Lot 222 AN ILLUMINATED BIHARI DEVOTIONAL MANUSCRIPT, INDIA 17TH/18TH CENTURY

Arabic devotional manuscript on paper, each page arranged in 13 lines of black Bihari script. Qur’anic verses are marked by yellow-gold rosettes outlined with red dots, while surah headings are rendered in red ink. The text is enclosed within finely ruled double red borders. The two opening bifolia are richly illuminated with elaborate polychrome decoration. Housed in deep red morocco binding.

The manuscript comprises a varied collection of Qur’anic passages, prayers, supplications and devotional litanies, including the celebrated Hizb al-Bahr (Litany of the Sea) attributed to Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili (d. 1258), the Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of Allah (Asma’ al-Husna), and traditional names and epithets attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.

A richly compiled devotional volume bringing together Qur’anic recitation, litanies, invocations and formulas of praise, reflecting the enduring tradition of Islamic devotional practice. 13 by 21 cm