Qur'an on Chinese paper
Type:
Qur'ans
Date:
Fifteenth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
Iran
Medium:
Paper
Dimensions:
22.6 × 15.5cm
Description:
This Timurid or Aqquyunlu Qur'an was written on gold-flecked Chinese paper of varying colors. The high-quality paper also includes delicate golden landscapes, trees, and flowers characteristic of Ming-period painting. These designs are not always oriented in the same direction as the text itself. This hybrid object speaks to a period of exchange between China and the Islamicate world. During the production of the Qur'an, additional gold was used for the verse markers, marginal medallions, and sura headings. Certain pages have entire panels rendered in gold. Christie's sold the Qur'an in June 2020 for £7 million (almost $9 million USD), the highest auction price for a Qur'an.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
10,
11
Repository and Online Resources:
• Watch a video with close-ups of the pages.
• See the object description on the Christie's website.
• Read about the controversy surrounding the sale of the Qur'an.
• Read about other Persian manuscripts copied on paper from Ming China on the website of the British Library.
Image Credits:
Christie's (via Wikimedia Commons)
