[ILLUMINATED QUAJAR QURAN MANUSCRIPT] Illuminated Qurʾān Manuscript with Shīʿī Marginal Commentary (Qajar Period, Iran).

[Modern day Iran, ca. 1780–1820]. 12mo (11.5 × 7 cm). Contemporary decoratively lacquered pasteboards with leather spine (additional decorative patterns inside boards); [233] leaves of Arabic manuscript on paper to rectos and versos, 19 lines per page, written in a neat naskh hand with vocalization in the same ink, and sūra headings in red thuluth, with illumination; double-page illuminated first Surah. With marginal commentary (ḥawāshī) in a fine nastaʿlīq script throughout. Housed in original (?) paper-covered box. First blank leaf with ownership inscription, likely in Albanian written in Arabic script ("Aljamiado"). ”Light overall wear; the lacquered boards lightly faded along edges; internally very good. Item #55302

The marginal commentary (ḥawāshī), written in a fine nastaʿlīq script, comprises:

• Asbāb al-nuzūl (occasions of revelation),
• Faḍāʾil al-suwar (virtues and devotional benefits of the chapters, recommended recitation counts),
• Guidance on recitation and complementary supplications.

These notes are attributed to Shīʿī Imams, most prominently Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, with further citations from Imām Muḥammad al-Bāqir and Imām ʿAlī al-Riḍā.

Opening Folios and Illumination

The Qurʾān opens with Sūrat al-Ḥamd, displayed across a finely balanced double-page spread. The right-hand folio carries the text of the sūrah, written within a neatly ruled frame in black, gold, and carmine. Around the central text extends a continuous illumination of intertwined vines, blossoms, and half-medallions (nīm-shamsahs). These gilded half-medallions, filled with colourful blossoms, are set against a rich lapis-lazuli blue ground. The palette includes gold,
coral, carmine, lapis-lazuli and sky blue, lilac, and electrum. The interlinear spaces within the text of the sūrah itself are brushed with delicate gilding, giving the written passages a soft reflective shimmer. The composition of the right-hand folio is structured within multiple rectangular ruled frames in red and gold, establishing a rhythmic geometry around the text.

The left-hand folio is dominated by a large būta (paisley) motif—derived from the sarv or cypress tree, its head bending humbly and gracefully over its own body, subtly extending downward—evoking the presence of roots, visually reinforcing its symbolic link to the cypress, regarded as the form’s original symbolism. The motif, outlined in gold and carmine and left in the natural parchment tone of the paper, encloses a text on the virtues of the chapter al-Ḥamd,
citing the devotional properties of the chapter as transmitted in succession through Imām al-Riḍā, Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, and the Prophet Muḥammad. The interlinear spaces of the text within the būta show the same light gilded brushing found consistently throughout the manuscript, a decorative convention unifying the main text, commentary, and illuminated elements in a single aesthetic system.

The following bifolium mirrors this arrangement: the right-hand folio bears a būta enclosing the virtues of Sūrat al-Baqara, and the left-hand folio presents the beginning of the chapter. The transmissions here differ, cited through ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (Imām al-Sajjād), who reports directly from the Prophet Muḥammad, followed by Imām al-Riḍā. The same palette and ornamental scheme are sustained throughout, continuing the manuscript’s measured rhythm and
decorative unity. The composition and colour harmony are consistent with Qajar manuscript aesthetics.

Illumination and Binding

Polychrome rosette verse markers, outlined in lapis blue, punctuate the text, while delicately painted marginal medallions mark Qurʾānic divisions such as juzʾ and identify chapters requiring prostration (sujda) during recitation or listening.

These marginal ornaments are both aesthetically and structurally derived from the cartouches of the sūrah headings: the intricate motifs concentrated within the headings appear to unfold and manifest independently along the margins, establishing a refined visual continuity between illumination and script. The text is framed within gold and black double- and triple-ruled borders, with delicately gilded interlinear spaces that enhance the rhythm and luminosity of the
page. The same method of gilding is also applied to the marginal commentaries. The binding is of lacquered pasteboard, hand-painted with polychrome floral and foliate motifs. The composition consists of bold blossoms and leaves arranged within a series of lightly impressed cartouches, traces of gold pigment suggesting that the borders were once outlined or embellished in gold. The overall execution is confident yet modest, showing a careful decorative
effort rather than the refined luxury bindings of the period. The doublures are also of lacquered pasteboard, ornamented in gold pigment with a continuous pattern of small blossoms linked by fine scrolling stems, enclosed within double-ruled borders and a narrow frame of repeating leaf motifs. The design combines light impression with freehand gilding, its complete though unrefined execution harmonizing with the manuscript’s restrained aesthetic.

Box

The manuscript is preserved in a rectangular wooden box covered in dark green leather. The lid is imprinted with a fine gilt scroll border, the back patterned with lightly pressed lozenges, and the clasp a small gilt-coloured metal fitting of elegant form. Inside, one panel is lined with green silk velvet of devotional hue, softly cushioned beneath; the opposite panel is plain, its lining apparently lost. The green interior suggests the box was purpose-made for a religious work, its craftsmanship modest but in harmony with the manuscript’s overall character.

Date: Undated; however, the illumination and decorative style suggest a date not earlier than the late eighteenth century, most probably Qajar, with a late Zand attribution being the earliest plausible dating.

Price: €8,000.00

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