Sacred Script Exhibit: Qur’anic Manuscripts from the 8th to 16th centuries in the Minassian Collection
Case #5 | Materials and their properties
The choice of materials was an important element in the production and use of these texts. As much as they served as sources of knowledge and spiritual guidance, they were also examples of the state of technology in the early Islamic world. The first written recording of the Qur’anic verses, according to the biographical tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (sira), was made on palm fronds. This, however, was not a practical or durable structure for the later production of Qur’ans that would be carried to the various new territories of the Muslim world following the conquests. Instead, Qur’ans of the first several centuries consisted of bound sheets of vellum or parchment made from animal skins, usually sheep or goat. This was a highly durable material, but it was very costly to produce, and the size of sheets obtained was limited by the size of the skin. The introduction of paper production technology to the Arab world provided scribes with a new and more efficiently produced canvas for their art. By the 11th century, most manuscripts being produced were composed entirely of paper. Another benefit of writing on paper is that the ink is more completely absorbed by paper fibers, whereas ink on vellum dries on the surface of the skin, leaving it more vulnerable to flaking and loss. One can see this effect, coupled with the strange fact that dried ink remains better adhered over time to the smoother flesh side of a piece of parchment (as opposed to the porous hair side) in the two folios here. Under the same storage conditions over time, one has retained its ink surfaces, while the other has deteriorated to a much greater extent. Compare this with the quality of the inked surface in the paper folio.
Egyptian papyrus, it should be noted, was rarely used, and in most cases not in the context of Qur’anic manuscripts.
Qur’an, Surat al-Imran [3] …27-31… ink on parchment, 8-10th c.
Qur’an, Surat al-Imran [3] …56-68… ink on parchment, 8-10th c.
Qur’an, Surat al-Zumar [39] …63 ink on paper
Minassian Collection, A98-3 Box 1: Folders 36, 37 ; Box 2: 84