[al-Qurʼān, 9th or 10th century].

Fragment from an Early ʿAbbāsid Qur’ān carrying final words of Sūrat al-Mulk (67) verse 23 through opening word of Sūrat al-Qalam (68) verse 19.

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Library, Isl. Ms. 1049

Origin: Script and ornament would suggest 9th or 10th century as proposed by Déroche (see The Abbasid tradition, p.37).

Former shelfmark: Kelsey 64.2.4

Support: Parchment ; recto is hair side.

Decoration: Four oblique strokes one above the other (Déroche style 1.1.1) mark verse divisions ; roundels / medallions of Déroche style 2' A.II mark ten verses ; illuminated hāʼ (abjad numeral 5) marks five verses ; illuminated sūrah heading for the opening of Sūrat al-Qalam, "سورة ن والقلم خمسون واثنان" chrysographed.

Script: Kufic or Early ʻAbbāsid script of Déroche style D.IV (see George, The Rise of Islamic calligraphy, p.151 and Déroche, The Abbasid tradition, p.36-37) ; short vowels provided in the form of red discs.

Layout: Written in 15 lines per page.

Collation: Single leaf.

Title supplied by cataloguer.

Ms. fragment.

(verso) Sūrat al-Qalam (68) verse 1 through opening word of verse 19 (68:1-19a)

(recto) Sūrat al-Mulk (67) final words of verse 23 through verse 30 (67:23-30) followed by illuminated heading for Sūrat al-Qalam (68)

Grube, Ernest J. Calligraphy and the decorative arts of Islam. (London: Bluett & Sons Ltd, 1976),

Soucek, Patricia. Islamic art from the University of Michigan collections : Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, February 4 - April 16, 1978. (Ann Arbor : Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, University of Michigan, c1978),

Whelan, Estelle. "Writing the word of God: some early Qurʼān manuscripts and their milieux, part I." Ars Orientalis 20, (1990):

George, Alain. The Rise of Islamic calligraphy. London: Saqi, 2010.

Déroche, François. The Abbasid tradition : Qurʼans of the 8th to the 10th centuries AD. The Nasser D. Khalili collection of Islamic art, v. 1. New York : Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, c1992.

Déroche, François. Les manuscrits du coran. Aux origines de la calligraphie coranique. Catalogue des manuscrits arabes. Deuxième partie: manuscrits musulmans, Tome I, 1. Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, 1983.

Fragment from an Early ʿAbbāsid Qur’ān carrying final words of Sūrat al-Mulk (67) verse 23 through opening word of Sūrat al-Qalam (68) verse 19.

Mode of access: Internet.

Gift of Dr. Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882-1971) who served as the Unversity of Michigan’s seventh president from 1929 to 1951 ; transferred to Rare Book Room from Kelsey Museum.