Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

Ashmolean − Eastern Art Online, Yousef Jameel Centre for Islamic and Asian Art

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Page from a Qur’an in maghribi scriptfront

© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

  • Page from a Qur’an in maghribi script (back)
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Page from a Qur’an in maghribi script

  • Description

    Unlike the rest of the Islamic world, where Qur’ans were written on paper from the 11th century on, North Africa and Spain continued to copy the revelation on parchment well into the 15th century. This page is written in a round script known as maghribi that is considered to be a further evolution of kufic, and occurred in Maghreb (North Africa), hence the name.

    Compared to earlier examples, the text on this page (Qur’an, 80:24-32) is written more clearly and is easier to read. Each letter is accompanied by diacritical marks, as well as by vowels and pauses, conveniently marked in a different ink from the main words. The page also contains illuminated verse divisions, in the form of gold knots, and drop-shaped and round medallions in the margin which indicate the fifth and tenth verse stop respectively.

  • Details

    show all
    Associated place
    Africa › North Africa (possible place of creation)
    Europe › Spain (possible place of creation)
    Date
    13th century (1201 - 1300)
    Material and technique
    ink, colour, and gold on parchment
    Dimensions
    27.2 x 26.5 cm max. (height x width)
    Material index
    processed material › parchment,
    organic › animal › skin › parchment,
    processed material › metal › gold
    Technique index
    marked › painted,
    decorated › painted,
    painted,
    covered › coated › painted
    Object type index
    visual representation › painting,
    communications equipment › manuscript,
    religious/ritual equipment,
    visual representation › calligraphy
    No. of items
    1
    Credit line
    Purchased, 1993.
    Accession no.
    EA1993.395

Glossary

kufic

  • kufic

    A term denoting various styles of angular Arabic script. Emerged in the early centuries of Islam, kufic soon became the preferred hand to copy holy texts.

Past Exhibition

see (1)

Location

    • currently in research collection

Objects are sometimes moved to a different location. Our object location data is usually updated on a monthly basis. Contact the Jameel Study Centre if you are planning to visit the museum to see a particular object on display, or would like to arrange an appointment to see an object in our reserve collections.

 

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