Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript
Unknown Artist
second half 10th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions
H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm) W. 11 7/8 in. (30.2 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.152.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite folio from a Qur'an manuscript, dating to the second half of the 10th century, offers a glimpse into the golden age of early Islamic book arts. Crafted by an unknown scribe, it measures an impressive 14¼ by 11⅞ inches, typical of grand codices produced in regions like Iraq or Persia under Abbasid patronage. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1962), it exemplifies the reverence for the Qur'an—the sacred text of Islam—rendered in the monumental Kufic script, an angular, bold style that dominated early manuscripts for...