South-East Asian Qur'an.
Stock Code 110712
South-East Asia, probably Indonesia, first half of 19th century.
POA
Copied on Dutch paper. A rare complete Qur'an from the Malay region of South East Asia copied on Dutch watermarked paper.
Committing to a definitive place of production for this manuscript has been challenging as so few of the institutional copies of manuscripts from South East Asia have been digitised. There are so many irregularities and variations in the types of script that the most accurate way of identifying these manuscripts is by comparing their illumination. Annabel Gallop outlines many key features in The art of the Qur'an in Southeast Asia (Word of God, Art of Man, The Qur'an and its creative Expressions, Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2003) and from this very informative essay we can ascertain that the red aya markers are rare and strongly associated with Aceh, symmetrical semi-circular juz' markers on facing pages (containing the word 'juz' on one side and the respective juz' number on the other) are more firmly in the Javanese cultural sphere and the double ruling in simple black again indicate Javanese production. Therefore, it is very likely that this manuscript is of Indonesian origin; however it must be noted that when it comes to the illumination of the opening pages, no Qur'ans from the wider Malay world, including any from Java, have been identified that bear any distinct resemblance to the style of opening seen in the present manuscript.
There is a short colophon at the end of the text that appears to include a date, however although the lettering is in Arabic, it is likely a transliteration of the date from an unidentified regional language. The Dutch paper used in this manuscript is most comparable to the Churchill listings of '94' and '105' with the 'VRYHEID' lettering, apparently produced sometime between 1750 and 1813 (W. A. Churchill, Watermarks in Paper, in Holland, England, France Etc..., Amsterdam 1990).
The small cache of comparable Islamic manuscripts from this region still require much in the way of academic research and therefore the addition of this volume is notably important for future studies in this area.
For further reading on Qur'anic manuscripts from the Malay world, see: A. T. Gallop, Qur'an manuscripts from Mindanao: collecting histories, art and materiality (South East Asia Research, 2022, 30 (1): 23-67); A.T. Gallop, From Caucasia to Southeast Asia: Daghistani Qur'ans and the Islamic manuscript tradition in Brunei and the southern Philippines (Manuscripta Orientalia, 2008, (1) pp. 32-56; (2) pp. 3-20), A.T. Gallop, Fakes or fancies? Some 'problematic' Islamic manuscripts from Southeast Asia (Manuscript cultures, 2017, 10: 101-128).
Single volume, decorated manuscript on Dutch paper watermarked with the 'Vryheid' coat of arms, in Arabic, 268 leaves, complete, 325 x 200 mm; single column, 17 lines black angular naskh with surah headings in red, verse markers of red circles with a small red dot in the centre, catch-words throughout, opening two surah and final two leaves with red, black and yellow decorations formed of semi-circles extending out from the text-block, with arabesque patterns forming a border in the margins, some light finger-soiling, a few leaves and gatherings loose; later (?) black cloth over pasteboards, additional black cloth strip to spine, rubbed and a little scuffed.
Committing to a definitive place of production for this manuscript has been challenging as so few of the institutional copies of manuscripts from South East Asia have been digitised. There are so many irregularities and variations in the types of script that the most accurate way of identifying these manuscripts is by comparing their illumination. Annabel Gallop outlines many key features in The art of the Qur'an in Southeast Asia (Word of God, Art of Man, The Qur'an and its creative Expressions, Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2003) and from this very informative essay we can ascertain that the red aya markers are rare and strongly associated with Aceh, symmetrical semi-circular juz' markers on facing pages (containing the word 'juz' on one side and the respective juz' number on the other) are more firmly in the Javanese cultural sphere and the double ruling in simple black again indicate Javanese production. Therefore, it is very likely that this manuscript is of Indonesian origin; however it must be noted that when it comes to the illumination of the opening pages, no Qur'ans from the wider Malay world, including any from Java, have been identified that bear any distinct resemblance to the style of opening seen in the present manuscript.
There is a short colophon at the end of the text that appears to include a date, however although the lettering is in Arabic, it is likely a transliteration of the date from an unidentified regional language. The Dutch paper used in this manuscript is most comparable to the Churchill listings of '94' and '105' with the 'VRYHEID' lettering, apparently produced sometime between 1750 and 1813 (W. A. Churchill, Watermarks in Paper, in Holland, England, France Etc..., Amsterdam 1990).
The small cache of comparable Islamic manuscripts from this region still require much in the way of academic research and therefore the addition of this volume is notably important for future studies in this area.
For further reading on Qur'anic manuscripts from the Malay world, see: A. T. Gallop, Qur'an manuscripts from Mindanao: collecting histories, art and materiality (South East Asia Research, 2022, 30 (1): 23-67); A.T. Gallop, From Caucasia to Southeast Asia: Daghistani Qur'ans and the Islamic manuscript tradition in Brunei and the southern Philippines (Manuscripta Orientalia, 2008, (1) pp. 32-56; (2) pp. 3-20), A.T. Gallop, Fakes or fancies? Some 'problematic' Islamic manuscripts from Southeast Asia (Manuscript cultures, 2017, 10: 101-128).
Single volume, decorated manuscript on Dutch paper watermarked with the 'Vryheid' coat of arms, in Arabic, 268 leaves, complete, 325 x 200 mm; single column, 17 lines black angular naskh with surah headings in red, verse markers of red circles with a small red dot in the centre, catch-words throughout, opening two surah and final two leaves with red, black and yellow decorations formed of semi-circles extending out from the text-block, with arabesque patterns forming a border in the margins, some light finger-soiling, a few leaves and gatherings loose; later (?) black cloth over pasteboards, additional black cloth strip to spine, rubbed and a little scuffed.
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