABIC MANUSCRIPT ON PAPER, MAMLUK, EGYPT, 15TH CENTURY. Measurements note: 30 by 21.5cm.

DESCRIPTION: text: juz' iv, 33 leaves, 5 lines per page written in bold muhaqqaq in black ink on cream paper, single verse divisions marked with gold florets decorated with coloured dots, medallions of colours and gold bearing the relevant wording marking hizb and 'ashr divisions in the margins, sura headings in gold thuluth, opening double page with juz' title in white thuluth on illuminated panels with an extending palmette, contemporary Mamluk brown morocco binding with a central medallion on one side and a geometric motif on the other

CATALOGUE NOTE: This is a good example of Mamluk Qur'an production, comprising one section of a thirty-volume Qur'an, a further section from the same Qur'an is the following lot in this sale. It is notable for the strong regularity and elegance of the muhaqqaq script, a favourite of Mamluk scribes. The binding of this Qur'an, and that of the following lot, are identical in both their motifs and measurements, indicating that they are likely to be contemporary to the text. The bindings also exhibit block-printed doublures consisting of arabesques and scrolling foliate motifs that are typical of the decorative motifs favoured during the Mamluk period."