800s
Part of a set. See all set records
Gold, ink and colors on parchment
Overall: 26.7 x 73 cm (10 1/2 x 28 3/4 in.); Text area: 22.8 x 30 cm (9 x 11 13/16 in.)
The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1993.39.2.a
The text is from the Chapter of the Moon (54:13–27).
Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, was elevated above all other art forms in the Islamic world because Allah, God, revealed the divine word of Islam to the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabic language. Arabic script evolved gradually until the 800s when Muslim scribes produced copies of the Qur'an that were calligraphic masterpieces. This Qur'an, written entirely in gold, exemplifies the angular form of writing known as kufic at its majestic best. Distinctive markings—short ink strokes, colored dots—identify the vocalization of the text. The folio is framed by an interlacing border and displays a leafy motif in the outer margin.
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