Name of Object:

Qur’an

Location:

Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey

Holding Museum:

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

 About Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Sultanahmet

Date of Object:

Hegira Rajab 899 / AD April 1494

Artist(s) / Craftsperson(s):

Calligrapher: Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah, AH 840?–926? / AD 1437?–1520?).

Museum Inventory Number:

402

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Finished (aharlı) paper, leather, ink, watercolour, gilding, tooling on the leather binding.

Dimensions:

Height 33.5 cm, width 23.5 cm

Period / Dynasty:

Ottoman

Provenance:

Istanbul, Turkey.

Description:

The work in all its aspects reflects the full maturity of the style for its time. It was produced as 265 folios of finished (aharli) paper with 14 lines per page of naskhi script in black ink. The book's introduction features a double-page illumination. The chapter title frames, marginal rosettes and the colophon page are also illuminated. The illumination includes freely brushed cloud compositions placed side by side with traditional motifs like Chinese-inspired floral motifs (e.g. peonies), arabesques, palmettes and spiralling tendrils. The attempt to reach beyond traditional compositional formulas continues in the illumination, placed in between letters and in the flower and leaf compositions springing from the frames or letters.

The leather binding is dark-red on the outside and dark-green on the inside. The symmetrical layout on both the inner (doublures) and outer covers comprises an oval medallion ending in palmette-shaped pendants and half-pendant corner-pieces within a wide border. The medallion, corner-pieces and pendants are outlined in gold and filled with vegetal compositions in the hatayi (chinoiserie) style. The decoration on the binding is tooled to a depth of 2 mm on the outer covers and to 1 mm on the inner covers. The balance between decorated and undecorated surfaces, and the surface difference in the decoration, makes for incredible depth. In contrast to the other parts of the binding, the flap is inscribed with Qur'anic verses (56: 77–9).

Sheikh Hamdullah established a school in Ottoman calligraphy that was known by his name. He was also a teacher of Sultan Bayezid II (r. AH 886–918 / AD 1481–1512). This work, transcribed by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah) in Rajab 899 (AD April 1494), is noteworthy for its surpassing of traditional models of illumination and especially for its masterful tooled binding and superb calligraphy. Thus, it is one of the most important works from the reign of Bayezid II, when Ottoman book arts started to assume their own identity.

View Short Description

This Qur'an was copied by Sheikh Hamdullah, who established a school of Ottoman calligraphy. Its calligraphy, illumination and exquisite binding make it a masterpiece of Early Ottoman period book arts.

Original Owner:

The name of the original owner is not known. However, the work bears the seals of both Sultan Mahmud I (r. AH 1143–68 / AD 1730–54), and the inspector of pious foundations (waqf), Derviş Mustafa, (in office during the first quarter of the AH 12th / AD 18th century). Although these seals do not identify the actual structure to which this Qur’an was dedicated, it is inferred that it was dedicated to a mosque or a tomb

How date and origin were established:

The colophon states that it was written in Rajab 899 / April 1494.

How Object was obtained:

The book was transferred to the Museum from the Library of the Ayasofya Mosque in Istanbul in 1914.

How provenance was established:

The high-quality calligraphy, illumination and binding of the work all suggest that it was produced in the Topkapı Palace workshops in Istanbul. Sultan Bayezid II was quite passionate about the art of calligraphy. When he was a prince governing Amasya, he was tutored in calligraphy by Sheikh Hamdullah (Hamd Allah). When he ascended the throne, he invited his tutor to teach calligraphy in Topkapı Palace. Thus, it is highly likely that this Qur'an was prepared for Sultan Bayezid II in the workshops of Topkapı Palace.

Selected bibliography:

Çığ, K., Türk Kitap Kapları (Turkish Book Bindings), Istanbul, 1971, Fig. IV.

Levenson, J. A. (ed), Circa 1492: Art in the Age of Exploration, Washington D.C., 1991, no. 81.

Ölçer, N. et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, Istanbul, 2002, pp.250–1.

Raby, J. and Tanındı, Z., Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century, London, 1993, pp.196–9.

Roxburgh, D. .J. (ed), Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600, London, 2005, p.441.

Citation of this web page:

Sevgi Kutluay "Qur’an" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;20;en

Prepared by: Sevgi Kutluay
Translation by: Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu
Translation copyedited by: Mandi Gomez


MWNF Working Number: TR 35