Herat - Qur'an - 1590

A highly decorative leaf from a Qur'an dated 1590, scribed in Herat (Persia) under the Safavid sultanate.

The scripture comprises all the verses of chapter 62, Surat al-Jumu'ah (Friday Congregation), proclaiming the Prophet's divine mission to recite, purify and teach wisdom, rebuking those who bear scripture yet fail to act upon it "like a donkey carrying books", and "When the call to Friday prayer is made, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off trade". At the foot of the folio is a magnificent illuminated cartouche in white Thuluth script on gold, announcing Surat al-Munafiqun (Chapter 63 " The Hypocrites), the scripture of which can be found on the reverse. This header exemplifies Indo-Persian illumination at its best.

The folio is in the ancient Muhaqqaq script adorned with traditional floral motifs and golden rod illuminations as marginal devices, both marking the verses and adding beauty to the scripture. Verses are delineated with gold 'aya', divided into 6 sections by thin blue lines and having a centre red dot.

This is a high quality folio in good condition. for its age retaining its vibrant colour and gilt. The worm-holing is not untypical for a manuscript of this age and could be said to lend to its authenticity.

Please note that shipping costs are not solely the cost of the postal delivery service itself. Included within the shipping price is the work undertaken to prepare the article, for photography, for uploading to Catawiki, for preparation and packaging the article securely and for transporting the article to the postal delivery agent for processing.

Please consider when bidding on this lot that this artwork is shipped from the UK. Import duties will now have to be paid by the recipient to the Postal Service when the parcel arrives in your country. This will likely vary between 5% and 20% of the sale price depending on your country's Import Rate. This is a Tax collected on behalf of your Government and is not an additional delivery fee charged by me.