Description:

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE ILLUMINATED QURAN ON BLUE PAPER, 19TH CENTURY, QAJAR, IRAN

A complete Quran manuscript written in Riḥān script, illuminated with 24-carat gold. The illuminations are in the exquisite Safavid school style. A superb example of Safavid artistry. The entire Quran is written on 116 folios.

Full page dimensions: 36 x 23 cm
Text area dimensions: 25 x 15 cm

Six illuminated pages at the beginning, two in the middle, and two at the end.
Lacquer binding attributed to ‘Ali Ashraf,
This Quran dates back to the19th century.

Length x Width: 35.5 x 23cm

Arabic manuscript on deep blue-dyed paper, elegantly written in gold ink in naskh script, with surah headings in white and red, often framed by illuminated cartouches. Each folio displays beautifully executed gold margins and intricate floral and geometric marginal decoration. The opening bifolio is a masterclass in Qajar illumination, richly adorned with interlacing vines, arabesques, and polychrome rosettes in lapis, crimson, white, and gold

This manuscript exemplifies the luxurious Qur’anic production of the Qajar court, where manuscripts on coloured paper—particularly blue—were produced in very limited numbers due to the cost and complexity of the materials. The brilliance of its illumination, along with the use of gold ink on tinted paper, reflects both high craftsmanship and significant patronage.

Comparable examples:

  • A Qajar Quran on blue paper sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 27 April 2023, Lot 34, for £81,900.

  • Another illuminated Quran in gold on blue paper, Qajar, 19th century, realised £75,000 at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 26 April 2023, Lot 52.

  • A slightly smaller Persian Quran with gold script on indigo paper, also from the Qajar period, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 21 May 2018, Lot 10, for £56,250.

Note:
Qurans written on coloured paper—especially blue—are extremely rare and trace their inspiration to Timurid and Safavid imperial commissions, which revived and reinterpreted earlier Abbasid traditions. This Qajar example continues that legacy with opulence, masterful calligraphy, and vibrant, symmetrical design. Its excellent condition, paired with full-page illuminations and careful execution, suggests this was likely created for a high-ranking patron or as an exhibition of royal artistic patronage.

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
London, United Kingdom

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