Collection Online as of December 1, 2023

Leaf from a Qur'an

1100s

Part of a set. See all set records

Seljuk Iran

Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

Sheet: 32 x 21.3 cm (12 5/8 x 8 3/8 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1939.507

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

Calligraphers and poets enjoyed higher status than painters and architects in Islamic countries.

Description

Arabic calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, was elevated above all other art forms in the Islamic world because Allah, or God, revealed the divine word of Islam to the Prophet Muhammad (570–632) in the Arabic language. This Qur'an page is considered one of the most splendid examples of Arabic calligraphy. Based on the proportions of Arabic letters, majestic eastern Kufic script features attenuated letters with long upstrokes and low strokes swaying to the left. Contours echoing the letters separate the sacred text from the lively arabesque background. This vertical layout on paper replaces the earlier horizontal format on parchment.

Inscriptions

Inscription

Sura al-Nisa 4: 157-160. Script: Eastern Kufi (four lines to a page)

Inscription Remark

The text, from the Sura al-Nissa (the Women), gives the Islamic view of the crucifixion of Christ.

Provenance

?-1939

(Heeramaneck Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)

1939-

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Citations

Gertsman, Elina and Barbara H. Rosenwein. The Middle Ages in 50 Objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Mentioned: pp. 26–29; Reproduced: p. 27

Exhibition history

Main Gallery Rotation (Gallery 116). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (December 15, 2014-December 14, 2015). (1939.507.a only)

Art: The International Language. The Cleveland Museum of Art (October 2-November 4, 1956).