A miniature octagonal Qur'an signed ‘Abdullah al-Harawi,
Timurid Herat, colophon (possibly added) with date of Dhu al-Hijjah 857 AH (December 1453)

Arabic manuscript on paper, 255 ff., plus two fly leaves, with 14.ll. of very neat black naskh to the page enclosed in a roundel with gold and outer blue rule, surah headers in white, opening bifolio illuminated with gold and polychrome interlace on a blue ground, with two different paper types, colophon possibly later, in gilt-stamped leather binding with openwork to interior,

Folio 5.6 x 5.7cm

Miniature octagonal Qur’ans, also known as?san?ak?(meaning banner in Turkish), grew in popularity in the 17th century. 16th century?san?aks, such as this one, are far rarer. The script is?ghubari?which literally means ‘dust’, denoting the intricate nature of the writing. The style developed due to belief in talismanic properties of inscribing certain verses of the Qur’an onto objects. This miniature Qur’an would be small enough to carry with the owner on a daily basis, usually around the neck, bringing them protection. Alternatively, they would be hung in their silver boxes on an ‘a(chǎn)lam?(standard) and carried into battle. Examples can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (acc.no.89.2.2156) and in the Morgan Library and Museum,

?'Abdullah al-Harawi, a scribe known as 'Tabbakh' , was one of the most famous scribes of 15th century Herat. He wrote in all calligraphic styles and designed inscriptions for buildings in Herat and Mashhad. His signed pieces are written in Herat and Samarqand between AH 833/1429-30 AD and AH 867/1462-63 AD. A calligraphic panel signed by ‘Abdullah al-Harawi was sold at Christie's 20 October 2016, Lot 7.

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