TWELVE OTTOMAN AND PERSIAN LEATHER MANUSCRIPT BINDINGS WITH GILT, TOOLED AND EMBOSSED DESIGNS
Ottoman Turkey and Provinces, and Iran, 17th to 19th century

A rare and impressive group of twelve Ottoman and Persian morocco and calf leather bindings, each cover richly decorated and occasionally painted in polychromes, featuring tooled, stamped and embossed geometric and arabesque motifs, some with intricate floral patterns, central medallions and corner-pieces, most with characteristic envelope flaps, several incorporating marbled endpapers, a traditional hallmark of Ottoman bookbinding, the vibrant crimson and deep ochre tones highlighting the luxury materials and the refined skills of Islamic master bookbinders.

The largest 33.3cm x 24cm, the smallest 21cm x 15cm

Ottoman bookbinding developed as a distinct art form from the 15th century, blending Persian and Islamic influences with unique Turkish styles. Craftsmen employed complex techniques, including gilding, burnishing, delicate tooling, and sometimes lacquering, to create covers that were both protective and highly decorative. The use of envelope flaps is a distinctive feature of Islamic bookbinding, serving to protect the manuscript edges.

Bindings such as these would have been commissioned for Qur’ans, poetry, and scholarly works, underscoring the owner’s wealth and cultural refinement. The survival of a matched group in such variety and quality is unusual, illustrating the evolution and breadth of the Islamic decorative arts of the book in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.