A large form illuminated opening frontispiece from a dispersed 16th Century Safavid Qur'an, containing the first chapter of the Qur'an, Surah al-Fatiha (The Opening). This is recited in every cycle of the five daily prayers. it is written in fine naskh script reserved on a lapis-blue lobed cartouche, set within a gold ground field of dense polychrome floral scrollwork and cusped indigo palette medallions, bordered by a black and gold interlace band. A handsome example of Safavid court illumination, its rich gold and lapis palette and refined penmanship attesting to a prestigious commission. It is water stained to the upper left which has removed the decorative artwork, but that aside the remainder is a striking survival offering genuine connoisseurial interest. 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.