Timurid Quran Manuscript

Short description: 15th-century Quranic manuscript

Template:Infobox manuscript The Timurid Quran manuscript, also known as the Aqquyunlu Quran manuscript, is a 15th-century Timurid Quranic manuscript written on paper produced in the Ming dynasty.^[1] On 25 June 2020, it was sold at auction by Christie's for £7,016,250, surpassing its estimated value more than twelve-fold^[2] and rendering it the most expensive Quranic manuscript ever sold at the time.^[3]

Description

The manuscript consists of 534 folios, sized 22.6 x 15.5cm, largely comprised from dyed, gold-flecked paper manufactured in Ming China. Infused with lead white, the paper is described as having a soft and silk-like texture. It is variously coloured pink, purple, cream, orange, blue and turquoise, with some pages containing depictions of landscapes, flora and birds.^[1] The Arabic is written using naskh script, with thuluth script used for titling surahs and the thirty juz'.^[1]

Controversy

The sale of the manuscript was condemned by several academics, who argued it undermined its historical, cultural and spiritual value.^[4] Questions were also raised over its provenance, with critics stating Christie's' concealment of its details before the 1980s could obscure possible instances of looting and trafficking.^[3]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "A TIMURID OR AQQUYUNLU QUR'AN ON CHINESE PAPER , IRAN, 15TH CENTURY" (in en). https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6255702.
↑ "Rare Timurid-era Quran sells for over $8m at UK auction" (in en-GB). 2020-06-30. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200630-rare-timurid-era-quran-sells-for-over-8m-at-uk-auction/.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Rice, Stephennie Mulder and Yael. "The mystery of the Timurid Qur’an" (in en-US). https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/arts-and-books/the-mystery-of-the-timurid-quran.
↑ Sharp, Sarah Rose (2020-08-05). "The Sale of a Rare, Gold-painted Qur’an at Christie’s Raises Questions of Provenance" (in en-US). https://hyperallergic.com/575419/timurid-quran-christies-sale/.

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timurid Quran manuscript. Read more

[:0-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 "A TIMURID OR AQQUYUNLU QUR'AN ON CHINESE PAPER , IRAN, 15TH CENTURY" (in en). https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6255702.

[2] "Rare Timurid-era Quran sells for over $8m at UK auction" (in en-GB). 2020-06-30. https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200630-rare-timurid-era-quran-sells-for-over-8m-at-uk-auction/.

[:1-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Rice, Stephennie Mulder and Yael. "The mystery of the Timurid Qur’an" (in en-US). https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/arts-and-books/the-mystery-of-the-timurid-quran.

[4] Sharp, Sarah Rose (2020-08-05). "The Sale of a Rare, Gold-painted Qur’an at Christie’s Raises Questions of Provenance" (in en-US). https://hyperallergic.com/575419/timurid-quran-christies-sale/.