Sacred Script Exhibit: Qur’anic Manuscripts from the 8th to 16th centuries in the Minassian Collection
Case #3 | Illumination and the aesthetics of the text
Although this law was by no means strictly adhered to by the artists of the Islamic world, the general prohibition against figural art in Muslim society did much to affect the way in which calligraphy flourished as one of the premier modes of artistic expression. However, it was not only the subtle work of the pen that gave such grace to the manuscripts of the Qur’an; this delicate and precise beauty was amplified by illuminations within the text, consisting of verse markers, elaborate gilded chapter headings, and other embellishments that demonstrated the skill of the various members of a workshop. Inks containing precious materials, such as gold and lapis lazuli, added to the richness and mystique of this sensual engagement with the divine word. The appearance of ornamentation such as the exquisite illuminations seen here are testament to the reverence felt not only for the aural experience of poetry and verse, but also increasingly for the text itself as a holy object.
Qur’an, Surat al-Nur [24] …57-64… ink on paper, gilding and gold flecks on paper
Qur’an, Surat al-Sajdah [32] …3-20… ink on paper
Minassian Collection, A98-3 Box 2: Folders 159 and 165