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Section from a Qur'an Manuscript

Calligrapher `Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)
Not on view
This fragment of a page comes from one of the largest copies of the Qur'an ever produced. Each line of script, written in the muhaqqaq style, is over three feet long, and each page was originally over seven feet tall. This page probably comes from a gigantic Qur'an that the calligrapher 'Umar Aqta' wrote for the ruler Timur (Tamerlane, d. 1405). Apparently Timur was unimpressed after 'Umar Aqta' wrote a Qur'an so small that it could fit under a signet ring, so the calligrapher wrote another Qur'an so large it had to be brought to Timur on a cart.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Section from a Qur'an Manuscript
  • Calligrapher: `Umar Aqta'
  • Date: late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)
  • Geography: Attributed to present-day Uzbekistan, Samarqand
  • Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
  • Dimensions: Page: Ht. 28 3/4 in. (73.0 cm)
    W. 42 in. (106.7 cm)
    Frame: Ht. 79 1/2 in. (201.9cm)
    W. 55 in. (139.7 cm)
    D. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm)
  • Classification: Codices
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
  • Object Number: 21.26.13
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Folio from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta', `Umar Aqta', Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Folio from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta'
`Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)
Section from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta', `Umar Aqta', Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Section from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta'
`Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)
Section from a Qur'an Manuscript, `Umar Aqta', Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Section from a Qur'an Manuscript
`Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)
Section of a Qur'an Manuscript, `Umar Aqta', Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Section of a Qur'an Manuscript
`Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century
Section from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta', `Umar Aqta', Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Section from the "Qur'an of `Umar Aqta'
`Umar Aqta'
late 14th–early 15th century (before 1405)

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