Geography: Iran[E-rAn]a country in the Middle East.
Date: 1598 (1006 AH)
Period: Safavid period
Physical Properties
Material: Ink, color, and gold on paper
Dimensions: H × W × D: 42.8 × 28.1 × 6.7 cm (16 7/8 × 11 1/16 × 2 5/8 in)
Crediting Information
Calligrapher: Ahmad Sayri
Collection: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Credit Line: Purchase—Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Accession Number: F1932.65 1b–2a
The Qur’an is considered the divine Word of God in Islam. It was revealed to the prophetan intermediary who speaks to humanity on behalf of God. Muhammad (570–632) over twenty-three years between 610 and 632, first in Mecca[MEK-uh]Makka or Makkah [MAK-kuh] – the holiest site in Islam, located in the Hijaz region in the western part of present-day Saudi Arabia. The Ka’ba is located in Mecca. and then in Medina[ma-DEE-na]the second holiest site in Islam, which is some 270 miles north of Mecca. The Prophet fled from Mecca to Medina in 622, which also marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. Here, he established the Muslim community (ummah). The Prophet is also buried in Medina. (cities in present-day Saudi Arabia). Derived from the Arabic word for recitation and reading (iqra[ihk-RAH]recitation.), the Qur’an is transmitted both orally and as written text. According to Islam, the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad and instructed him to recite/read.
The Revelations are divided into 114 chapters (sura[SOO-rah]literally, “chapter,” in the Qur’an., in Arabic), each with a varying number of verses, ranging from three to 286. They provide instructions on religious duties and rituals, offer moral and ethical guidance, and include prophetic stories as examples to consider and follow. The chapters are generally arranged by descending length, rather than the order of revelation, an arrangement that was developed after the Prophet’s death. The headings are drawn from random words in the chapter. For example, chapter 19 is called “Maryam” (Mary), inspired by the story of the Virgin Mary and Jesus.
The Qur’anic text was first memorized and then recorded by the Prophet Muhammad’s followers and companions, and, to this day, its oral transmission and recitation are as important as reading the written text.
The Qur’an is always in the Arabic language, which is read from right to left. When the text appears in a different language, it is a translation of the Word of God.
This copy of the Qur’an was transcribed and decorated during the Safavid period (1501–1722) in Iran[E-rAn]a country in the Middle East.. It is written with a reed pen on paper, which replaced parchment (animal skin) for Qur’ans after the eleventh century. Instead of dividing the text into sections (juz[JOOZ]a section of the Qur’an.), this Qur’an is copied as a single volume. A colophona statement at the end of a text with information about the making and makers of the manuscript, such as artist, patron, date, and place of production. or statement at the end of the manuscript[man-yoo-skript]a handwritten text. indicates that it was written by the calligrapher Ahmad Sayri in the year 1598. (Today, in modern publishing the colophon or publication details are usually located opposite the title page.)
The text is written in a style of calligraphy known as muhaqqaq[moo-HA-ghagh]a cursive script with tall verticals and sweeping horizontal strokes, known for its legibility., which was widely popular for the transcription of the Qur’an after the eleventh century. A legible, fluid script, it stands out for its tall verticals and slightly flattened horizontal strokes. The diagonal strokes above and below the letters indicate vowel marks and aid the pronunciation of the words.
By the sixteenth century, volumes of the Qur’an in Iran and other parts of the Islamic world were also lavishly decorated with gold designs, referred to as illuminationan embellishment of manuscripts with gold pigment or gold leaf, which was often combined with other pigments, such as lapis lazuli (derived from a semiprecious stone).. The artist (illuminator) often combined gold and lapis lazuli, a pigment derived from a semiprecious stone, to mark different divisions within the text. In this Qur’an, for example, each chapter heading is set in an elaborate, illuminated design. The fifth and tenth verses are marked by large, illuminated rosettes in the margins, while smaller medallions within the text block indicate verse endings (Fig. 1). To highlight the beginning of the Qur’an, many sixteenth-century luxury copies from Iran also have richly decorated opening pages that are inscribed with the Fatiha[FA-tee-hah]the first chapter of the Qur’an., the first chapter of the Qur’an and one of the most important, which outlines the principles of the Divine Revelation (Fig. 2).
The tradition and practice of calligraphy continue to this day. Throughout the Islamic world and in the West, students of all ages learn the rules of the different scripts and steadfastly practice the art of calligraphy, whether it is in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, or Ottoman Turkish—all of which are written with Arabic letters. Even if few individuals are skilled enough to copy an entire Qur’an or become professional calligraphers, many others learn the basic principles of calligraphy as a discipline. Today, calligraphy has inspired many contemporary artists, whose work range from stylized pseudo-scripts (i.e., creating shapes and forms that resemble those of traditional calligraphy) to folios of poetry or religious verses and sayings. Similarly, traditional Qur’anic illuminationan embellishment of manuscripts with gold pigment or gold leaf, which was often combined with other pigments, such as lapis lazuli (derived from a semiprecious stone). remains a source of inspiration for many aspiring artists, who create new and intricate designs with gold and lapis lazuli.
In a 2016 conversation hosted by the National Museum of Asian Art, the distinguished calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya and Aisha Imam, another successful calligrapher, discussed their professional paths and training. View the video recording of these calligraphers and their conversation.
What do you see as you look through the pages of this manuscript[man-yoo-skript]a handwritten text.? What do you notice about the patterns? What do you notice about the colors?
Why do you think the artist uses so much gold, especially on the opening pages? What might this use of gold convey about the book and its contents?
How is each page of this Qur’an arranged? How does the layout of each page compare to one another? How do you describe the script? What stands out?
Why are some Qur’ans decorated? What is the meaning of these artistic embellishments?
Why do you think the artist used so much gold in decorating this Qur’an? What other decorations do you notice? What questions do you have about the image?
Sells, Michael Anthony. Approaching the Qur’an: The Early Revelations. 3rd ed. London: Oneworld Academic, 2023.
Suleman, Fahmida, ed. Word of God, Art of Man: The Qur’an and its Creative Expressions. Oxford: Oxford University Press in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2010.
Turkish and Islamic Arts. Washington, DC: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 2016.
Yalman, Susan. “The Art of the Safavids[SAF-uh-vidz]a dynasty that ruled over modern-day Iran and part of Afghanistan from 1501 to 1722. before 1600.” Department of Education, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. October 2002. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/safa/hd_safa.htm
