Timurid Quran manuscript | |
---|---|
Also known as | Aqquyunlu Quran |
Date | 15th-century CE |
Place of origin | Iran |
Language(s) | Arabic |
Scribe(s) | Unknown |
Material | Paper |
Size | 22.6 x 15.5cm; 534 folios |
Format | Vertical |
Script |
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]
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]
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]
Timurid Quran manuscript | |
---|---|
Also known as | Aqquyunlu Quran |
Date | 15th-century CE |
Place of origin | Iran |
Language(s) | Arabic |
Scribe(s) | Unknown |
Material | Paper |
Size | 22.6 x 15.5cm; 534 folios |
Format | Vertical |
Script |
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]
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]
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]