Rebound as a hardback with full leather binding, gold block border to covers and central arabesque foliage panel; 56 laid-paper pages expertly conserved, usage wear to edges repaired and restored, with drypoint lineation; title page with header block of calligraphic thuluth script reserved against a polychrome field with decorative foliage scrolls and blocks of colour; four lines of black script below; second page with similar header block, six lines of text with black and red diacritics and floral embellishments; rest with typically nine lines of text with red and black diacritics, floral motifs with liquid gold pointing; marginal notes and concentric roundel motifs with rosette to the centre and tulip motif above; page 54 with two lines of footnotes.

PROVENANCE:
From an important family collection started in the late 1950s.
Property of a West London, UK, gentleman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12279-220401.

FOOTNOTES:
The text is a juz' (chapter or internal division) from the Qur'an, the Surah Maryam (of Mary) to the Surah Al-Anbya (of the Prophets), Books 19 to 21.