Details

Subject(s)

• Islamic illumination of books and manuscripts—Specimens [Browse]

Former owner

• Monif, Hassan Khan, -1968 [Browse]

Summary note

Dual-page illuminated copy of al-Fātiḥah, the first sūrah of the Qurʼān. The leaves are both blank on the verso, are written on thin paper and have been remounted onto machine-made paper.

Notes

• Binding: Leaves are loose.
• Decoration: Text in white, surrounded by small, polychrome flowers, set onto a central gold medallion, itself set within a blue and gold patterned field. Polychrome and gold flowers and vines appear throughout the background pattern. The medallion is framed by lines of cartouches in red, white, light purple, light blue, blue, beige, and white. Surrounding the frame, the outer margins are also entirely covered in a different blue and gold patterned field also set with flowers and vines. A set of rules in blue, gold, red, green, wider gold, pink, and blue appear along what would be the gutter side of the leaf.
• Dimensions of original manuscript: 410 x 260 (250 x 135) mm.
• Foliation: No foliation, no catchwords.
• Laid, non-European paper; no visible chain lines.
• Layout: Written in 6 lines in a central medallion.
• Origin: Item is undated, but perhaps produced in the 16th century.
• Script: Written in muḥaqqaq in white ink lined in black; pointed and vocalized.
• Title supplied by cataloger.

Reproduction note

Electronic reproduction. Philadelphia, Pa. : University of Pennsylvania Libraries, 2019.

Original version

Original: [Dual-page illuminated copy of al-Fātiḥah] (NEP 17), University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Location of originals

• Original Columbia, Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
• OPenn University of Pennsylvania Libraries.

Language note

Arabic.

Source acquisition

Gift of H. Khan Monif in 1928

Publications about

Quick, Jennifer, Magnificent Objects from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Philadelphia. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Plate: 160. 9781931707633

Cite as

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology NEP 17

OCLC

1114308373

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