Prayer Book

ca. 1900

Not on view

This prayer book comprises a compilation of loose folios that are held together within a leather wrap-cover. This construction is characteristic of West African devotional bookmaking traditions. The text is written in the barnavi script (particular script from Borno), common in Nigeria and Chad and distinguished by bold application, round letters, and short letter-shafts. Additional characteristics of this prayer book are the decorative geometrical tables that serve to divide chapters and sections. Typical for Dala’il al-Khayrat prayer books, this example includes an illustration of the holy site of Medina, rendered in an abstract geometric style. In addition to reflecting the artistic vibrancy of West and Sub-Saharan Africa, these patterns and themes bear talismanic and other meanings that surpass the devotional function of such manuscripts.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Prayer Book
Date: ca. 1900
Geography: (none assigned) Probably Northern Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa
Medium: Ink, and opaque watercolors on paper; embossed leather cover
Dimensions: H. 7 in. (17.8 cm)
W. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
D. 1 1/14 in. (3.2 cm)
Classification: Codices
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Islamic Art Gifts, and funds from various donors, 2025
Object Number: 2025.577
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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