Walters Ms. W.575, Koran

W.575

Koran

Vernacular: القرآن

This small, illuminated single-volume copy of Qurʾan was produced in Iran in the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. The manuscript opens with an illuminated double-page incipit with the verses of chapter 1 (Sūrat al-fātiḥah) and the initial verses of chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah) decorated with interlinear illumination and framed by a polychrome border and headpieces of floral design on a blue ground (fols. 2b-3a). The text is written in a vocalized naskh script in black with reading marks in red and text divisions of sixty verses (ḥizb), thirty verses (juzʾ), and niṣf al-juzʾ inscribed in red in the margins. Illuminated discs with colored dots separate the verses. Chapter headings are in red or blue riqāʿ script on a gold background. The nineteenth-century lacquer binding with floral composition on a red field is contemporary with the manuscript.

13th century AH / 19th CE

Iran

Book

Scriptural

The primary language in this manuscript is Arabic.

Paper

Laid paper

Foliation: 184+1

Extent should be 185; last leaf incorrectly treated as a flyleaf in the foliation

Catchwords: On versos

6.5 cm wide by 9.5 cm high

4.0 cm wide by 7.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 23
3. Framing lines in black and gold; one frame around text plus an outer frame

1. Title: al-Qurʾān
2. Hand note: Written in small vocalized naskh script in black for main text; chapter headings in red or blue riqāʿ script on gold background; reading marks in red; text division (ḥizb, juzʾ, and niṣf al-juzʾ) indicated in words in red riqāʿ script
3. Decoration note: Illuminated double-page incipit (fols. 2b-3a); inner and outer framing lines in gold and black; illuminated discs with central red dots as verse markers

Upper board outside:

1. 
2. Title: Lacquer binding
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: This nineteenth-century lacquer binding has a floral composition on a red field.

fol. 2b:

1. 
2. Title: Right side of illuminated double-page incipit
3. Form: Incipit
4. Text: Chapter 1 (Sūrat al-fātiḥah)
5. Label: This is the right side of an illuminated double-page incipit. It is inscribed with the name of chapter 1 (Sūrat al-fātiḥah) and the phrase: lā yamassuhu illá al-muṭahharūn (only the ritually pure should touch it).

fol. 5a:

1. 
2. Title: Text page of chapter 2
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah)
5. Label: The text is written in a vocalized naskh script in black ink with reading marks in red. Illuminated discs with colored dots separate the verses.

fol. 183b:

1. 
2. Title: Text page of chapter 114
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Chapter 114 (Sūrat al-nās)
5. Label: The text is written in a vocalized naskh script in black ink with reading marks in red. Illuminated discs with colored dots separate the verses.

Inapplicable.

Contemporary with manuscript; lacquer binding with floral design on red ground (no flap); damaged with much loss; pastedowns of marbled paper

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Principal cataloger: Gacek, Adam

Catalogers: Landau, Amy; Smith, Sita

Editor: Bockrath, Diane

Conservators: Jewell, Stephanie; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Barrera, Christina; Emery, Doug; Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William; Simpson, Shreve; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Valle, Chiara

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.