Octagonal Koran written in Naskh on blue paper

Iran; Dhu al-qada 1080 H = March 1670

Each leaf: 8.3 × 8 cm

Inventory number 41/1999

This octagonal Koran is unusual because of its shape, its small format, and its paper dyed blue and written in gold Naskh.

Another exceptional feature is its inclusion of the name of the person who commissioned it, al-hajj Abd al-Samad al-Musawi, the head of the trade guild in an unidentified city. The title hajj shows that he had made the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The name of the calligrapher was also included: Abdallah ibn Muhammad Hussain ibn Ali al-Mazandarani. The lacquer binding, decorated with flowers and leaves and various friezes, dates to the 19th century and is typical of the Qajar period.

Published in

Kjeld von Folsach: Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection, Copenhagen 2001, cat.no. 12;
Joachim Meyer, Rasmus Bech Olsen and Peter Wandel: Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam, The David Collection, Copenhagen 2024, fig. 30, pp. 48-49;