Qur'an Manuscript
Unknown Artist
15th–16th century
Medium
Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. Binding: leather; tooled and gilded
Dimensions
H. 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm) W. 11 11/16 in. (29.7 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1968
Accession Number
68.179
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Qur'an manuscript, dating to the 15–16th century, the pinnacle of Islamic calligraphy and book arts. Crafted by an unknown artist using ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, a finely tooled and gilded leather binding it measures an impressive 16½ by 11⅝ inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art department (acquired through the Rogers in 1968), codex represents a complete sacred text, meticulously transcribed to honor the divine word of the Qur'an. In Islamic tradition, calligraphy was revered as the noblest art form, transforming written scripture into a visua...