This illustrated leaf is from a dispersed Qur'an scribed by Abdullah at-Khadim dated AH 1025 / AD1616. This finely executed folio exemplifies the sophisticated manuscript culture that flourished in the subcontinent during the late medieval and early-modern islamic period. The format is very typical of a Sultanate India Koran of the early period with an elegant alternation of monumental (Muhaqqaq script) and smaller (Naskh) script bands, framed by ruled borders in red and gold and punctuated by illuminated verse markers and diacritical markings in red providing clarity for recitation. An attractive marginal marks the 20th verse of the chapter. The selected verses from chapter 2, Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow) v.19-22, emphasise several central Qur'anic themes: the spiritual condition of belief and unbelief; divine knowledge and judgement; the imagery of light and darkness as metaphors for guidance and misguidance; God's sovereignty over creation; and the recognition of divine signs in the natural world. 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.