Folio from a Qur'an

Object Details

• Calligrapher

  Shadhi ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyub

• Description

  Detached folio from a dispersed copy of the Qur'an; recto: Surat Luqman (Luqman) 31: part of verse 18, and verses19-27; verso: sura 31: 27-34; Arabic in gold muhaqqaq script outlined in black; illuminated verse markers; marginal medallions; vocalized in blue and black; one column; 11 lines of text; one of a group of 2 folios.

• Label

  This folio was originally part of a Qur'an commissioned by the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad (reigned 1294-95, 1299-1309, and 1309-40) of Egypt and Syria. According to its colophon, the manuscript was copied in gold by Shadhi ibn Muhammad ibn Ayyub (d. 1342) and illuminated by two artists, Aydughi ibn Abdullah and Ali ibn Muhammad, who show their design skill in the variety of marginal medallions as seen on this example.

• Provenance

  To 1937

  Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944), New York. [1]

  From 1937

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Kirkor Minassian, New York. [2]

  Notes:

  [1] Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

  [2] See note 1.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Arts of the Islamic World (May 3, 1998 to January 3, 2016)

  Art of the Mamluks (May 14, 1981 to May 25, 1982)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 6 and 7 (February 25, 1956 to April 10, 1962)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, 1955 (April 12, 1955 to December 16, 1955)

  Untitled Exhibition, Islamic Manuscripts, 1947 (October 6, 1947 to February 25, 1956)

  Untitled Exhibition, Persian and Near Eastern Art (May 5, 1933 to September 24, 1947)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Kirkor Minassian (1874-1944)

• Origin

  Egypt

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Minassian, Kirkor

• Place

  Egypt

• Topic

  Art, Sura 31, Mamluk period (1250 - 1517), Arts of the Islamic World, Illumination, Qur'an

• Culture

  Muslims

• Language

  Muhaqqaq script

• Object Type

  Manuscripts