Folio from a Qur’an, sura 8:45-49

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur’an; recto: Sura al-Anfal (the Spoils of war) 8: parts of verse 45, 46- 47, recto begins with “kathiran”; verso: sura 8:48 and part of 49, verso begins with “waqala”; Arabic in black “eastern kufic (New Style)” script with gold rosette verse markers and illuminated marginal palmette, vocalized in red, tashdid and sukun in blue; one column; nine lines of text.

Historical period(s)
11th-12th century
Medium
Ink, color and gold on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 41.3 x 29.8 cm (16 1/4 x 11 3/4 in)
Geography
Iran
Credit Line
The Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Collection
Accession Number
S1997.95
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Manuscript
Type

Detached manuscript folio

Keywords
eastern kufic script, Iran, Islam, Qur'an, Ralph and Catherine Benkaim collection, sura 8
Provenance

To 1970
Adrienne Minassian, New York to 1970 [1]

From 1970 to 1997
Ralph and Catherine Benkaim, Beverly Hills, CA, purchased from Adrienne Minassian in 1970 [2]

From 1997
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, given by Ralph and Catherine Benkaim in 1997

Notes:

[1] According to Provenance Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Ralph (1914-2001) and Catherine Benkaim
Adrienne Minassian 1913-1994

Description

Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; recto: Sura al-Anfal (the Spoils of war) 8: parts of verse 45, 46- 47, recto begins with "kathiran"; verso: sura 8:48 and part of 49, verso begins with "waqala"; Arabic in black "eastern kufic (New Style)" script with gold rosette verse markers and illuminated marginal palmette, vocalized in red, tashdid and sukun in blue; one column; nine lines of text.

Label

This folio is written in the so-called eastern kufic script, associated with Iran and central Asia. The verses here are from sura 8, entitled "al-Anfal" (The Spoils of War) and explain some of the advantages of military discipline.

Published References
  • Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. pp. 144-147.
Collection Area(s)
Arts of the Islamic World
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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