Cleveland Museum of Art

Qur'an Manuscript Folio (recto); left side of bifolio

Date

800s

Medium

gold, ink and colors on parchment

Culture

North Africa, Aghlabid or Abbasid Period, 9th century

Department

Islamic Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, was elevated above all other art forms in the Islamic world because Allah, God, revealed the divine word of Islam to the Prophet Muhammad in the Arabic language. Arabic script evolved gradually until the 800s when Muslim scribes produced copies of the Qur'an that were calligraphic masterpieces. This Qur'an, written entirely in gold, exemplifies the angular form of writing known as kufic at its majestic best. Distinctive markings—short ink strokes, colored dots—identify the vocalization of the text. The folio is framed by an interlacing border and displays a leafy motif in the outer margin. The text is from the Chapter of the Moon (54:13–27).

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