Pocket Qur'an

Not on view

The small size of this finely illuminated Qur’an manuscript renders it a portable, intimate object with protective powers. Its use as a talisman is further confirmed by an annotation in a cartouche that refers to it as tilism (Arabic word for "talisman") and the inclusion of a Qur’anic divination chart (fal-i Qur’an) at the back of the manuscript.

Pocket Qur'an, Manuscript: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Binding: Pasteboard, opaque watercolor and gold under transparent lacquer varnish

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