Height 34.0 cm (13 3/16 in.), width 24.0 cm (9 1/2 in.)
LNS 63 MS (b)
This folio, together with three other examples in the collection, belongs to a widely dispersed Quran
manuscript thought to have been produced in Mashhad in eastern Iran. Written in ink on paper with
four lines to the page, the text was transcribed in an elegant script erroneously known as
"Qarmatian", a variant of the tenth century kufic. In this style the horizontal letters are more
compact and the verticals are considerably taller than the earlier kufic, giving the script a majestic
appearance. The vertical format of the page is most suitable to accommodate the tall letters of the
script. The use of red and blue diacritics rendered as short vowels instead of coloured dots
facilitates the reading of the scripts.
The bold rendition of the text, from Nisaa (IV: 173-75), contrasts the finely drawn pale ground with
floral scrolls enclosing blossoms. Similar designs appear on contemporary ceramics and metalwork.
