Walters Ms. W.853.I, Koran

W.853.I

Koran

Vernacular: القرآن

This square-format manuscript is volume 1, containing chapters 1-18 (Sūrat al-fātiḥah through Sūrat al-kahf), of an illuminated two-volume Qur'an produced in Sub-Saharan (West) Africa in the thirteenth century AH / nineteenth CE. The text is written in Sūdānī script in dark brown ink with vocalization in red on loose leaves. Chapter headings are in reddish-brown ink. Three yellow dots outlined in red arranged in a triangular form separate verses. Polychrome circular medallions as well as square and rectangular devices in a variety of patterns and colors mark textual divisions. The leaves of the text are organized between two decorated boards with geometric compositions. The pages and boards are housed in a leather pouch (satchel).

13th century AH / 19th CE

Sub-Saharan (West) Africa

Book

Scriptural

The primary language in this manuscript is Arabic.

Paper

Cream European laid paper, probably Italian; fragments of the tre lune watermark visible

Foliation: 468

Text begins on fol. 3a; first two leaves blank

Catchwords: On versos

Comments: Loose leaves, except for two bifolia at the beginning and end, stacked between boards

11.0 cm wide by 11.0 cm high

6.5 cm wide by 8.5 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 9

1. Title: al-Qurʾān
2. Text note: Contains chapters 1-18
3. Hand note: Written in a Sūdānī hand in dark brown ink with vocalization in red
4. Decoration note: Chapter headings in reddish-brown ink accompanied by marginal geometric designs; three yellow dots outlined in triangular form as verse markers; polychrome circular medallions as well as square and rectangular devices in a variety of patterns and colors as textual divisions of sixty (ḥizb), thirty (juzʾ), and seven (subʿ) sections

Upper board outside:

1. 
2. Title: Outside of the upper board
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: This upper board has a geometric design in a chevron pattern. The loose leaves of this Qur'an are sandwiched between this board and the lower board. It is common for Qur’ans from Muslim sub-Saharan Africa to assume this format.

Upper board inside:

1. 
2. Title: Inside of the upper board
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: The inside of this upper board is decorated with a star-shaped geometric design. The loose leaves of this Qur'an are sandwiched between this board and the lower board. It is common for Qur’ans from Muslim sub-Saharan Africa to assume this format.

fol. 2b:

1. 
2. Title: Incipit of chapter 1 with geometric decoration
3. Form: Incipit
4. Text: Sūrat al-fātiḥah
5. Label: This is the incipit for chapter 1 (Sūrat al-fātiḥah) with the chapter heading inscribed in reddish-brown ink. In the margin is a geometric design in reddish-brown, brown, and gold, which marks the start of a chapter (sūra).

fol. 3a:

1. 
2. Title: Painted tailpiece marking the end of chapter 1
3. Form: Tailpiece
4. Text: Sūrat al-fātiḥah
5. Label: This geometric design indicates the end of the first chapter (Sūrat al-fātiḥah), comprised of seven verses. It is painted in reddish-brown, green, yellow, and brown.

fol. 3b:

1. 
2. Title: Incipit of chapter 2 with geometric decoration
3. Form: Chapter heading
4. Text: Sūrat al-baqarah
5. Label: This is the incipit for chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah) with the chapter heading inscribed in reddish-brown ink. The chapter heading gives the name of the chapter, its number of verses, and place of revelation. In the margin is a geometric design in reddish-brown, brown, and gold, which marks the start of a chapter (sūra).

fol. 4a:

1. 
2. Title: Text page
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Sūrat al-baqarah
5. Label: This is one of the loose leaves upon which the text is written in Sūdānī script in dark brown ink with vocalization in red. Three yellow dots outlined in red arranged in a triangular form separate the verses.

Satchel front:

1. 
2. Title: Leather pouch (satchel)
3. Form: Leather pouch (satchel)
4. Label: The loose leaves and boards of this Qur'an are protected within a leather pouch (satchel) with a flap and thong on the outside.

The binding is original.

Two loose boards decorated on both sides with geometric designs and fastened with leather thongs; leaves and boards protected within a leather pouch (satchel) with flap and thong on the outside

Sam Fogg Rare Books and Manuscripts, London; Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, by purchase

Simpson, Marianna Shreve. “Expanding Boundaries: A Manuscript of the Qur’an from Sub-Saharan Africa (W.853).” Journal of the Walters Art Museum 62 (2004): 237-239.

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.