| Probably Damascus, circa 1345 -1350 AD |
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Double page from the Holy Qur'an
Ink, gouache and gold on paper
Each page 18 3/4 x 1 3/4 in
Malaysia, private collection
Sotheby's (1980 a), lot 153, p. 66 |
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| Two folios of polished paper with the Qur'anic text in black Muhaqqaq script. The name of Allah is written in gold whenever it occurs. The right-hand folio contains Surah LX, Al-Mumtahenah,The Woman to be Examined, verses l0-12. The left-hand folio has the end of the same Surah together with the illuminated heading and Basmalah of Surah LXI, as-Saff, Battle Array. These pages come from the second volume of a two-part Koran. The first volume is now in the National Museum, Damascus (n° 13615) and bears an endowment certificate (waqfiyyah) in the name of a Mamluk emir, Sayf al-Din Manjak. For a few months, in 1350, Manjak was governor of Damascus for Sultan Hasan (1345-1351). As a Koran of this quality would have taken many months to produce, Manjak must have acquired it by purchase or confiscation, unless he had already commissioned it while goven1or of Tripoli. The style of illumination is rather archaic, harking back to the earlier years of the century. Although manuscript illumination in Egypt had greatly deteriorated by the 1340's, Syria maintained a strong tradition showing no signs of decline. The pages contain a marginal commentary written in multi colored inks. |
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