Lot 1 A QURAN FOLIO IN KUFIC SCRIPT ON VELLUM, NEAR EAST OR NORTH AFRICA 9TH CENTURY
Arabic manuscript on vellum, 15 lines to the page written in elongated Kufic in dark brown ink, vocalization in the form of red dots, verses separated by small triangular clusters of three gold dots outlined in brown. Inscription: v.28 till v.45 from surah Anbiya 18.5 by 26 cm
The folio exemplifies the austere elegance of early Kufic calligraphy, in which clarity, balance, and visual authority take precedence over later ornamental excess. The illumination remains minimal yet purposeful, underscoring the sacred nature of the text without distracting from its legibility. A related folio from the same manuscript is preserved in the Aga Khan Museum under the accession number AKM293. The script and decorative program of this leaf are closely comparable to two folios in the Khalili Collection (inv. nos. KFQ13 and KFQ14), published by François Déroche (1992, pp. 54–55, no. 9). These parallels reinforce the attribution and dating of the manuscript and situate it firmly within the early tradition of Qur’anic production in the Islamic world.