Folio from a Qur'an Manuscript

Art Historical Context

This exquisite folio from a 14th-century Qur'an manuscript, crafted by an unknown artist, exemplifies the pinnacle of Islamic calligraphy. Measuring an impressive 19½ by 14 inches (49.5 by 35.5 cm), it features meticulously rendered ink on paper, forming a single page from a larger codex—a bound book format that revolutionized manuscript production in the Islamic world by the 9th century. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department (acquired through the Louis E. and Theresa S. Seley Purchase Fund in 1979), it invites visitors to marvel at the sacred text's visual harmony....