Qur'an Manuscript Folio (recto) (left side of bifolio)
Unknown Artist
1300s–1400s
Medium
ink, gold, and colors on paper
Dimensions
sheet: 23.7 × 16.2 cm · text area: 15.4 × 8.5 cm
Classification
Drawing
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Edward L. Whittemore Fund
Accession Number
1933.473.2.a
About this artwork
It is through the Arabic language that the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 600s. As a result, calligraphy is celebrated as the highest form in Islamic art. The verses (ayat) written here come from the 53rd chapter (surah) of the Qur’an, also known as the Surah An-Najm, the Chapter of the Star. The significance of the Qur’an provides an explanation for the importance of calligraphy, but its use was not restricted to religious texts. Many objects in the museum's Islamic collecti...