Qur'ans & Qur'anic texts

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 338 leaves plus an additional free endpaper at each end, 140 x 95 mm; single column, 12 lines scribal black naskh, surah headings in red throughout, double-page decorated borders to opening two, central two and final two leaves of text executed in the typical Kashmiri style of illustration, with gilt borders and blue strokes extending outwardly from the text, verses marked with precise gilt roundels outlined in black, catch-words, some light browning and occasional finger soiling; modern blue cloth, gilt morocco label to spine.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Arabic, 198 leaves, complete, 105 by 65 mm; single column, 21 lines elegant black naskh per page, surah headings in ref thuluth against gilt banners throughout, opening two leaves with elaborately decorated gilt head-pieces and further gilt polychrome additions to the outer borders, fihrist at the front of the Qur'an and closing prayers at the end copied in blue and red within arabesque shapes set against decorative floral backgrounds, catch-words, a few small stains and light finger-soiling, overall very bright and attractive condition; contemporary lacquered boards, framed within gilt borders (later gilding), edges painted with floral motifs in gilt, rebacked, a handsome copy.

Single volume, second volume only of the text, decorated manuscript in Arabic, complete in alternating quires of 8 and 12 leaves with a bifolium at the end to complete the text, 162 leaves (plus one contemporary and 3 later endleaves), 218 by 118 mm; single column of 11-12 lines in sepia naskh hand of the author al-Sharif al-Radi himself, title on recto of first leaf, colophon at end of text in same hand, on distinctively Persian dark-cream paper, most leaves with mould markings (of 7-8 laid reed lines per centimetre, and with no chain lines apparent), final free endpaper with numerous ownership inscriptions (pre-fourteenth century), occasional marginal commentary (also pre-fourteenth century), some early damp-staining and mottling to leaves to entirety of volume affecting upper and outer corners, a few repairs to preliminary leaves including a closed tear to first leaf, strip of modern paper pasted along length of pastedown (probably from modern description once pasted there and subsequently removed), later endpapers and doublures inserted; fourteenth-century leather boards, stamped in blind and ruled with geometric patterns, skilfully rebacked, resewn and edges repaired, very presentable and attractive condition.

New Edition (fourth thus), 2 volumes, 8vo, vol. 1: xii, [2], 248pp., 266pp., [14 (table of contents)] ; vol. 2: [8], 519pp, [13]; large folding map and 3 engraved plates (2 of these folding), ink inscriptions to front free endpapers else clean and bright internally, small tear with loss to outer margin of p.99 (H2) in vol. 1 (not affecting text); fine contemporary tree calf, red morocco labels to spines, lettered in gilt, head of volume 1 lightly rubbed, a very handsome set.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, 161 leaves plus a final free blank at the end of the volume, complete, 173 by 103 mm; single column, 11 lines fine black naskh, chapter headings in gld throughout, contemporary catch-words, text-block ruled in gold and blue, final two leaves loose becoming loose otherwise in excellent and very clean condition; contemporary diced red leather morocco, covers ruled in border of small circular tooling in blind, extremities vvery slightly rubbed, a very nice copy.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Arabic, complete, 191 leaves plus 3 endpapers (two at front and one at the back), 98 by 60 mm; 21 lines fine and refined naskh script copied in miniature format, in black, two opening leaves of prayers copied in central lobed panels, in red, plus an additional set at the end of the volume, opening two facing pages of the Qur'an with exquisitely fine gilt polychrome decorations to borders, interlinear colouring of gold to every leaf of text, catch-words throughout, very clean and crisp condition; housed in fine contemporary gilt lacquered boards, with decorative floral compositions to covers set against a red background and framed within a gold foliate border, a very fine manuscript.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Arabic, complete, 318 leaves plus two later free endpapers, 120 x 80 mm; single column, 14 lines scribal black naskh per page, surah headings in red throughout, first three leaves with interlinear translations to Farsi in red nasta'liq (interlinear spacing continues through the volume, remaining translation never completed), opening two leaves with elaborately decorated gilt and polychrome decorations, these comprising spiralling vines adorned with pink, red, blue and white flowers, leaves throughout double-ruled in gold and black, catch-words throughout, final two leaves with additional gilt polychrome decorations to borders, some small stains and ink smudges, overall attractive condition; hosed in contemporary Kashmiri papier-mâché lacquered boards, outer covers with floral decorations ruled in gilt, inner covers of gold spiralling vines against a striking black background, rubbed and skilfully rebacked.

Single volume, illuminated manuscript on polished paper, in Arabic with some interlinear translations to Farsi, complete, 116 leaves, collation: i1 (single font free endpaper), ii-xiv8, iv6 (last 5 leaves blank), 190 by 125 mm; single column, 7 lines fine scribal black naskh, with some interlinear translations in red nasta'liq, one large illuminated polychrome head-piece and a further 14 illuminated banners opening sections of the text, each with heading in gold thuluth against decorated foliate designed very skillfully executed, some minor water-staining to top edges (causing slight loss to margins of first to leaves) not affecting text, text slightly faded in places, else bright and attractive condition; housed in fine contemporary lacquered boards painted with floral designs within ornamental medallions (in the manner of Islamic bindings), with gold additions to outer covers, inner covers painted with narcissus flower designs of a very high quality, boards backed in leather, spine and extremities slightly rubbed, a few scratches to lacquer, overall very attractive binding.

Single volume, lithographed on paper, in Arabic with some printed annotations in Farsi, complete, 142 by 95 mm; printed in single column, from a qur'an copied in 21 lines black naskh, with marginal annotations in shekasteh script, opening two leaves of illumination, surah headings and polychrome additions throughout hand-painted by a contemporary Qajar illuminator, a small smudge to second leaf else very bright and attractive condition, some later manuscript ownership inscriptions and seals to endpapers; housed in fine contemporary Qajar lacquered boards, outer covers painted with elegant floral designs framed within multiple gilt rulings, and inner covers decorated with spiralling gilt vines set against a striking black background, in very good condition.

Five volumes, each containing one Juz' of the Qur'an, illuminated manuscripts on thick polished buff paper, in Arabic, containing Juz' VI (An-Nisa 4:148 to Al-Maidah 5:82), Juz' VIII (Al-An'am 6:111 to Al-Araf 7:170), Juz' XI (At-Towbah 9:94 to Hud 11:5), Juz' XVII (Al-Anbiya 21:1 to Al-Hajj 22:78) and Juz' XXX (An-Naba 78:1 to An-Nas 114:6), each Juz' 16-19 leaves (together 84 leaves, plus some contemporary free endleaves to a couple volumes) and all textually complete in themselves, 265 by 170 mm; single column, 11 lines bold black naskh script with diacritics, some vocalisation in red, surah headings throughout in red thuluth script, large polychrome head-pieces (unwan) opening each of the Juz', these executed to a very high standard by a fine hand and illuminated in gold, leaves ruled in blue and gold throughout, contemporary catch-words, some smudges and light staining, a few sections cockled from damp; housed in uniform contemporary Qajar lacquered boards, inside covers painted and ruled in red, outer covers a dark tan with gilt floral pattern to frame outer edges, all rebacked, a little worn in places.