Walters Ms. W.561, Koran

W.561

Koran

Vernacular: القرآن

This illuminated copy of the Qur'an was made for the library of the Mamluk official Aytimish al-Bajāsī (d. 802 AH / 1400 CE), established at Cairo’s Bāb al-Wazīr, according to the bequest (waqf) statement on fol. 3a. The manuscript contains verses 142-252 of chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah) and is volume 2 (al-juz’ al-thānī) of a 30-volume set. The text is written in large vocalized muḥaqqaq script in black ink with the alifs of prolongation superscripted in red ink. Rosettes with colored dots indicate each verse, and fifth and tenth verses as well as section divisions are marked by inscribed illuminated polychrome forms. The light brown goatskin binding is decorated with blind- and gold-tooled geometric designs and is contemporary with the manuscript.

Last quarter of the 8th century AH / 14th CE

Cairo

Book

Scriptural

The primary language in this manuscript is Arabic.

Paper

Arab paper with chain lines grouped in threes

Foliation: 51

First and last folios blank; text begins on fol. 3b

Catchwords: None

Comments: Manuscript made up of quinions (quires of ten folios)

26.5 cm wide by 37.0 cm high

16.0 cm wide by 25.0 cm high

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 5

1. Title: al-Qurʾān
2. Incipit: سيقول الشفهاء من الناس ...
3. Text note: Contains verses 142-252 of chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah)
4. Hand note: Written in vocalized muḥaqqaq script in black ink with the alifs of prolongation superscripted in red
5. Decoration note: Illuminated bequest (waqf) statement (fol. 3a); rosettes with colored dots for verse markers; fifth and tenth verses as well as section divisions marked by inscribed polychrome forms

Upper board outside:

1. 
2. Title: Binding
3. Form: Binding
4. Label: This light brown goatskin binding, contemporary with the manuscript, is decorated with blind- and gold-tooled geometric designs. There are traces of blue pigment.

fol. 3a:

1. 
2. Title: Titlepiece with bequest (waqf) statement in the name of the Mamluk Amīr Aytimish
3. Form: Titlepiece; bequest statement
4. Label: This illuminated titlepiece in its rectangular panel is inscribed al-juzʾ al-thānī min al-rabʿah al-sharīfah on a blue background with gold arabesques. Below is a bequest (waqf) statement in the name of the Mamluk Amīr Aytimish (also Aytmish) [al-Bajāsī] (d. 802 AH / 1400 CE) for the library of the Madrasah (later known as al-Madrasah al-Aytimishīyah), which he established at Cairo's Bāb al-Wazīr.

fol. 3b:

1. 
2. Title: Text page from chapter 2
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah), 2:142-143
5. Label: The text is written in a large, vocalized muḥaqqaq script in black ink with the alifs of prolongation superscripted in red. An illuminated rosette with red and blue dots separates the verses.

fol. 4a:

1. 
2. Title: Text page from chapter 2
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah), 2:143
5. Label: This page shows five lines of vocalized muḥaqqaq script in black ink.

fol. 49b:

1. 
2. Title: Text page from chapter 2
3. Form: Text page
4. Text: Chapter 2 (Sūrat al-baqarah), 2:251-252
5. Label: The text is written in large, vocalized muḥaqqaq script in black ink with the alifs of prolongation superscripted in red ink. The rosette with colored dots is a verse marker.

The binding is original.

Light brown goatskin (with flap); blind- and gold-tooled geometric designs, including a central lobed oval and cornerpieces; doublures of very thin, light brown leather stamped in relief with large arabesque patterns; traces of blue pigment present

Bequest (waqf) statement in the name of the Mamluk Amīr Aytimish (also Aytmish) [al-Bajāsī] (d. 802 AH / 1400 CE) for the library of the Madrasah (later known as al-Madrasah al-Aytimishīyah), which he established at the Bāb al-Wazīr in Cairo (fol. 3a)

Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters bequest

Principal cataloger: Gacek, Adam

Catalogers: Landau, Amy; Smith, Sita

Editor: Bockrath, Diane

Conservators: Jewell, Stephanie; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Barrera, Christina; Emery, Doug; Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William; Simpson, Shreve; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.; Valle, Chiara

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.