Lot 226 TWO OTTOMAN ILLUSTRATED FOLIOS FROM A DALA’IL AL-KHAYRAT, TURKEY EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Two polychrome painted paper folios depicting al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, rendered in a highly stylised architectural manner with vibrant red, blue, green and pink pigments. Each composition is framed by elaborate geometric and ornamental borders, enhancing the devotional and decorative character of the folios.

The distinctive stylised treatment is characteristic of devotional manuscript illustrations associated with the Dala’il al-Khayrat, the celebrated collection of prayers and blessings composed by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli (d. 1465), which was widely copied, illustrated and illuminated throughout the Islamic world.

15 × 24 cm each