

Leaf from a Qur'an manuscript, 13th–14th century
Attributed to Spain
Ink, colors, and gold on vellum
Attributed to Spain
Ink, colors, and gold on vellum
21 1/16 x 22 in. (53.5 x 55.9 cm)
Rogers Fund, 1942 (42.63)
This leaf comes from a magnificent two-volume Quran. The line of gold maghribi script at the top is the chapter, or sura, heading. The medallion in the left margin contains a brilliantly conceived two-layer vegetal pattern. In Qurans from the early Islamic period, such medallions took the form of palmettes, but by the time this Quran was copied, this pattern had assumed a preeminent position in the ornamental vocabulary.
This work of art also appears on Connections: Writing







