TWO ILLUMINATED QUR'AN SECTIONS: JUZ IV AND JUZ XXI
Mamluk Syria or Egypt, 15th Century

Juz IV, complete, on wove paper, composed of 27 leaves featuring 7 lines to the page written in muhaqqaq script with black ink, diacritics in red, verse (ayat) separators in the form of gilded rosettes punctuated with red and blue dots, section markers and titles written in gold (chrysography) in elegant thuluth calligraphy. Single opening page with illuminated cartouche containing the title in thuluth script reserved against a blue background with gilded foliage and a round shamsa medallion with text arranged in three lines surrounded by cloud interlinear motif on a red hatched ground. The frontispiece also bears a later inscription dated 1232 AH. Brown leather Mamluk binding with flap impressed with a central lobed medallion with central geometric interlaced decoration highlighted with gilded dots. Doublure also decorated with stenciled interlaced split palmettes.

Juz XXI, complete, on wove paper, composed of 20 leaves and 2 flyleaves (one with commentary). 9 lines to the page written in muhaqqaq script with black ink. Verse separators in the form of gilded rosettes punctuated with red and blue dots, hizb separators and prostration markers with illuminated almond shaped medallion with white inscriptions against a red, blue and gilded background. Surah headings written in elegant thuluth script in gold. Single opening page with illuminated cartouche containing the title in thuluth script reserved against a blue background with gilded foliage and a round decorative shamsa medallion containing three lines of text in thuluth script surrounded by cloud interlinear motif on a red hatched ground and foliate gilded decoration over blue and red ground on the edges. A second round medallion extolling the Prophet is at the end, including two lines of thuluth script over gilded and red background. Brown leather binding (spine detached) tooled with central lobed almond shaped medallion with pendants outlined with gold. Doublure also decorated with stenciled interlaced split palmettes.
Both manuscripts bear a deed of endowment (waqf) at the top of most pages, according to a practice attested as early as the 9th century AD and subsequently spread widely to such an extent that waqf sometimes applied to entire libraries (Deroche F. et al, Islamic Codicology, Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London 2005, p. 330-331).

27cm x 18cm (folio)

Condition: Evidence of water damage, mould and foxing. The volumes are fragmentary and in fragile condition. Several tears to the edges and spine. Losses and rubbing to the ink and gold leaf.