This item has been added to the Database within the Explore Islamic Art Collections project. Information is available in:English, Arabic. Name of Object:Bifolium from the 'Nurse's Qur'an' (Mushaf al-Hadina) Location:New York, United States of America Holding Museum:The Metropolitan Museum of Art About The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Date of Object:Hegira c. 410 / AD 1019–20 Museum Inventory Number:2007.191 Material(s) / Technique(s):Ink, opaque watercolour, and gold on parchment Dimensions:H: 44.5cm, W: 60cm Period / Dynasty:Zirid Provenance:Probably Qayrawan, Tunisia Description:The Mushaf al-hadina was commissioned for donation to the Great Mosque of Qayrawan by the nursemaid of the Zirid ruler Abu-Manad Badis ibn al-Mansur (r. A.D. 996–1016). Written in a form of kufic script that was unique to North Africa, it is remarkable not only for its calligraphy but also for two inscriptions providing documentary evidence it was commissioned by a female servant of a royal medieval household. Female patrons associated with the Zirid court, whether princesses or in royal service, were not uncommon. They commissioned Qur’ans to demonstrate their wealth and piety. The manuscript was copied on animal-derived parchment, which remained in use in this region long after a shift to paper took place in Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Iran. How Object was obtained:Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007 Selected bibliography:Campbell, Thomas P. (ed), The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012: 126, ill. (colour). Additional Copyright Information:The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, James and Diane Burke Gift, in honor of Dr. Marilyn Jenkins-Madina, 2007 Citation of this web page:"Bifolium from the 'Nurse's Qur'an' (Mushaf al-Hadina)" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;us;Mus23;49;en
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