Double parchment leaf from a Koran written in Kufi
Middle East, Iraq or Syria?; 9th century
Each leaf: 27 × 36.5 cm
Inventory number 17/1990
The leaves from this magnificent Koran written in gold and contoured with brown ink have a horizontal format. This is admirably suited to classical Kufi calligraphy, which became common under the early Abbasid caliphs. The length of the up and down strokes is limited, while there is a tendency to a horizontal prolongation. Vowels are indicated with colored dots, and consonant signs are found in the form of little oblique strokes. There are different kinds of markers for each verse, each fifth verse, and each tenth verse. The vase-like ornament in the margin is purely decorative.
The designation Kufi comes from the Iraqi city of Kufa, where this script was erroneously believed to have originated.
The designation Kufi comes from the Iraqi city of Kufa, where this script was erroneously believed to have originated.
Published in
Published in
Kjeld von Folsach, Torben Lundbæk and Peder Mortensen (eds.): Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world, The National Museum, Copenhagen 1996, cat. 94;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat. 2;
Marie Rehakova: Koran: vyvoj umelecke tradice, Plzen 2013, fig. 13, p. 45;
Thomas Hoffmann: “Hemmeligheder og afsløringer i Koranen,” Bibliana, 1, 2022 [Online];
Joachim Meyer, Rasmus Bech Olsen and Peter Wandel: Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2024, cat. 6, pp. 122-123;
Rasmus Bech Olsen: “Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam”, Orientations, 55:4, 2024, fig. 4, p. 36;
Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat. 2;
Marie Rehakova: Koran: vyvoj umelecke tradice, Plzen 2013, fig. 13, p. 45;
Thomas Hoffmann: “Hemmeligheder og afsløringer i Koranen,” Bibliana, 1, 2022 [Online];
Joachim Meyer, Rasmus Bech Olsen and Peter Wandel: Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2024, cat. 6, pp. 122-123;
Rasmus Bech Olsen: “Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam”, Orientations, 55:4, 2024, fig. 4, p. 36;
