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Qur'an
(Manuscripts and Rare Books, Islamic World , Islamic Manuscripts)
Walters manuscript W.559 is an illuminated copy of the Qur'an and was excecuted in Sha'ban 723 AH/AD 1323 by Mubarakshah ibn Qutb, honored with the epithet zarrin qalam (golden pen). Mubarakshah ibn Qutb was one of the 6 pupils of the illustrious calligrapher Yaqut al-Musta'simi (d. 698 AH/AD 1298). This manuscript, with a colophon signed and dated by Mubarakshah (fol. 432a), was produced in Ilkhanid, Iran. It opens with a double-page illuminated frontispiece of geometric design painted in blue, black, gold, and green (fols. 1b-2a). Additional ornamentation includes verse markers and textual dividers. The Qur'anic text is written in Naskh script in black ink with chapter headings in gold Tawqi" outlined in black. The Persian interlinear translation in red Naskh likely belongs to a later stage of the manuscript's history, when it was rebound and furnished with new margins. The black goatskin binding has a gold-tooled design of a central lobed medallion, pendants, and cornerpieces with doublures of brown leather and filigree decoration. It probably dates to the 10th century AH/AD 16th.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2007 | Speaking the Word of God: Illuminated Korans from the Walters Art Museum. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1997 | The Divine Word and Sacred Sites of Islam. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1995-1996 | Power of the Pen: Islamic Calligraphy in the Fourteenth Century. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington. |
| 1988 | Masterpieces of Ornament. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1984-1985 | Illuminated Manuscripts: Masterpieces in Miniature. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 12/3/1974 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 1/16/1975 | Treatment | stabilized |
| 7/11/2016 | Treatment | examined for exhibition; media consolidation |
Geographies
Iran, Ilkhanid (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Folio H: 7 5/16 x W: 5 5/16 in. (18.5 x 13.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
W.559
