A stunning illuminated opening front-piece leaf from a dispersed 16th Century Middle-East Qur'an containing Surat al-Fatiha (The Opening), which is recited in every cycle of the five daily prayers. Decorated in Ink, opaque watercolour and gold on paper, it contains the opening of Surat Al-Fatiha (The Qur'an's first chapter) written in black naskh script within gold cloud-band ground, seven lines to the page, verses separated by gold medallions (aya). The text panel is framed by a wide illuminated border of scrolling gold arabesque vine work against a lapis blue ground interspersed with polychrome floral sprays, characteristic of Safavid period Middle-East illumination. Above the text is a rectangular cartouche of gold on blue containing the surah heading in black thuluth script named the chapter. A further cartouche below the verse names the surah that follows. Despite some scuffing, rippling and some old repairs to the paper (see reverse), this a very rare and highly treasured decorative example of a Qur'anic frontispiece and highly valued as a collectors piece. The reserve reflects the importance of this piece. 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. 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.