Lot 102: A LARGE ILLUMINATED AND CALLIGRAPHED ILKHANID OR TIMURID QURAN FOLIO, PERSIA CENTRAL ASIA, 14TH TO 15TH CENTURY A.D

This double-sided illuminated manuscript leaf is a folio from a dispersed large-format Quran, likely originating from Iran or Central Asia during the Ilkhanid or Timurid period, circa 14th to 15th century. The folio features eleven lines of large, bold Arabic calligraphy in Muhaqqaq script, executed in black ink with full vocalisation and diacritics. Positioned between the lines of Arabic is a smaller interlinear translation in Persian, written in a fine cursive script using red ink. The text contains verses from Surah Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage).

The folio is decorated with intricate illumination. On one side, two prominent marginal ornaments (shamsas) are present: a large circular medallion at the bottom with a radiating border of red-petalled motifs and a golden centre, and a lobed, triangular ornament above it featuring a pointed finial and gold-leaf floral scrolls. Individual verses are separated by small circular gold rosettes outlined in black and punctuated with polychrome dots. The central areas of the large marginal ornaments contain stylised inscriptions, possibly numerals or section markers, which are not clearly legible. The work is executed on toned hand-made paper using ink, gold leaf, and mineral-based pigments.

42 by 31cm