Fragment of a Qur'an, sura 2:191-233

Object Details

• Description

  Manuscript; fragment of a Qur'an; verses of Sura al-Baqara (the Cow) 2: part of verses 191 -232, beginning with "wa akhrijuhum" on verse 191, missing one folio and some verses continue with a portion of 233 ending with "al-ma'ruf"; text: Arabic in black kufic script; vocalized in red; 32 parchment folios with gilded verse markers and inscribed roundels; standard page: one column; 5 lines of text.

  Binding: From a later period. The binding of the manuscript (F 1937.6.33) is of floral patterned marbled paper and gold fillets, it has been removed.

• Label

  Most Qur'ans from the late ninth and early tenth centuries are written with a reed pen in dark brown or black ink on a horizontally oriented parchment. The script generally is referred to as kufic, a term associated with the town of Kufa in southern Iraq, one of the main centers for the development of the Arabic script. Notable for its short vertical and elongated horizontal strokes, the script’s stark elegance often is relieved by red diacritical marks; a small floral medallion in the margin indicates a verse ending.

  The folio is from the second sura (chapter) of the Qur'an, known as al-Baqara (the Cow). The verses prescribe duties, such as fasting and feeding the poor, for Muslims who cannot perform or complete the hajj (pilgrimage), one of the five pillars of Islam.

• Provenance

  ?-to at least 1937

  H. Kevorkian, New York, method of acquisition unknown [1]

  From 1937

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from H. Kevorkian [2]

  Notes:

  [1] See January 15, 1937 letter, in object file, from H. Kevorkian to J.E. Lodge “…a portion of Koran consisting of 33* superb Kufic leaves of parchment will be delivered to you which, I presume will reach you on or about the time you receive the present letter” (penciled note states “32 received”). Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962) was a dealer and collector of Islamic Art with eponymous galleries in New York and Paris.

  [2] The Freer Gallery of Art paid H. Kevorkian in installments, the first on October 28, 1936, and the last on April 7, 1937, but marked approved on April 5, 1937; see object file for copy of invoice.

  Research updated December 1, 2022

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Engaging the Senses (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  The Art of the Qur’an: Treasures from the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (October 22, 2016 to February 20, 2017)

  Iraq and China: Ceramics, Trade, and Innovation (December 4, 2004 to July 17, 2005)

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

  Art of the Arab World (May 8, 1975 to August 20, 1977)

  Near Eastern Art (January 1, 1963 to August 18, 1967)

  Islamic Art, Gallery 6A (July 22, 1958 to June 5, 1964)

  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

  Hagop Kevorkian (1872-1962)

• Origin

  Near East

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Manuscript

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  900s, 800s, 700s, 1100s, 1200s, 1000s

• Name

  Kevorkian, Hagop

• Place

  Near East

• Topic

  Kufic script, Art, Parchment, Arts of the Islamic World, Qur'an, Sura 2, Marbling

• Culture

  Muslims, Abbasids, Iraqis

• Object Type

  Manuscripts