Qur'an Bookbinding with Floral Arabesques and an Inscription from the Hadith

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 462

This elaborate book-cover, with its medallions containing elegant and complex floral ornaments, was certainly intended to protect a high quality manuscript. The Arabic inscription that runs around the plates' borders clearly indicates that this cover was meant for a copy of the Qur'an: it mentions words traditionally attributed to the prophet Muhammad, including the phrase "He who wants to speak with God should read the Qur'an."

Qur'an Bookbinding with Floral Arabesques and an Inscription from the Hadith, Leather; stamped, tooled, and gilded

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Qur'an Bookbinding with Floral Arabesques and an Inscription from the Hadith, Leather; stamped, tooled, and gilded
Qur'an Bookbinding with Floral Arabesques and an Inscription from the Hadith, Leather; stamped, tooled, and gilded

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