El Sayed Ahmad el Hamdi ibn Pardjizadeh, Turkey, dated 1286 AH (1869 n. Chr.) - illuminated Ottoman Qur'an manuscript crafted in traditional bookbinding style - 1869

Fine illuminated Ottoman Qur’an Manuscript (Muṣḥaf), Copied by El Sayed Ahmad el Hamdi ibn Pardjizadeh

Turkey, dated 1286 AH (1869 AD)

An exceptional and finely illuminated Ottoman Qur’an manuscript crafted in traditional bookbinding style, distinguished by its precise craftsmanship and its long, lived history of devotion.

Object Specifications:
• Dimensions: 20 x approx. 12.5 x 3 cm
• Collation: Approximately 300 leaves of fine paper. The beginning features magnificent illuminated opening double-pages (uwān / opening bifolios), mirrored by closing double-pages at the end. The text block is structured throughout by approximately 39 hand-painted decorative chapter markers and marginal vignettes in gold and vibrant colors.
• Medium: Black ink, rich polychrome pigments, and gold leaf on paper, bound in a traditional leather cover.

Calligraphy and Layout:
The Qur’an is executed in a masterly, clear, and highly legible Naskh script, maintaining a consistent 15 text lines per page. Each text page is framed within delicate multi-line borders in gold and black. Throughout the interior, approximately 39 intricate polychrome and gold marginal vignettes mark structural points and verse sections.

Illumination and Design:
The work opens with a magnificent illuminated double-page featuring text inscribed within medallions and framed by polychrome floral and gold cartouches, surmounted by delicate floral mandorlas. This ornamental artistry culminates in a beautifully detailed closing colophon.

Colophon and Signature:
The detailed final colophon, set within an illuminated cartouche, records the origin and scribe by name: The manuscript was completed by El Sayed Ahmad el Hamdi ibn Pardjizadeh, a student of El Sayed Mustafa el Halousi Shahrzadeh, in the year 1286 AH (1869 AD).

Binding:
Traditional Islamic leather binding featuring classic blind and gold tooling (central mandorlas and corner fleurons), reflecting the typical aesthetic of late Ottoman book art.

Condition and Signs of Use:
At the beginning of the book there are some supplied leaves with reinforced margins and tissue-backed paper creases. Inside there are occasional, minor, professionally restored marginal tears, along with handwritten devotional and ownership inscriptions on the endpapers. All of these are authentic and charming testimonies of decades-long, intensive religious use and the high reverence paid to this holy book across generations.

We guarantee age and origin.

#C312