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 heading, written in gold within the lined cartouche, and verses 1-7 of Chapter 73, Surah Al-Muddathir (The (one) Wrapped One (in cloak)), referring to the Prophet Muhammad wrapped in his mantle when the revelation began. The left had page contains instructions on the proportion of the night to spend in prayer, the command to recite the Qur'an "with measured recitation" (tartil), and the promise of a weighty revelation to come, closing with the verse on the night hours being more potent for reflection and speech.

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

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