Unknown - Quran - Chinese - 1760

A generous bi-folio from an 18th Century Chinese Qur'an (circa 1760) written in elegant Muhaqqaq script, characterised by bold left leaning extended upstrokes of the pen, well-spaced ligatures, and shallow and sweeping horizontal sub-linear flourishes.

It contains the header for chapter 31, Luqman, and verses 1-6 across the two pages, which establish the divine authority of scripture, contrast the characteristics of believers and disbelievers, and detail the ultimate rewards and punishments for each, offering a foundational blueprint for faith and spiritual well-being. These opening verses define true success in Islam which is not measured by worldly accumulation, but by moral alignment, spiritual obedience, and certainty in the afterlife. They warn of the dangers of ignorance and cultural influences that distract from morality, higher purpose, and accountability to God. They pair faith in the unseen (the Hereafter) with practical charity (Zakah), establishing a holistic lifestyle where inward belief manifests as outward good. The marginal notation appears to be grammatical/recitation commentary.

The Chinese Quran are unusual in that they were often produced as 'bound' stand-alone chapters.

The measurements shown are for the mounted manuscript. Each leaf is 12x16cm.

During the caliphate of al Ma'mun (813-833) it became the preferred style of the Warraqun (professional scribes) to enable relatively easy reproduction. It also suggests the brush strokes associated with Chinese calligraphy, and is often referred to as sini (Chinese) Arabic.

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 research the article, to mount it, 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. 



Also, 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, so please check this if you are concerned. This is a Tax collected on behalf of your Government and is not an additional fee charged by us.