Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th century, Qur'anic verses 105-111 of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey) or Surat Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel), written in Kufi script related to the D.I style, on parchment during the 9th cent.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 17.5 (w) x 11 (h) cm
- The text is executed in Kufi script in dark brown ink at fifteen lines per page. Diacritical marks are executed in black, brown, and red ink. There are no verse markers except for a now faded dotted roundel at the very end of the 111th verse, probably intended as a visual break between surahs. In the lower left corner, the words ibtida' (beginning) and bismillah ("In the Name of God") have been added in black ink at a later date, probably to denote the beginning of the 118th surah.
- The text's Kufi script is related to the D.I style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century (Déroche 1992, 71, cat. no. 23).
- This calligraphic fragment includes verses 105-111 of the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Isra' (The Night Journey) or Surat Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel). These verses comprise the end of the surah, which describe the Qur'an as a sign from God which must be accepted by men. The fragment's verso is now unavailable as it has been pasted onto a sheet of paper: it may have contained immediately preceding verses of Surat al-Isra' or the chapter heading and initial verses of the 18th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Kahf (The Cave).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
c. 1550-1600, A page from an Safavid Qur'an.
- Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.4 (w) x 22.4 (h) cm. Verso: Dimensions of Written Surface: 13.2 (w) x 22.7 (h) cm.
- The fragment's calligraphy and illumination are typically Safavid Persian (1501-1722). Many Qur'ans made for export in the southwestern city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century contain similar motifs (James 1992b: 150-55, cat. no. 39). These include gold painted flowers and vines highlighted in red and dark purple in the folio's margins and calligraphy outlined in gold cloud bands containing orange and blue flowers. The lavish decoration on the folio's margins sets it apart as one of the first folios of the Qur'an's second chapter. Subsequent pages, such as the folio's verso, would not have included such lavish marginal designs. It is also possible that this Qur'an's original opening chapter, al-Fatihah, and perhaps the first eleven verses of al-Baqarah were set in cartouches on a highly illuminated background (Beit Al Qur'an 1996, 97 and James 1992, 150).
- The recto verse markers consist of rosettes with six gold petals arranged in geometric shapes. The markers on the verso are not as abstract and geometric as those on the fragment's recto: here they appear as round gold rosettes with blue dots and red lines marking the center of each of the six petals. The verses also contain minute red signs in order to follow the rules of stopping ('alamat al-waqf) while reciting of the Qur'an. On line 4 recto, for example, the letters alif-lam (a-l) indicate that the reciter may not stop at the place indicated and the letter jim (j) gives the reciter the choice to stop or continue. Another example is line 5 verso containing the three combined letters (s-l-y) sad-lam-ya (called wasl awla), which indicates that the reader may or may not stop at the place indicated, but the preference is not to stop. Recitation symbols appear in red immediately above the Arabic verses: Some elongate the "a" sounds (the alif maddah), while others indicate when it is permissible to stop or not.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
10th century, Qur'anic verse 18 from the 5th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Ma'idah (The Table), written Kufi script similar to style D.Vb. 10th century.
- Both the Jews and Christians say: / "We are sons of God, and His beloved." / Say: "When then does He punish you for your sins? / No, you are but men, / Of the men He has created." (5:18)
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 10 (w) x 8 (h) cm
- God punishes whom He pleases. / And to God belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth, / And all that is in between. / And unto Him is the final goal. (5:18)
- Surat al-Ma'idah describes the corruption of religions, in particular Judaism and Christianity prior to the advent of Islam. Even if warned, the Qur'an states that Jews and Christians turned away from the Truth and violated their Covenants:
- The text is exectued in a Kufi script similar to style D.Vb (Déroche 1992: 109-110, cat. no. 57), at 5 lines per page in horizontal format. This particular script is differentiated by the upper stroke of the letter kaf (k) which slants to the right before turning to the left. The text is executed in black ink, while red dots indicating vocalization may have been added later. Diacritical marks also appear to have been added subsequently: for example, glottal stops (hamza) are marked in green ink, while duplications of consonants (tashdid) are executed in gold ink.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
1241/1825, An example of a "Fatihah" which introduces the Qur'an by praising God.
- 'Aliriza may be the 19th-century Persian calligrapher 'Aliriza b. Hajji Muhammad Ja'far, who executed a calligraphic work dated 1258/1842 now held in the National Library of Iran (Bayani 1358/1939, vol. 4, entry 315). 'Aliriza's work shows a revival of interest in the naskh script during the modern period and appears indebted to the calligraphy of his predecessor, the famous 18th-century Persian calligrapher Ahmad Nayrizi. The latter was the last great calligrapher of Iran who mastered the naskh script at a time when preference was given to the ta'liq and nasta'liq scripts. This signed Fatihah constitutes an example of a 19th-century signed and dated Persian calligraphic panel executed in naskh.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 12.4 (w) x 18.9 (h) cm
- This calligraphic panel includes the bismillah at the top, followed by the Qur'an's first surah entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening). The Fatihah introduces the Qur'an by praising God and asking for his guidance to the right path. On the last line, the Fatihah panel is signed by a certain 'Aliriza and dated 1241/1825 ( Selim 1979, 145). The entire specimen is calligraphed in dark brown naskh (cursive) script on a beige paper, which is framed by a series of alternating gold and dark blue frames and pasted on a thick cardboard backing.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
11th-13th centuries, Plaited eastern Kufi and Persian Naskh scripts.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 20.2 (w) x 10.7 (h) cm
- Eastern Kufi and Persian naskh scripts are typical calligraphies practiced in Persian lands between the 11th and the 13th centuries. It is rather rare to find eastern Kufi interlaced, as the script tends to incline at an angle. Nevertheless, its high verticals (or stems) leave ample room for the elaboration of decorative motifs in the textual interstices. Decorative elements include knots, vine or leaf motifs, plaits, and interlaced stems, which counterbalance the low curves of the writing with a filled space in the writing's upper zone. This decorative technique not only presents calligraphy in an aesthetic manner but also ensures the clarity of the letters (Blair 1986, 329).
- Like the chapter heading on its verso, the last line of Surat al-Kahf is executed in plaited eastern Kufi, with knots executed in black ink on the letters' stems and in red for the vine-like interlacing between the letters' verticals. The last three words executed in plaited eastern Kufi of verse 18:110, "admit nobody as partner in the worship of God" (bi-'ibadat rabihi ahadan) also are provided with sub-linear Persian translation. The single verse marker present in the fragment consists of a six-petalled rosette filled in with yellow paint and decorated with three red dots on its perimeter.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
19th-20th centuries, Qur'anic verses (160-182) of the 37th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al-Saffat (Those Arranged in Ranks), writen in Naskh script verging on Riq'ah script, during the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 14 (w) x 29.2 (h) cm
- Surat al-Saffat describes the battle between good and evil as represented through the events in the lives of various prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Aaron. Surat Sad describes the story of kings like David and Solomon in order to prove that righteousness is more powerful than pure strength. The name of the latter surah derives from the free-standing abbreviated gutteral letter "s" at the very beginning of the chapter.
- The fully vocalized text is executed in a rather mediocre naskh script verging on riq'ah, a modern script usually reserved for quotidian writing during the 19th and 20th centuries. There is no illumination around the simple black frame, although the rather roughly executed verse markers reveal traces of gold paint. The chapter heading for Surat Sad is executed in red ink and states that the chapter contains 88 verses revealed in Mecca. In the lower right corner of the verso of the fragment there appears a black double palmette motif, perhaps intended as a marginal decoration marking off a new section (juz'). Subsequent words of the text (so-called "catchwords") are written in diagonal in the lower right corner and are intended to help foliate the manuscript.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th-19th centuries, Sample calligraphies from India, Central Asian and Persia (Shared Content) Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu and Uzbek)
- Panels executed in a variety of scripts, especially those which utilize the flower and fish scripts, seem to date from the 18th and 19th centuries and were made in Iran and India. For example, a calligraphic panel executed by the Persian calligrapher Husayn Zarrin Qalam in 1212/1797-8 held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-85-154.95) also includes a number of whimsical scripts and motifs. Panels such as these appear to have been used as wall hangings, as this fragment indicates by the remaining attached string at the top of the panel. Perhaps also intended for their protective powers, they could include specific Qur'anic verses such as ayat al-kursi (the Throne Verse, Qur'an 2:255), part of which appears in the center of the fragment's top horizontal margin.
- The calligrapher Hakim Sayyid Hamid 'Abbas al-Taqawi al-Bukhari has included his name in the center of the bottom horizontal margin, where he states that he has written the work (katabahu). Although he is unknown, his name suggests that he was originally from the city of Bukhara in modern-day Uzbekistan. He probably migrated to India to seek patronage from a Mughal patron such as Ditya, for whom he executed this panel of his honorifics.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th-19th centuries, Levha or a calligraphic panel with an Arabic saying written in black Nasta'liq script typical in Ottoman and Safavid eras.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.5 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm
- This calligraphic panel includes an arabic saying written in black nasta'liq script on a brown background framed in blue and pink borders decorated with gold designs. The lower right and left corners of the panel are lost. The saying reads:
- This particular prayer, which places complete trust in God, typically is recited by an individual as a pious invocation (du'a) to the Lord. Several mystical groups, such as the Naqshbandi Sufis (mystics), also recite this du'a in a repeated fashion during the prayer performed at daybreak (Salat al-fajr). Judging from the remaining strings attached at the top of this calligraphic panel, it probably had been suspended from a wall in a dervish lodge sometime during the 18th-19th centuries.
- Ufawwitu amri ila Allah inna Allah bashara bi al-'ibad / I entrust my affair to God. Truly, God looks after His servants.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th century, Qur'anic verses 49-66 of the 26th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Shu'ara' (The Poets), written in the Kufi script is close to syle D.IV, during the 9th century.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 11 (w) x 7 (h) cm
- Surat al-Shu'ara' initiates a series of chapters (26-29) that describe various communities and their reactions to prophets of the past. This surah in particular presents the stories of Moses, Abraham, and Noah and the perishing of their peoples due to disbelief. Moses' splitting of the Red Sea is described in one verse:
- The script, layout, and red verse markers on this fragment resemble another fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-84-154.20c R & V).
- The text on the recto is executed on the flesh side of the parchment. As a result, the ink has worn off substantially. The Kufi script is close to syle D.IV (Déroche 1992: 89, cat. no. 40), a writing style found on horizontal Qur'ans produced during the 9th century. Red dots represent vocalization, and two red circles at verses 50 and 60 were added later to mark off groups of ten verses.
- The verso of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 67-87 of al-Shu'ara' (The Poets). The text continues verses 49-66 on the folio's recto (1-84-154.20a R). In conclusion, referring to the drowning of Moses' people, the Qur'an states:
- Then We told Moses by inspiration: / "Strike the sea with your rod." / So it divided, and each separate part / became like the huge, firm mass of a mountain. (26:63)
- This calligraphic fragment includes verses 49-66 of the 26th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Shu'ara' (The Poets). The text continues with verses 67-87 on the folio's verso (1-84-154.20a V).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
14th-15th centuries, Qur'anic verses 1-4 of the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow) written in the Naskh script from Mamluk period in Egypt, 14th-15th cents.
- Another fragment in the Library of Congress containing the first chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Fatihah (The Opening) appears to come from the same manuscript (see 1-84-154.22). The fragment's illumination, script, and size all correspond to this fragment's style and dimensions.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 15.6 (w) x 15 (h) cm
- The chapter's first verse begins with the three mysterious letters alif, lam, and mim (a, l and m). These three abbreviated letters (muqatta'at) containing esoteric meanings introduce a series of chapters (2-3, and 29-32) in the Qur'an.
- The illuminated upper and lower panels contain a text, outlined in gold ink to let the plain folio show through, stating that this surah is al-Baqarah and contains 286 ayahs revealed in Medina. These illuminated cartouches contain gold vine and flower motifs interlacing on a blue background. In the left margin appear two gold and blue decorative roundels and one semi-roundel in the center.
- The recto of this calligraphic fragment includes verses 1-4 of the second chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Baqarah (The Cow). The fragment's verso continues the text with verses 5-17 (see 1-88-154.7 V). This surah is the longest in the Qur'an. It begins with verses 1-29, which classify men into categories depending on how well they receive God's message.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
late 19th century (?), Two bayts (verses) on lovesickness in Persian with Arabic opening phrase, from 19th Cent. Hunza, India (Pakistan) writen nasta'liq script.
- Around the verses of poetry, a calligrapher has added a dedicatory inscription. He states that calligraphy (khatt) is incomparable (bi nadir) to all other forms of art and dedicates the calligraphy to Mir Safdar 'Ali. Although the diminutives of the calligrapher -- that is, "the servant" (al-'abd) and "the humble" (al-mudhnib) -- and his request for God's forgiveness for his sins remain, his name has been erased. Other parts of the fragment have been damaged and repaired as well, suggesting that the name of the calligrapher may have been lost as a result.
- As a result, it appears then this calligraphy was made for Mir Safdar 'Ali at the time of his tenure ca. 1890. If such a dating is accepted, then this piece bears witness to the continued existence and practice of nasta'liq script in India on the eve of British colonization.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 40 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm
- In that high place where the inhabitants of the skies / Wish to be the doorkeepers of your abode / What purpose to speak to you about my state / Since you yourself know the state of (my) heart sickness
- Mir Safdar 'Ali Khan (d. 1930) was a ruler of the princely state of Hunza, in present-day northeastern Pakistan, from 1886-1892. When British forces invaded the state in December 1891, Mir Safdar 'Ali fled to Kashghar and Hunza became the northernmost frontier post of the British presence in India.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
11th- 13th centuries, Qur'anic verses in Kufi and Naskh script Qur'ans and typical produced in Iraq and Persia during the 11th-13th centuries.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 6 (w) x 12.2 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 6.3 (w) x 11.5 (h) cm
- The chapter's text is executed in an early naskh (cursive) script, will full vocalization in black ink and other orthographical markers -- such as the doubling of a consonant (tashdid) -- picked out in red ink. Verse markers consist of six-petalled gold rosettes with red dots on their perimeters. The combination of Kufi script for chapter headings and early naskh script for the text proper appears in Qur'ans produced in Iraq and Persia during the 11th-13th centuries (Lings and Safadi 1976, cat nos. 55 and 57).
- The surah's heading at the top of the left side of the fragment is written in Kufi script typical of some of the earliest extant Qur'an manuscripts. The heading, which gives the title of the chapter and its number of verses (mistakenly 51 rather than 52), is written out in a subtractive method whereby the plain folio's beige color shows through the illuminated panel and the letters' black outlines. The illuminated panel, decorated with blue and white leaf motifs, bears a palmette that jets out into the left margin. This kind of panel -- called a tabula ansata after its Roman prototype -- is also typical of early Qur'ans of the 9th century (Lings and Safadi 1976, cat. no. 10). The remaining portion of text that belongs to the chapter heading, i.e., "revealed in Mecca" (nuzilat bi-Makkah), is executed in gold ink between two rectangles located in the center of the folio's left margin.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
14th century, Mamluk era, from Egypt in Muhaqqaq script for writing Qur'ans from 13th century onward.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 14 (w) x 19.5 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 13.5 (w) x 20 (w) cm.
- Follow that which comes to you as inspiration from God, / Because God knows well what you do. / And put your trust in God, / As God is Sufficient as a Guardian. (33:3-4)
- O Prophet, fear God and do not listen to the unbelievers and hypocrites, / Verily God is full of knowledge and wisdom. (33:1)
- The text is calligraphed in small muhaqqaq, one of the cursive scripts typical of Qur'ans produced in Mamluk Egypt during the 14th and 15th centuries (see Lings and Safadi 1976, 52). Due to its clarity and legibility, muhaqqaq was among the favorite scripts used for writing Qur'ans from the 13th century onward.
- The title of Surat al-Ahzab executed in gold ink outlined in black specifies that the chapter contains 73 verses. The beginning of this surah discusses the necessity of abandoning pagan customs. The verso of this Qur'anic fragment includes verses 2-4 of Surat al-Ahzab.
- This Qur'anic fragment includes the last verse (30) of the 32nd chapter of the Qur'an, i.e. Surat al-Sajdah (The Prostration), as well as the chapter heading, the bismillah, and first verse of the subsequent chapter (33) entitled Surat al-Ahzab (The Confederates). The subsequent verses of Surat al-Ahzab continue on the fragment's verso (1-93-154.178 V).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
15th century, Qur'anic verses 190-191 of the 3rd chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat Al 'Imran (The Family of 'Imran), written in the Muhaqqaq script, during 15th cent. Central Asia.
- Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. (3:190).
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 35 (w) x 16 (h) cm
- The size and script of this Qur'anic fragment is similar to another calligraphic fragment in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-88-154.34). As 1-88-154.34 contains verses (86 and 89) also from Surat Al 'Imran, it is logical to assume that both items were taken from the same Qur'an, which most probably was made in Central Asia during the 15th century.
- The text is executed in a crisp and fully vocalized muhaqqaq script on a light beige paper, and may have been executed in Persia or Central Asia during the early 15th century. In its simplicity and grandeur, it recalls the famous "Baysunghur" Qur'an made either in Herat or Samarqand ca. 1400 A.D., which contained gigantic folios measuring 177 x 101 cm with writing only on their rectos (James 1992b: 18-23 and cat. no. 2). Although a fraction of the latter's size and with writing on its verso, this fragment achieves a dignity that harks back to the "Baysunghur" Qur'an.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
15th century, Qur'anic verses in the Masahif style of Arabic calligraphic writing.
- Below the chapter heading in gold executed in pseudo-eastern Kufi script, a cursive transcription of the same heading is written in blue thuluth. It states that the chapter consists of thirty-seven ayat and was revealed in Mecca. The blue transcription was probably added at a later date to clarify the rather illegible surah heading, as well as to give the proper number of verses (although the numbers 30 and 7 are transposed in the transcription).
- Recto: Dimensions of Written Surface: 12 (w) x 17.8 (h) cm
- Recto: Script: masahif
- The first verse of al-Jathiyah appearing after the initial bismillah ("In the Name of God"), contains only the two letters "h" (ha) and "m" (mim), a double-letter combination appearing at the beginning of surahs 40-46, all dated from the later Meccan period. These abbreviated letters (al-muqatta'at) usually appear in various combinations at the opening of certain surahs in the Qur'an. Because the exact meaning of each letter or letter combination remains unclear, the letters also are referred to as the "mystery" letters. This appellation suggests that only God knows their exact, esoteric meanings (for a discussion of the mystery letters, see Qur'an 2001: 122-4, Appendix I).. In this particular case, it may be suggested that the ha stands for Hayy ("God the Living") and the mim for Qayyum ("God the Eternal"), and thus combine the dual concepts of life and death (Qur'an 2001, 1203). However, the meaning of these two letters remains purely conjectural.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9-10th centuries, Qur'anic verses 5-12 of the 45th chapter of the Qur'an entitled al-Jathiyah (the Kneeling Down), Kufi script similar to style E typical of the 9-10th centuries.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: Recto: 14 (w) x 7.6 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: Verso: 14 (w) x 8 (h) cm
- If anyone does a righteous deed, / It endures to the benefit of his own soul; / If he does evil, / It works against (his own soul). / In the end you will all be brought back to your Lord. (45:15)
- In front of them is Hell, / And nothing they may have earned / Will be useful to them any longer, / Nor will any protectors they took besides God. / For them awaits an enormous penalty. (45:10)
- The recto is on the hair side of a piece of parchment, the text is executed in black ink. Red dots indicate both vocalization. Although no verse markers appear on the recto, the verso (1-89-154.187 V) includes an ayah marker in the shape of a gold ha (h) or upturned virgule on the 11th line. It separates verse 16 from verse 17.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
14th century, In Thuluth script, an example of a Qur'an opening page.
- All or parts of these five verses appear on decorative carpet pages intended to begin the Qur'an or to separate various parts (sing. juz', pl. ajza') of the Holy Book. They remind the reader of the sacred character of the Qur'an, while providing an artistic, visual break from the text per se. For a similar use of these verses on a carpet page dividing a juz', see 1-87-154.151 R.
- And that is indeed a mighty urging if you but knew, / That this is indeed a Glorious Qur'an / In a Well-Guarded Book, / Which none shall touch but those who are clean: / A revelation from the Lord of the Worlds
- Dimensions of illumination: 14.9 (w) x 14.3 (h) cm
- The decorative patterns and palette of this carpet page are typical of 14th-century Mamluk Qur'ans made in Egypt (see Lings 2004, pls. 40 and 124; and Lings and Safadi 1976: no. 75 and pl. IX). In this case, the centerpiece consists of a hexagon prolonged to form alternating gold and blue polygons and four eight-pointed stars in each corner of the rectangular frame. The lines creating the forms, just like the inscriptions, are executed in white ink, although the white ink has oxidized on the second carpet page (see 1-89-154.168 R). The polygons alternate between gold designs on a blue ground and a blue design on a gold ground, while the eight-pointed stars contain palmette and bulb-like gold motifs on a blue ground. Around the edge of the panel, the border consists of interlacing gold zigzags that end in a marginal anse that is almost entirely lost today.
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th-10th centuries, Qur'anic verses 19-31 of the 6th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Surat al- An'am (The Cattle), written in Kufi script related to the D.Va style , on parchment during the 9th-10th cents.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 29.2 (w) x 21 (h) cm
- The text is executed in Kufi script in black ink at thirteen lines per page. Diacritics appear as red dots, and verse markers as little gold rosettes. The text on the fragment's recto has worn off substantially since it is executed on the flesh side of the parchment. A large blue and gold medallion inscribed with the term 'ashrun (twenty) located on the fourth line of text separates verses 20 and 21. In the left margin of the fourth line, moreover, appears the word nisf (half) written in gold ink in order to mark off this particular portion (juz') of the text.
- The text on the fragment's verso is better preserved as it is executed on the hair side of the parchment. Here, a fifth-verse marker in the shape of a gold upturned virgule is included on the second line and separates verses 25 and 26. On the penultimate line of text, moreover, appears a larger tenth-verse gold painted medallion that separates verses 30 and 31.
- The text's Kufi script appears related to the D.Va style typical of horizontal Qur'ans produced on parchment during the 9th-10th centuries (Déroche 1992, 100-105, cat. nos. 48-51).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
9th century, Qur'anic fragments written in Kufi script (D.Va) on parchment.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: a Recto: 7.5 (w) x 4 (h) cm. Dimensions of Written Surface: a Verso, b Recto and Verso: 8 (w) x 4 (h) cm
- Everyone acts according to his own disposition. / But your Lord knows best / Who is best guided on the way. (17:84)
- Surat Bani Isra'il describes a number of different events, including the Prophet Muhammad's night journey (isra') to Jerusalem and his ascension (mi'raj) through the skies. The verses (73-84) on the two fragments in the Library of Congress describe the value of prayer and the Qur'an.
- The lower left corner of the parchment was lost on the first fragment but repaired probably at the same time as the folio was mounted on an elaborate frame made of brown paper, decorated with gold vine scrolls and Qur'anic inscriptions executed in imitation of the original Kufi script as found in the central panel. On the left vertical, an illuminated headpiece (sarloh) with stippled gold designs decorates the folio as if it were the incipit page to a Persian poetical work. It is very unusual to find this kind of combination, although salvaging and remounting calligraphic fragments into albums occurs regularly during the Timurid and Safavid periods (see David Roxburgh, "The Persian Album, 1400-1600: From Dispersal to Collection" [New Haven and London: Yale University Press], 2005).
- These fragments include verses from the 17th chapter of the Qur'an entitled Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel) or al-Isra' (The Night Journey).
Library of Congress African and Middle Eastern Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Annotatsiya:
18th century, Arabic work titled: "Spousal Advice" in Thuluth script from 18th Cent. Mughal India.
- Dimensions of Written Surface: 18.4 (w) x 17.6 (h) cm
- First line of text: line 2 / Second line of text: line 4 / Third line of text: line 6 / Fourth line of text: line 5 (up-side-down) / Fifth line of text: line 3 (up-side-down) / Sixth line of text: line 1
- The fragment is signed up-side-down between the last two lines of text. The "servant" calligrapher 'Abdallah states that he has written this piece (mashaqahu al-'abd 'Abdallah), but he does not provide a date. The calligrapher may be identified as 'Abdallah Lahuri, who was active in Lahore during the 18th century. Another fragment of his work executed in nasta'liq script, is also held in the collections of the Library of Congress (1-04-713.19.43). After the death of Aurangzeb (d. 1707), Mughal power was decentralized and royal patronage of calligraphy declined. The rise of new styles emerged in cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Lahore, where calligraphers such as 'Abdallah sought out patronage from local rulers and seem to have had the freedom to experiment with a number of different calligraphic scripts.
- These husbandly recommendations seek to promote goodness and piety in a woman who is also a mother. The saying belongs to the broader category of advice (nasihat) in Arabic moral literature.
