Sotheby’s sells paper from Egyptian Quran dating back to Mamluk era

CAIRO – 4 April 2022: Under the title "Art of the Islamic World & India Including Luxurious Carpets" Sotheby's held its auction in March 2022.

Many archaeological artifacts were sold, including a large Qur’an page in the Muhaqqaq script on pink paper, dating back to the Mamluk era in Egypt around 728 AH / 1327 AD.

The page contains verses from Surat Al-Shura, and the price of the paper was estimated between £3000 and £4000. However, it was sold for £2,520.

Sotheby’s described the Qur’an paper as an Arabic manuscript consisting of 13 lines written in al-Muhaqqaq al-Arid [Wide Muhaqqaq font] in black ink. Verse sections are outlined with gold rosettes, and an engraving in the upper margin. The  marginal verse markers are decorated.

It is noteworthy that this folio is taken from a large Mamluk Qur’an related in style and calligraphy to several examples from the 30s of the 13th century, especially a manuscript in the National Library in Cairo dated 1331; another in the National Library in Cairo dated 1334; one in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, dated 1332-36; and one in the Iran Bastan Museum, Tehran, dated 1338-39.

Another folio of the same Qur'an is in the collection of the Aga Khan Museum and has been shown in the exhibition “Soul and Life, Masterpieces of Islamic Art from the collection of the Aga Khan Museum”, Parma and London during March-August 2007.