Lot 99: AN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT QURAN. QAJAR PERSIA, 19TH CENTURY

An illuminated manuscript Quran of Qajar Persian origin, dating to the 19th century. The manuscript is bound in polychrome floral (gol-o-morgh) lacquer boards, featuring a dense arrangement of roses and other blossoms in shades of red, orange, and yellow on a dark brown ground, enclosed within a decorative border. The interior doublures consist of red lacquer decorated with a central spray of daffodils. The text is written in neat Arabic Naskh script on cream-coloured hand-laid paper, set within gold and blue ruled frames. The manuscript opens with a double-page index in a grid format with a heading reading fihrist kalam allah. This is followed by a double-page illuminated frontispiece (sarlawh) featuring intricate floral and geometric motifs in gold, lapis blue, and red, marking the beginning of Surah al-Fatiha and Surah al-Baqarah. Throughout the volume, Surah headings are inscribed in red ink within gold panels. The concluding pages include short Surahs from the end of the Qur’an and a prayer for the completion of the recitation, titled dua tilawat kalam allah al-majid in red ink.